Winning Edge: January 2021 - Strong Stuff by Institute of Sales Management (ISM)

I N ST I T U T E O F SA L E S M A N AG E M E N T

R A I S I N G T H E VA L U E O F S A L E S

Number 1 2021 | ismprofessional.com | £4.95

STRONG STUFF

Why Simon Weston is backing the ISM on mental health

PEOPLE ARE THE THING TURNING TALENT INTO A COMPETITIVE FORCE

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2021? SALES CHALLENGES AND TRENDS THAT LIE AHEAD

TRUST IN THE TEAM Pulling together in tough times

NICHE TARGETS

Selling with the social media stars

PARTNER WITH US

Your business can work with the ISM

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CONTENTS

WINNINGEDGE NUMBER 1 – 2021 ismprofessional.com

5 ISM editorial

An introduction from the ISM

7 Sales Talk

The latest sales news and research

8 Partner with the ISM Institute of Sales Management 18 King William Street London EC4N 7BP Telephone: +44 (0)20 3167 4790 Email: abrook@ismprofessional.com Website: ismprofessional.com Chief Operating Officer: Roger Bradburn Marketing Director: Adam Brook Editorial: Marc Beishon, Tom Nash Design: Del Gentleman Advertising: Adam Brook Telephone: +44 (0)20 3167 4790 Email: abrook@ismprofessional.com

The benefits of ISM corporate and marketing partnerships

11 Break with convention

Rob Allen favours fresh thinking

12 Pulling together

Tap into teamwork in tough times, urges Nicola Grosvenor-Hagan

15 Tools for the job

The latest and best equipment

International Standard Serial No. UK ISSN 1746-6849

ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

Marc Beishon reviews trends in business and sales, and Jonathan Finch gives his view on p26

To be at their best, sales pros need recognition, argues Adam Warsop

28 Highlight the human factor

30 Plan to perform

Jim Irving on sales measurement

34 Selling with the stars

Gordon Glenister follows some of the latest social media influencers

38 Bouncing back

Build a team to profit from a recovery, advises Matthew Scarfe

17 Show them you care

40 Listen to saleswomen... Or lose out, says Patricia Seabright

18 Cover story: Simon Weston

42 Member profiles Meet ISM Fellows and fans Mark

© ISM 2021 Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the ISM. The publishers endeavour to check all facts and figures prior to publication, but cannot be held responsible for errors in material supplied to them for publication. Any article published will automatically be deemed to carry the sole copyright and be the property of the ISM.

22 The virtual outlook

Alex Ellinis on talent management

The Falklands veteran on how you too can triumph over adversity

Simon Scott-Nelson leads an ISM drive for mental wellbeing in sales

20 Why mental health matters

Willett and, on p46, Mike Coady

44 Building bridges Adam Brook goes the extra mile

to bond with Stewart Moss (FISM) WINNING EDGE 3

INSTITUTE OF SALES MANAGEMENT | EDITORIAL

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE ISM In the new normal of the pandemic and Brexit, Roger Bradburn reckons that the “right” salesforce is now an imperative

e are a few weeks into 2021 and it’s a good time to take stock as two major issues seem to be on the cusp of resolution, or at least clarity. On the pandemic, there is much more direction about the way ahead. Vaccines have been deployed rapidly in the UK, and won’t be far behind in other countries; the winter lockdown has succeeded in bringing down the R rate; and Covid-19 – or rather its repertoire of variations – is much more of a known quantity a year on and we are all likely to proceed in home and business life with all due respect to the new normal. The other big issue for the UK, somewhat muted of course during the pandemic, is Brexit, which actually happened before the pandemic broke out, but its implications have become more apparent at the end of the transition period. There’s no skirting around the fact that being outside the single market and customs union means much more than “teething problems”, as the UK government opted for third country status with the European Union. We pass no political comment, but recognise that some companies with substantial markets in the EU have had to scramble to establish distribution operations in the single market. There may also be implications for other commercial functions, including sales, which may entail more presence in multiple countries and markets. The ISM is an international organisation and we have long supported the development of sales operations in overseas markets. Brexit is a bigs change but we are sure that agile companies on either side of the English Channel will secure existing and new business. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

