When we fail to recognise context, events are misunderstood and energies are misplaced. I think some leaders miss the essential competency of seeing, understanding, and mastering the systemic contexts in which we and others exist. Contact me via e-mail and let’s discuss your context blindspots.
What role do you play on the team?
Reading people involves observing their behaviour, body language, verbal cues, and emotions to understand their thoughts, feelings, and intentions. The greatest advantage to possessing the skill of reading people is that it immensely improves our ability to communicate with them. Understanding is much deeper than knowledge, as it delves into the depths of comprehension, encompassing not just what is known but also what is felt and perceived. I think the thoughts and emotions of others serves as a cornerstone for achieving success, positioning us in a realm where empathy reigns supreme. While many may profess to possess knowledge about us, genuine understanding remains a rare gem amidst the masses.
A little about me
Graphics c/o Karla Hallam ©
The skills I consistently bring to every job is understanding the customers I sell to, delivering value to them and not only focusing on the features and functions of the products or services. What has helped me meet so many people stem from my ability to demonstrate that I have a comprehensive grasp of their business and identifying challenges they require solutions for. My priority focus is pinpointing their pain problems and offering suitable solutions for them irrespective of the ROI.
Nowadays most companies have a start-up mentality, and I have worked for several companies where the response have been, “I have never heard of you!” I used to enjoy the thrill of approaching potential buyers and driving outcomes, even in the absence of brand recognition. I don’t want to just manage accounts where they just keep coming back purchasing from us as there is no frill in that. I am driven by solving problems and creating meaningful impact for companies.
The top 1%
There are a few essential skills and qualities that are important to acquire if you want to become a top sales earner, for example:
1. The tonality of how you deliver your message is important.
2. Persuasion techniques can significantly impact your sales performance.
3. Negotiation skills are paramount when it comes to reaching mutually beneficial agreements with clients.
4. Skilful questioning helps build rapport, gather valuable information, and demonstrate your expertise in solving their problems.
5. I think identifying and addressing the underlying problems or challenges your client’s face will make you stand out as a valuable partner.
6. Understanding human behaviour, including psychological triggers and decision-making processes, will give you an edge in sales.
7. Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in sales by helping you build rapport, connect on a deeper level, and address the emotional needs of your clients effectively.
Remember, becoming a top sales earner takes time, dedication, and continuous improvement. It's an ongoing journey of learning and refining your skills to consistently deliver exceptional results. I think building a strong network, adapting to market trends, honing your product knowledge, and cultivating a strong work ethic are also essential elements for long-term success in sales. Contact me via e-mail for sales training and workshops.
Evolved states of being
The person who exhibits the most kindness in a group often possesses great intelligence. When we encounter someone who differs from us in appearance, behaviour, love preferences, or lifestyle, our initial reaction tends to be either fear or judgment, and this response is rooted in our evolutionary history. As a species, we survived by being cautious of unfamiliar beings, and in order to display kindness, we must suppress this instinctual response and redirect our thinking. I think empathy and compassion are advanced emotional states that necessitate the ability to transcend our primal urges. Unfortunately, those in positions of power perceive empathy and kindness as weaknesses and view vulnerable individuals as mere stepping stones to further their own ambitions.
““People appreciate when you’re curious about them, rather than focusing on your own needs and what you can get from them.””
Good judgement
Understanding how to solve the environmental crisis and over consumption is through the knowledge that the human brain itself has quite a large marketing function. Everybody can acknowledge that the brain has an accounting function as it cares about the efficient use of resources. It also has all kinds of algorithms and heuristics that are in many cases innate and built in, but it also has a marketing function. It really cares about image and status, effectively what something you do means to other people. I think it’s very difficult to produce magic in the world of physics or engineering, you can genuinely perform magic with perception. And one of the cleverest reframing’s you can do is make it a choice not to compromise.
I do my best
I’m constantly taking in information, I read a lot of books and listen to loads of podcasts, I use some of the information. I don’t just copy/paste it as it’s conceptual and I like to understand what’s going on behind it, the theory, the thinking and this drives people mad because I can speak about methods and models all day long. Fundamentally, this is how I like to work – taking things down to its deepest level of understanding and then construct it relative to the context or situation, and how I can apply to what you are doing. One should always take the time, effort, and energy to think about the information you are receiving. When you get a real understanding for something, then you can see whether you really agree with the fundamental principles and either follow them or question them and develop your own ideas.
Exchanging knowledge
The hardest part of marketing meetings is persuading people to stop trying to prove that they were right all along. Defending the business, they came in with, defending their position and all their previous decisions. I’m sure these people mean well but they are limiting the possible because they are trying to defend what got them here in the first place. Everybody knows that knowledge is power, right? Knowledge is not power, I think it’s our ability to influence people that is power, and once you know, you cannot unknow.
““Any fool can know. The point is to understand.””
Leaders will always
Some people believe that leaders are made and others believe that great leaders are born. I think leadership can be learned even if you were born with the personality traits and communication abilities required to become a leader. The soft skills like awareness, sensitivity and understanding are not possessed by all leaders. Good leaders will always:
⁃ Set high standards
⁃ Have excellent organisational and execution skills
⁃ Embrace change and course-corrects when needed
⁃ Take risks
⁃ Embody fearlessness
⁃ Exude passion
⁃ Earn and give trust
Listening skills
Culture refers to the basics of how people work together to make decisions and how quality is maintained. I have observed that in several organisations the implicit attitude at work demands that professionalism means the employees ignore their emotions. I think that it’s important to create time and space to talk about what’s on people’s minds and I have found that if the team does this then there’s a large positive payoff - smarter questions and better understanding.
“The biggest communication problem is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply.”
Unfit to lead
Yesterday, John Amaechi OBE said, “The passing of a leader who failed to live up to their promises is nothing more than an opportunity. An opportunity for the successor to prove every day and with every interaction that now - finally - integrity will be an unbreakable principle of their leadership.”
I really hope that the next leader will have better awareness, sensitivity and understanding of leadership skills required. Sometimes we forget that not everyone is cut out to hold a leadership role. So, we must ask the candidates what motivates them to want to lead other people. And if they don't emphasise the importance of helping others grow, succeed, and thrive, we should look at other applicants.
U is for understanding
How do you scale the understanding of value creation across your organisation?
I think that it’s better to understand something than it is to know it. Sales and marketing teams must demonstrate the ability to collaborate and partner effectively with finance as improved financial literacy will enable stronger strategic debates. Working with finance and the rest of the leadership team is central to fulfilling your commercial objectives whether you are a start-up or a multi-national organisation. Contact me via e-mail for training and understanding workshops for effective sales and marketing teams.