Welcome to your weekly roundup for June 2-9. This week we’ve got advice on how to avoid the dreaded summer sales slump, a modern definition of sales training and enablement and how to overcome LinkedIn anxiety. Enjoy.
How To Avoid The Summer Sales Slump
With summer drawing closer every day, salespeople might be worried about hitting the dreaded summer sales slump. Best Selling Sales Author Mark Hunter says rather than letting your mindset bring down your performance, sales professionals can set themselves up for success by:
Overscheduling themselves, assuming a few appointments will get cancelled because of vacations, etc.
Confirm each appointment in advance, and share a piece of market intelligence while you’re at it. This way, you reinforce and further drive the importance of the meeting.
Use Friday afternoons to your advantage, by reaching out to people you haven’t been able to get a hold of. Most people relax a little on Friday afternoons, so demonstrate your hustle and stand out from the competition.
Use holiday weeks to your advantage for phone calls and appointments.
Don’t shy away from booking meetings on Friday. Even if they are not available, this commitment to hustle is respectable.
Sales Enablement: More Than Just Another Word for Sales Training!
Tamara Schenk writes about the complex and multi-dimensional role of what sales enablement actually is. She breaks down the misconception that sales enablement is actually just sales training, by properly defining sales training.
The “what” and “why” of sales training.
What: In CSO Insights’ words: The term “sales training” covers all kinds of selling skills, sales methodologies, sales processes, sales technology, and the whole range of product training services.
Why: The goal of sales training is to instigate some kind of behavioural change. This can come in the form of a new sales process, using a new tool, applying a certain sales methodology, a new value messaging approach or using different selling skills, says Schenk.
No training without content.
Schenk makes it clear behavioural change always requires learning/training content, which transfers knowledge.
How is sales training provided?
Most sales training comes in the form of eLearning, however there are still “onsite events” which are perceived as more valueable to tackle bigger problems head-on.
The bottom line? Training content has to be consistent with your value messaging guidelines and client-facing content if you want your salespeople to use it. “If this is not the case,” warns Schenk, “you run into one of the biggest traps out there… and that is inconsistency in enablement.”
Do You Suffer From LinkedIn Parapet Syndrome?
Are you anxious about connecting, commenting or sharing content on LinkedIn? If so, you may be suffering from what LinkedIn sales trainer Steve Phillip calls, LinkedIn Parapet Syndrome. Here are 3 tips to break through your LinkedIn Blockers, in Phillip’s words:
Tip #1 – Recognize that success will not be found by hiding behind the parapet – be courageous and remember, as the saying goes, ‘fortune favours the brave’!
Tip #2 – Know what you want to say, before you say it. Create a content planner, so you’re never short of useful information to share and always check your facts before commenting on or posting an update.
Tip #3 – Always ensure you’re relevant. Explain to anyone you invite to connect, what you both share in common (shared connections, same town, same industry etc.). Whenever you post an update or write an article, make sure it adds value to your network and helps them overcome a problem, improve a situation or makes them think, smile, laugh or cry. Always consider how what you say, on your profile or via an update, will be received by those you’d like to engage with you. But ultimately, whatever you do on LinkedIn, always come from a position of authenticity and a genuine regard for other people.
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