“Many interactions with the market are taking place in digital, virtual environments” In fact, sales would seem to be in pole position to lead the charge against business adversity. We have long noted that the salesforce is indeed in the vanguard of the company because salespeople are meeting prospects as well as customers. Now, the analysts are saying the same, and are even suggesting that companies embrace really radical restructuring such as rolling all customer-facing functions into one commercial operation. This makes sense as many interactions with the market are taking place in digital, virtual environments and the last thing a company wants is fragmentation in its ability to monitor and respond to these “touchpoints”. Change has been forced on many companies anyway, but are they firefighting or making decisions that will address the type of salesforce that has the right match of skills, roles and resources needed to do well in reshaped economies that have heavily impacted both the private and public sectors. As we’ve often reported in Winning Edge over the years, what has been called sales transformation is very hard because it is a big deal, often entailing major process, cultural and technological shifts likely to be resisted by

the most independent minded part of an organisation, namely the salesforce. So with everyone’s attention now gripped by global change, this is a receptive time to do what you may have been putting off anyway in pre-pandemic times. It’s a point noted by Winning Edge co-editor, Marc Beishon, in his outlook article on page 22. He also notes that this is by no means a gloomy time for all companies, as some sectors are thriving and taking on staff, including salespeople. Again, it’s the way that sales works now that is crucial, and that means putting the right people in the right place, as also commented on by Matthew Scarfe in his article on page 38. It does need careful thought of course but time is not on the side of many organisations. Certainly, many have quickly got to grips with virtual communications tools such as Zoom, but how many have understood the nuances of a remote workforce dealing with virtual prospects and customers? Should you bring in “digital natives” to push the technology envelope, but will there be “onboarding” problems? Are older sales managers who have been through other crises valuable (answer: yes). What technology should you be investing in for sales enablement for all roles in the firm? These are issues we help with at the ISM, and much more, and we hope you avail yourself of our spotlight webinars, online materials, thought leadership groups and of course Winning Edge. Let us know how we can help. Roger Bradburn is ISM chief operating officer.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

l We are proud to be leading on mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and on page 18 you can read why Simon Weston is backing our campaign, and on page 20 there is a report from our thought leadership group. l To get your sales team performing well a fundamental plank is measurement. Jim Irving provides a practical way to revisit the “complan” on page 30. l Hand in glove with measurement is recognition of achievements, says Adam Warsop. See page 28 for his thoughts. l We’ve touched on the concept of influencers before, and Gordon Glenister brings us up to speed on page 34.

WINNING EDGE 5

Your ISM needs you! Support the ISM and the sales profession you love

WE ARE CONTINUALLY LOOKING FOR TOP INTERNATIONAL SALES TALENT TO: l Join the ISM l Provide ‘must read’ content for our website l Deliver an ISM webinar l Feature in Winning Edge magazine l ‘Put something back’ as a mentor l Become an interview prepper or careers adviser l Serve as a judge at BESMA, our annual sales awards We are ALWAYS looking for talented, passionate and mission-aligned salespeople!

DO YOU: l Have a strong message that you want to share with the world and need some help to get your name out there? l Want to increase your brand credibility to open up more business opportunities? If that sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you! If any of the opportunities interest you then visit ismprofessional.com for more information, or get in touch by emailing ABrook@ismprofessional.com

SALES TALK INDUSTRY NEWS SHORT SELLING N EW S ROUND- UP DIGITAL DISRUPTION MEMBERSHIP VALUE

MOVING WITH THE TIMES

The ISM will work hard to stay relevant to members, says Adam Brook Membership bodies once had a pretty easy ride. People would renew year after year and it was all good. Professional institutes and associations were sometimes even found to have charged people who had passed away... Then, the 1990s saw the arrival of search engines, and the whole world changed. Suddenly, a great deal of what membership bodies offered – from events and qualifications to articles and videos – was highly accessible online for free, or at least at greatly reduced cost. Fast forward to 2021 and some of the questions I continually raise internally now are: “How do we convince members to stay and renew?” and “How do we attract sales professionals on board?” Many of our members stay with us because of

loyalty to our brand and what we stand for. But we can’t afford to be complacent. We must challenge ourselves: how can we continue to evolve to offer value to our members and go “above and beyond”? Today, we are not only competing with Google but also ourselves. Our members quite justifiably ask: “Does the ISM deserve my loyalty?”, “What am I getting from the ISM for my investment?”, “What am I getting from them compared with Google? There is far more information available online now than ever before, so it’s a buyer’s world. We have to prove ourselves – if we don’t, we’ll become irrelevant. We must evolve, and we shall. Adam Brook is sales and membership marketing director of the ISM. Email ABrook@ismprofessional.com

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP

PARTNERS IN SALES PERFORMANCE The ISM is pleased to announce a collaboration with Varicent Varicent is a leading provider of next generation sales performance management (SPM) software. In common with the ISM, it is committed to supporting sales communities worldwide, and the partnership is designed to highlight thought leadership and innovative solutions in SPM, including incentive compensation management, territory and quota management, lead-to-revenue operations, and more. The partnership will provide a variety of ways to assist and support sales professionals worldwide as they navigate through a constantly changing and increasingly complex environment. Matt Blanchard, Varicent’s vice-president of sales, EMEA, comments, “We’re excited to be partnering with the ISM, a longstanding organisation that promotes the professionalism

and integrity of sales. Since 1911, the ISM has been held in high regard for its contribution and support to the sales community. This year, we’re proud to play an integral role in supporting this community by sharing our experience and expertise in SPM such that sales professionals feel equipped and motivated to improve their sales performance and drive business growth.” Adam Brook, the ISM’s sales and membership marketing director, says the partnership “will enable our membership and our wider community to gain more understanding of SPM and what Varicent can offer”. He adds, “We will be providing Varicent with the ability to showcase its expertise and participate in a host of areas, from features within Winning Edge to webinars, mailings and events.”

