I have worked with tens of thousands of sales people over the years… from just about every age group, experience level and industry. And I’ve observed one trait that consistently distinguishes the superstars from the average. Sadly, it’s a characteristic that recruiters and sales managers may overlook when hiring and training.
What is this distinction?
The disciplined practice of Self-Management.
The Self-Manager (SM) does not rely on his manager to drive his performance. He is entrepreneurial, taking full responsibility for his business results. The SM understands that the # 1 contributor to her long-term success is how she manages herself. While others fret about how to get it all done, the Self-Manager ruthlessly manages her attention, mindset and environment to get the important things done. While she appreciates incentives (commissions and bonuses) and recognition (awards) for her hard work, her motivation does not come from extrinsic sources. She is self-driven.
Sales managers, you want a team of winners? Do this… Get good at hiring and developing Self-Managers.[ctt title=”Sales managers, you want a team of winners? Do this… Get good at hiring and developing Self-Managers.” tweet=”Sales managers, you want a team of winners? Do this…via @JillsalesSHIFT #salesSHIFT https://ctt.ec/25zt6+” coverup=”25zt6″]
Make self-management one of your primary hiring criteria. Over and above the use of any relevant assessments, hone your interview skills. Do not ask questions about hypothetical sales situations. Do explore specific past behaviour and results to uncover evidence of the self-management trait. Here are a handful of important characteristics of Self-Managers to listen for:
- SMs use GPS. They do not simply set Goals They keep them front and centre every day. And they do not create mile-long action lists that serve only as distractions. Instead, they identify the handful of Priorities integral to reaching those goals. They dedicate time and attention to moving forward on these priorities daily. And they commit to Stop doing the time-and-attention-sucking stuff that pulls them away from the priorities that will assure they surpass their goals.
- SMs manage their mindset. While others bemoan the company’s premium pricing and fester over how to justify the higher price, Self-Managers flip the question to an enabling inquiry: “How do I use what I know about this client to position us as the most relevant choice so that our price is respected, not questioned?” Or, “How do I proactively find, and connect with, potential customer’s who value our services at this rate?” [ctt title=”While others bemoan the company’s premium pricing and fester over how to justify the higher price, Self-Managers flip the question to an enabling inquiry. ” tweet=”Learn how SMs manage their mindset… via @JillsalesSHIFT #salesSHIFT https://ctt.ec/sWD2w+” coverup=”sWD2w”]
- SMs self motivate. While commission and bonus cheques excite SMs, they do not drive their behaviour. They are the reward for their efforts… the output. The input is their intrinsic motivation. For example: The quest for personal achievement, doing meaningful work, feeling valued as in when an SM’s recommendation is applied to company strategy.
- SMs manage their attention. They schedule the optimal time to work on priorities. As one SM shared with me, “Jill, why would I waste time writing or responding to emails between 7.30 and 9AM when I know this is the best time of day to get decision-makers alone at their desk? I get on the phone.” When focused on these priorities, SMs proactively protect themselves from all on and offline intrusions by letting others know they are not to be disturbed, and by turning off all alerts and devices.
- SMs take responsibility for their professional growth. They read, follow, and observe other sales and business experts. They solicit feedback from people they respect, and digest all input without jumping to defend their actions. They take relevant courses on their own dime and on their own time. Most importantly, they act on what they learn, and they reflect on the result of these actions. So that their growth is ongoing.
- SMs are proactive. They do not rely on low hanging fruit or incoming leads that immediately take them into a competitive bid. They proactively define, and connect with, desirable leads before they are ready to buy. And while colleagues struggling to call at the executive level wait for the company to provide formal guidance, the SM has already set up interviews with his own executives to better understand their interests and buying triggers.
I believe the trait of self-management is so important to a sales professional’s success and job satisfaction that I devoted an entire chapter in my book to this; and created a conference keynote and training lab on the subject. I have been asked, “Jill, can you train people to be Self-Managers?” I believe that for many sales superstars, this is who they are. It is innate. So make it your mission to seek them out. Training will move the needle for others because it shines a light on a blind spot for many sales professionals. I consistently hear sales reps refer to overwhelm and lack of time as the big barrier to achieving desired results. Sadly, you will never get more time in your life. However, you will get the important things done through ruthless self-management.
Sadly, you will never get more time in your life. However, you will get the important things done through ruthless self-management.
Good selling!
