Month: October 2013

“Are you behind the opportunity, or are you just behind?”

Whether it is raising children, leading a team of people, correcting a big issue, selling something, etc., the best position we can have is as the leader. As leaders we should be doing all the extra-mile work required to build the path rather than reacting to it. Being behind (reacting) is the worst position because even if you succeed, it is on someone else’s terms, and those achievements often turn into failures.

It is also a leader’s responsibility to have self-awareness and know if they are leading, or if they are just behind. The issue/opportunity may still need to be addressed, but having self-awareness allows us to consciously design our approach based on how we are positioned. The highest level of failure is derived from being behind (reactive), yet still approaching the situation as if we were truly leading from the beginning. It turns the other side off, wastes a tremendous amount of time, and demotivates the team. So if we are pursuing something that we are having to chase, the first thing to do is to know and understand our position, and then consciously decide if/how to continue.

“Increasing your value to prospects/customers is hard work, but if done properly and consistently, selling becomes easy and enjoyable”

What makes you and your organization more valuable than the next? In a high-growth organization, every person should know the answer. If not, the Leadership team has quite a bit of work to do. We cannot rely on our sales/marketing teams to make up the story, or to figure out the value proposition. The organization’s value proposition should be a continuous focus for its Leadership team. The Leaderhip team is responsible for setting the goals and executing the plan in order to create, maintain, and enhance the value that the organization provides. Additionally, we must make sure everyone on the team, and especially those interfacing with current and potential customers, knows how to tell our story and how to convey our value.

Sales people sell products and services, however the best sales people sell their value and their organization’s value to the customer. It is our job as leaders to make sure they have real value to sell.

And if you have not gone out on a sales call lately – do it. See for yourself what value the team is selling.