Among Gartner’s recent reports is 5 ways the future of B2B buying will rewrite the rules of effective selling, in which digital trends are set out, including a sobering one – that B2B customers are radically discounting the perceived value of sellers. But buyers reward rich virtual buying experiences, as they struggle with their own changes and information overload. See also our article on page 22.

5G TO THE RESCUE

A report by PwC reveals that productivity and efficiency gains enabled by 5G technology will drive business, skills and service change worth £43bn to UK GDP by 2030. Powering your tomorrow quantifies the impact of 5G in utilities, health and social care, and the consumer, media and financial sectors. It offers ways to rethink business models, skills, products and services, with gains accelerating from 2025.

TRAINING IN MIND

The State of Remote Readiness Report, from MindTickle! and Revenue Collective, is on a survey of 120+ “revenue leaders”, finding that 75% of them feel “somewhat” effective at training their salespeople, while 17% say they’re not effective all, and 50% haven’t documented what it takes to be a successful remote sales rep. Onboarding new salespeople is said to be a particular concern.

IN THE VIRTUAL REALM

Just out is The Virtual Sales Handbook: A Hands-on Approach to Engaging Customers, a book for sales reps, customer relationship managers, and other customer-facing professionals working in the “virtual realm”. It’s written by Mante Kvedare and Christian Milner Nymand and is published by Wiley.

ANY IDEAS?

If you are an ISM member and would like to contribute to Winning Edge, please email articles or ideas to Adam Brook at abrook@ismprofessional.com

WINNING EDGE 7

ISM: YOUR PARTNER IN SALES There’s never been a better time for organisations to work with the Institute of Sales Management. ADAM BROOK explains two types of partnership

8 WINNING EDGE

ISM CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP For organisations with more than 50 sales professionals, ISM Corporate Partnership gives access to a range of superb sales resources. Corporate Partnership with the ISM runs yearly, with an option to renew, and provides unique engagement, learning and networking opportunities. For example, as an ISM Corporate Partner, your organisation can:

l Access OFQUAL-approved sales qualifications l Achieve company-based professional sales certification for its sales teams l Align with the ISM’s code of conduct – which can be viewed or downloaded at any time from our website l Benefit from a sales skills audit to identify key areas for salesforce development l Commit to sales methods that are professional and ethical l Position itself as an ISM ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

ISM PARTNERSHIPS | FEATURE

“The ISM has been an invaluable partner in event promotion for Showpad. The ISM’s online platform and email campaign to its member base resulted in a record number of attendees at our event in April 2019. I would recommend using the ISM’s support to drive high-quality registrations for webinar and owned events” Miisa Bergius, marketing programme manager, Showpad Partner, with the use of our logo under licence l Reinforce its professional status, enhancing sales conversations and proposals l Strengthen existing recruitment and retention strategies l Support sales staff with a strong continuous professional development (CPD) plan. ISM Corporate Partnership will boost your sales performance. Don’t delay, join us today. ISM MARKETING PARTNERSHIP Marketing Partnerships with the ISM provide unparalleled opportunities for organisations to promote their services, an event, team or products to our influential audience of sales professionals. Marketing Partnerships run yearly, with an option to renew. We limit the number of partners we work with, to avoid overloading our audience with an excessive number of products and services, and to provide the required value to ensure a successful partnership. Over the past 18 months, we have worked to great effect with partners such as Highspot, National Sales Conference, Zoho and Showpad on event promotion and product launches. With Showpad, for example, we partnered in promoting its product launch event on London’s South Bank in early 2019. With just 8 weeks’ notice, we helped Showpad

to fill the venue and participated in its key promotional video. As an ISM Marketing Partner, your organisation can benefit from: l A kick-off call or meeting with your marketing team to coordinate all the projects for the year ahead l Quarterly calls throughout the year to review completed projects and discuss those that are upcoming l Access to your own dedicated project planning tool, to ensure no opportunities are missed l Targeted personalised introductions to our member base, as and when required, to kick-start conversations. In addition, your organisation will also receive its own partner page, which we will create for you, hosted on our website. By having a dedicated page, your message won’t get diluted by the ISM’s many activities, and relevant traffic will be directed to it via the initiatives we will tailor specifically for you. Typically, this will include: l Introduction message from CEO l Lead generation box l Your activity calendar with us l Blogs and other content l Key contacts within the organisation. If you are keen to enhance your brand’s credibility, while developing and recognising your salesforce, the ISM is here to help. ADAM BROOK (LISM) is sales and membership marketing director at the ISM. For more information on partnership opportunities with the ISM, call him on +44 (0)7493644611, email abrook@ismprofessional.com or visit ismprofessional.com

ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

WO R K I N G W I T H THE ISM: A I R M A R K E T I N G G RO U P The ISM is delighted to welcome an extensive recent partnership with Air Marketing Group, an award-winning supplier of outsourced sales services. The partnership includes group membership of the ISM, which is now supporting Air’s business development executives, team leaders, account managers and the leadership team in their careers. The ISM is assisting Air in further improving its professional sales standards by providing Air’s sales professionals with access to the ISM’s services, including sales qualifications, networking opportunities, awards, practical information and advice. Owen Richards, Air’s founder and CEO, comments, “With quality assurance and professional development at the forefront of what we do, we are always looking for new methods of training. We are excited by this unique opportunity presented by the ISM to take our service delivery to the next level.” Richards continues,” Our people are what our clients are buying when they work with Air. Our team, known as Team Air, is on the phones generating opportunities for our clients on a daily basis. Because Team Air is vital in what we do, professional development is at the forefront for us and we are always looking for innovative ways to enhance skills, performance and job satisfaction. We truly believe in individual and team recognition, so we are excited to be able to offer our Team Air qualifications from the ISM.” He adds, “The ISM is a natural fit for us. We share the same values and ethics and want Team Air to be able to develop within this community of peers. We also love BESMA. We’ve found bringing members of Team Air, prospects and clients along to this celebration of sales success has been a fantastic bonding experience. BESMA is always a fantastic night and is an event that the whole team looks forward to each year.” Air and The ISM are looking forward to working together into 2021 and beyond. The ISM website now hosts a page dedicated to all the activities that Air will be carrying out with the ISM over the next year. It includes an introduction to Air’s team, services, mailings, products, upcoming partnered events, blogs, photos, videos, social activities, webinars and more.

WINNING EDGE 9

Become an ISM Associate! Join the ISM and boost your career prospects

ISM ASSOCIATE (AISM)

1-3 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: £150 This level of membership is available to all sales professionals who are currently working in the industry and have accrued some experience of working within a sales environment. Being an Associate recognises individuals who have embarked on a professional qualification. REASONS TO JOIN: LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT l Download white papers crafted by our Fellows l Receive weekly educational videos from our training centres and members, full of helpful sales tips and tricks MARKETING l A post-nominal, AISM, that you can use on emails, social media, business cards and proposals to add to your professional standing NETWORKING l Free or discounted admission to events that the ISM partners with throughout the year

l Member-only networking events according to your grade l Connect with professionals in your market and across the globe through our member-findmember platform l Attend live events such as conferences, workshops and virtual learning PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT l Free ISM legal advice line l Ask an ISM member if you need advice on pitching a business or service l Complimentary coaching call with an ISM Adviser – a gamechanging conversation to boost your sales career l CV writing guidance and interview practice with one of our experienced members l Deliver a trial pitch to an ISM member for instant feedback RECRUITMENT l Search, register and receive alerts on new jobs through the ISM online job section l Interview practice sessions with an ISM Fellow THOUGHT LEADERSHIP l A quarterly digital magazine,

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If any of the opportunities interest you then visit ismprofessional.com for more information, or get in touch by emailing ABrook@ismprofessional.com Winning Edge, available for download from the member’s area, bringing you the latest news and views from the world of sales l Download a range of best practice sales templates l Access our resource library of archived webcasts, research reports and more.

You’ll need to break with convention to sell in 2021, explains ROBERT ALLEN

ales is tough – we all know that. Worse still, for many in 2020 – a year including a pandemic, restricted spending, lockdowns, redundancies and the largest economic recession since the great depression – it often seemed almost impossible. Now, as we advance further into 2021, for both salespeople and sales leaders it can just feel like you’re lurching from one issue to the next, unable to find the right way forward. Is anyone winning any new business? If they are, what are they doing differently? Well, unfortunately, the past year has seen a resurgence of an old enemy – a tough competitor who is winning more and more of your opportunities. And the name of that competitor? The status quo. No, not the 1970s rock band, but the preference for customers to either stay with what they have, or to resist moving at all until the future becomes clearer. This is completely understandable – when the world is riskier, people tend to take control of the things they can. Loss aversion also comes into play. There is a well-known study that was used to highlight the difference between logic-based and emotionally led decision-making. When offered a bet that guaranteed a small gain over the long term, respondents refused to risk their money. The researchers kept improving the odds to see at what point the respondents changed – it took until the odds were significantly in their favour before they’d take the risk. How much in their favour? Between 250% and 300% return on investment. This might seem unreasonable, but put it in everyday terms. Think about your car. Assuming it is in full working order and there’s nothing driving a change, just how much better would another car have to be for you to swap? It should be obvious that if a salesperson reached out to you and offered only a slight improvement, then you’d maintain the status quo – why take the risk? In fact, if they offered only a few things that were improvements, you’d still be likely to stick to your guns. The research suggests that the new car would probably have to be better in most facets, and a lot better in some, to convince you to change. So, if you’ve got to overcome loss aversion, confirmation bias and the riskiest market there’s been in living memory, how do you manage it? I’m sure you’d like me to give you a silver bullet, so here it is – you need to be nearly 300% better than the status quo in nearly all facets. It sounds tough – and it is. However, it’s one of ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

ADVICE VALUE

WI DE N Y OUR HOR I ZONS

ROBERT ALLEN (FISM) is business development director UK at eProseed, a digital transformation and IT powerhouse that creates bespoke technology solutions for medium and enterprise customers. Email robert.allen@eproseed.com, call 07903 447294 or visit eproseed.com

the biggest bugbears of my professional life because, in most cases, it is not something that the salesperson can do themselves. If, as a business, your product or service is the same as your competitors’ and it costs the same amount, you’ve made your salesperson’s job virtually impossible. It’s the job of senior management to give your salespeople an advantage over your competitors – so do it properly. Personally, I believe a great place to start is with the book Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne. It’s a revelation, and has lots of options to improve what you take to market. One of their key premises is the four-action framework. This approach asks you to look afresh at your industry and remove things that the customer no longer needs, and to improve what has never been improved. Simply ask yourself: l Which factors of our value proposition can be eliminated because they’re not important to our customers anymore? l Which factors can be reduced from their current levels? l Which factors can be raised well above their current levels? l What new factors can we create that we’ve never offered before? The plan, as you’ve probably guessed, is to use the money saved from the reductions to fund the improvements. Oh, and did I say that you need to be cheaper? That’s vitally important too. The endpoint, however, will be arming your salespeople with a lean value proposition that is both cheaper than its competitors, but does many things better than the pack. So make 2021 a much improved year by giving your sales team the ammunition they need to smash both the status quo and your competition. WINNING EDGE 11

NICOLA GROSVENORHAGAN explains how her lead generation team has continued to succeed in this challenging time

“A

chieve in spite of, don’t fail because of.” This is the motto I desperately clung to as we faced Covid-19, undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges we have seen in my 13 years as a leader. Looking back on examples of companies that have revolutionised the way they do business by seeing opportunity within challenge brought a level of optimism that started to outshine the doom of the “what if ?” The team operates on high levels of energy, collaboration and a buzzing atmosphere. Most of our business is conducted over the phone. How would we cope with mobilising the entire department to remote working overnight and supercharge our outputs to keep our sales colleagues busy? Market conditions were tough, prospects were unnerved and businesses faced collapse. The team and I were concerned. A PIVOT IN APPROACH To address these challenges, we sought to demonstrate how we could help, empowering the team with a fresh image of how they viewed their role. As a telecoms provider, we were integral to helping clients establish business continuity. To take positive action, we needed to develop a positive vision, both within the team but also in showing the customer what was possible. We turned the conversation from transactional to consultative and shifted the mindset towards opportunity. Decision-makers were harder to reach but those that we could, we engaged well. We were now booking virtual meetings instead of face-to-face, savings hours of each business development manager’s time every week. This created room for a renewed culture of opportunity in terms of supporting and assisting our sales colleagues. Together, we dogmatically persisted with every conversation in the pipeline. We communicated our challenges and successful processes to our sales peers to help them adapt from face-to-face to phone. We witnessed a new, more human level of interaction between seller and prospect. The suits and company cars were replaced with real people in their homes. This, combined with demonstrating the technology we use in real time, refreshed our approach to selling. We were able to create more urgent timeframes and pull our appointment dates in sooner. A new type of rapport was forming – a shared 12 WINNING EDGE

COMMENT CRISIS MANAGEMENT

P UL L I NG TOGE THE R

NICOLA GROSVENORHAGAN is head of new business, lead generation, for Onecom, the UK’s largest independent business telecommunications provider delivering fixed line, mobile, unified communications and connectivity solutions. Visit: onecom.co.uk

story of life under lockdown allowing us to connect emotionally. We all have so much more in common and we’ve played that as a strength to help build the relationship. Once we settled on our tone and approach with our future customers, we turned our attention to our internal collaboration. A great team is like a family. We have always cultivated a supportive environment, sharing goals and celebrating individual success as a team. Someone once referred to us as being like a ship’s crew, pulling together when we need to change direction. The power of communication should never be taken for granted. Start with “why?” How can we expect our people to work towards common goals and business strategies if they don’t know why it matters? Allow people creative freedom to weave their own suggestions into those plans and get even more buy-in. We were empathetic to each other as well as our customers. We’re all human and have varying degrees of resilience around different topics; it was really important to me that we encouraged open discussions on how everyone was feeling, allowing us to jump in and offer new ways of thinking that would challenge the gloom of Covid life. Yes, we were early adopters of the virtual drinks, scavengers’ hunts and fancy dress, but our most powerful tool has been sharing insights, encouraging an open dialogue on challenges and valuing everyone’s opinion. LESSONS LEARNED What have I learned this year? Virtual meetings are here to stay – they allow for a faster turnaround and free up valuable time. We must listen to our customers, our people and challenge ourselves to embrace change. Dive in and don’t be afraid to fail – just be afraid not to try. Confidence in the full portfolio encourages multiple avenues to change focus and offer support, allowing for a truly consultative and customer-centric sale. Finally, we must make important decisions quickly and, above all else, refuse to accept defeat. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

Become an ISM Executive! Join the ISM and boost your career prospects

ISM EXECUTIVE (EISM)

4-6 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: £175 Being an Executive recognises individuals who have developed a good level of knowledge and understanding around sales. REASONS TO JOIN: LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT l Download white papers crafted by our Fellows l Receive weekly educational videos from our training centres and members, full of sales tips MARKETING l A post-nominal, (EISM), that you can use on emails, social media, business cards and proposals NETWORKING l Free or discounted admission to events that the ISM partners with throughout the year l Member-only networking events according to your grade l Connect with professionals in your market and across the globe through our member-findmember platform l Attend live events such as conferences, workshops and virtual learning

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT l Free ISM Legal Advice Line l Ask an experienced member if you need advice on pitching a business or service l Complimentary coaching call with an ISM Advisor – a gamechanging conversation to boost your sales career l CV writing guidance and interview practice with one of our members l Deliver a trial pitch to an ISM member for instant feedback RECRUITMENT l Search, register and receive alerts on new jobs through the ISM’s online job section l Interview practice sessions with an ISM Fellow THOUGHT LEADERSHIP l A quarterly digital magazine, Winning Edge, available for download from the member’s area, bringing you the latest news and views from the world of sales l Download a range of best practice sales templates l Access our resource library of archived webcasts, research reports and more

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If any of the opportunities interest you then visit ismprofessional.com for more information, or get in touch by emailing ABrook@ismprofessional.com l Submit articles for publication in Winning Edge and on the ISM blog, and access hundreds of articles to support sales growth l Register your interest in delivering a live webinar to our global audience.

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TOOLS FOR THE JOB

ON THE MOVE

WHAT’S MORE

E Q U I P M E N T F O R D I S C E R N I N G P RO F E S S I O N A L S SMARTPHONE

KING MAKER

Samsung looks set to continue its dominance of the premium Android smartphone with this Galaxy S21 Ultra, which has been dubbed a “superphone” and “king of Android”. It sports a great 6.8 inch screen, just a bit smaller than recent Samsung Notes, and in Europe has the firm’s Exynos 2100 processor, and runs a version of Android 11. The camera has four modes, the fingerprint scanner is much improved and battery life is excellent. There are cheaper S21 models too.

MERCEDES EQA

WATT ABOUT THIS

APP

If you want to get in at the entry level in a premium electric car range you could have a look at the EQA, the first all-electric compact car from Mercedes-Benz. It’s an SUV that offers an excellent compromise between performance, costs and time to market, says its maker, and is a close relation of the GLA model. It is being launched as the EQA 250, with combined electrical consumption of 15.7 kWh/100 km with 140 kW (190 hp) and a range according to NEDC of 486 km (301 miles) – that last figure looks rather hopeful, although Mercedes is making much of the aerodynamic design. Future models will include all wheel drive with an additional electric powertrain and an output of 200 kW or more, and a range of more than 500 km. It’s out this spring with prices in Germany starting at 47,540 euro, with UK pricing and specification to be confirmed.

Trickle’s developer describes its offering as “an online platform that brings employee engagement, wellbeing and recognition together in one dynamic app”. The idea is that it gives your people a voice so they can share their opinions, ideas and suggestions with you any time. It comes into its own at times of change and restructuring, which no doubt is affecting many firms right now. It’s a British firm based in Scotland. See trickle.works

TABLET

PAPER TIGER

COMPUTERS

APPLE DRIVES UPWARDS ON THE M1 There’s no doubt about the big recent news in computing: the move by Apple to abandon Intel and use its own processors, the first of which is the M1 (actually made by ARM, which provides iPad/iPhone processors). The first M1 machines are a MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro (pictured), and Mac Mini, and the benchmarks have been fantastic and means you’ll be packing high-end performance in these entry level computers, albeit paying premium Apple prices, but still about the same as top-end Windows units.

We were intrigued by this tablet, the reMarkable 2, a sort of virtual paper device that allows you to take handwritten notes and convert these into digital text. It then helps you organise the notes and share across other devices, and you can also review and annotate PDF documents. The display looks like paper and you can also get a pen that has an “eraser”. If you like sketching your thoughts out by pen this could be for you. See remarkable.com CONNECTOR

DOCK OF THE BAY

With so many of us working at home with a mix of equipment this compact dock from Kensington that features both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C could be the ticket. It also has a SD card socket, ethernet and audio jack. It supports ultra HD via two Displayport v1.2 ports, and also charges at 60 W.

WINNING EDGE 15

Become an ISM Leader! Join the ISM and boost your career prospects

ISM LEADER (LISM)

6-9 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: £200 This level of membership is typically available to current sales professionals with managerial experience and substantial leadership skills. It requires you to give back to the community. REASONS TO JOIN INCLUDE: LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT l Access to our suite of professional resources, webinars, videos, interviews, articles etc. l Continuing professional development (CPD) programme l Mentoring from ISM Fellows l Study for OFQUAL-accredited professional qualifications l Conference archives – access our extensive resource library l Download best sales practices and white papers l Receive weekly educational videos from our training centres l Produce a less than 1 minute video to support our membership MARKETING l A post-nominal, (LISM) to use on emails, social media, business cards and proposals

l One solus mailer to our audience pre and post your participation in a webinar NETWORKING l Attend live and virtual events and regional industry meetings l Member-only networking l Free or discounted admission to BESMA and other events l Connect through our memberfind-member platform l Become an interview prepper l Host an event at your offices PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT l Free ISM legal advice line l Ask an ISM member for advice l Complimentary coaching call with an ISM Adviser l CV writing guidance and interview practice l Deliver a trial pitch to an ISM member for instant feedback RECRUITMENT l Search, register and receive alerts on new jobs through ISM online job section l Interview practice sessions with an ISM Fellow l Become an interview prepper l Feature a sales role within your

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If any of the opportunities interest you then visit ismprofessional.com for more information, or get in touch by emailing ABrook@ismprofessional.com

organisation within our magazine and on social THOUGHT LEADERSHIP l A quarterly digital magazine, Winning Edge l Download a range of best practice sales templates l Access our resource library l Submit articles for publication in Winning Edge and on our blog l Register to deliver a live webinar to our global audience l Access ISM sales templates to support professional growth l Submit pre-recorded video content for our website l Speak on a sales topic at an ISM event to raise your profile.

TALENT MANAGEMENT | LEADERSHIP

happy they are likely to switch off and start looking elsewhere. To protect them it is essential that sales leaders care about their welfare, consider their feelings, listen to their concerns and maintain open lines of communication with them. Just as an individual visits the doctor to ensure they stay healthy, organisations need to utilise the same concept for employees. They must invest in them, speak to them, and understand them and their worries, as well as their hopes and aspirations. It also helps foster good relationships with customers as it means you understand what they are thinking and feeling.

SHOW THEM YOU CARE

ALEX ELLINIS says sales leaders should show emotional intelligence, particularly in the current circumstances

here are many words that can be used to describe 2020: stressful, uncertain, worrying, to name but a few. For businesses, strong and proactive leadership has never been more important, as both employees and customers look for guidance on how to navigate the months ahead. For a number of years, emotional intelligence has been seen as a key driver for businesses to optimise talent, survive and grow, but it is now even more important and must be at the centre of every leadership strategy. Without it, the likelihood of being competitive and successful is minimal. Emotional intelligence is the measurement of how we understand each other, how we think and feel, of our personal concerns and how we communicate with one and other. Emotional intelligence is important right through an organisation – it must be present for effective leadership and management, be that of customer service, sales, marketing or HR. Higher emotional intelligence helps leaders to communicate better, and promote team effort and problem solving. At its core, it enhances healthy interpersonal relationships and communications. Conversely, poor emotional intelligence can have a hugely negative impact on an organisation, inevitably reducing morale, output and ultimately revenues. As we all know, employees are a company’s biggest asset, so they need to be looked after. And, arguably, salespeople are the most important employees, because without sales no one has a job. Just like customers, if salespeople are not ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

ALEX ELLINIS is associate professor and director of executive education at Greater London Business School, which offers a broad range of courses in management, leadership and sales, including sales courses accredited by the ISM. He has 20 years of experience working in management and senior executive leadership roles across a diverse range of sectors. Visit: greaterlondonbusinessschool.co.uk

NOW IS THE TIME TO CHANGE Nothing is the same as it was pre-Covid 19, so we need to try and embrace this change right now. There are several reasons why emotional intelligence has to be fundamental to your business strategy. Sales leaders should strive to: l Understand what emotional intelligence is, and how it can improve both their personal and professional lives l Appreciate the importance of self-awareness and getting in touch with their feelings and emotions in developing emotional intelligence skills l Practise techniques to self-motivate, control emotions and challenge negative thought patterns l Understand the importance of empathy and developing social awareness for properly managing relationships with others as an emotionally intelligent person. At Greater London Business School, we run courses for business leaders purely focused on the importance of emotional intelligence, with the fundamental aim of improving their thinking, feeling and doing. The courses give them the essential skill and mindset for proper selfawareness, self-management, self-motivation and relationship management, empowering them with a choice in how they think, feel and act. Incorporating emotional intelligence into the future strategy of your company will ensure leaders understand their employees’ emotions and foster mental health, engagement and loyalty throughout the company. Recruitment will also improve as you look for future candidates with effective communication skills. How we identify, understand, and manage our own and other people’s emotions are very strong predictors and vital in the workplace for enhancing job performance, job satisfaction, job stress, leadership, commitment and teamwork. As we continue to battle through the Covid-19 pandemic, increased communication and support levels are a must, as we are all feeling vulnerable. Leaders must realise this and utilise emotional intelligence to navigate the murky waters ahead. WINNING EDGE 17

COVER STORY | MENTAL HEALTH

MIND OVER MATTER SIMON WESTON is backing the ISM’s initiative to promote mental health in sales. Tom Nash describes the Falklands War veteran’s triumph over adversity – and his thoughts on personal resilience

“W

e can all be the right sort of leader, not shouting and screaming, but calm, compassionate and communicative – and, above all, listening.” As leadership advice goes these days, such a view is fairly mainstream, but coming from Simon Weston it has “cut through” – and that is what really matters. Weston willingly admits he is not a management guru, and his thoughts on leadership are not revolutionary, but because of his own extraordinary life experience, people rightly listen to him. He hopes to make a difference by describing some of the lessons he has learnt, and how adopting a commonsense approach can help. That’s as important as ever right now, because with the world still fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, there are people all around the world, at all levels of society, in crisis, with some of them facing mental health meltdown. A report 18 WINNING EDGE

by insurance giant Aviva in December found that over half of workers had neglected their mental and physical health during the pandemic, while another recent survey by Purbeck Insurance Services found that two-thirds of workers in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) feel their mental health has suffered. Inevitably, such worrying statistics will include a fair proportion of sales professionals. In typically down-to-earth fashion, Weston is keen to help out, lending his support as an ambassador to mental health consultancy, Wellity Workplace Wellbeing, and to the ISM’s mental health and wellbeing thought leadership group, a new initiative to promote good mental health in sales, led by Wellity’s founder and ISM Champion, Simon Scott-Nelson (see page 20). As Weston explains in mellifluous Welsh tones,“I’m proud to be involved with Wellity and the ISM because we all have the same desire, which is to help people succeed against whatever stresses and adversity they come across in life.” Weston, of course, is the personification of ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

triumph in the face of adversity, as the face of the Falklands War, fought in 1982 between the UK and Argentina. He is undoubtedly and officially a hero, having been voted top of a UK heroes index in 2014. But he is also much more than that – a prime example of seizing the moment and succeeding against the odds – including in business, as an author, and as a motivational speaker. He is a genuine example of that overused term “inspiration”. As such, he is a powerful agent of change and a valuable ally of the ISM in its important mental health mission. This is just the latest of many good causes he has supported, including the Weston Spirit, a Liverpool-based young people’s charity. His charitable work earned him an OBE in 1992 and then a CBE in 2016. Weston’s story has been well documented, not least by no fewer than five BBC television documentaries. For the uninitiated, it began when, as a Welsh Guardsman in the Falklands conflict, his ship, the RFA Sir Galahad, was destroyed by an Argentine air attack. As a result, he sustained serious burns to 46% of his body, including to his face. In the four decades since, he has become well-known across the UK and abroad for his struggle to overcome his injuries and redefine his role in life. When he returned from the South Atlantic at just 20 years-old, he felt he had “nothing to offer”. He had not only suffered physically, but had also lost his career in the Army, his relationship at that time, and his ability to play his beloved rugby. “I had no skills and received little advice – everything had gone south,” he says. “I know what it feels like when you just can’t see a way ahead.” Weston refuses to dwell on his own battles, however, preferring to offer support to others in dark times. “For many people, Covid-19 is a real test of fortitude,” he says. “Some individuals, and that will include some salespeople, are beleaguered. They may be facing the loss of their jobs, or targets that are impossible to hit in the current climate, or they may be finding personal pressures like working in isolation – or surrounded by screaming kids – very difficult to cope with. They may be finding it hard to see light at the end of the tunnel, which breeds uncertainty and self-doubt, and that can be a catalyst for all sorts of imaginings.” His advice to those in this situation is “don’t overthink things”, but to recall all the times in the past when they have faced and overcome anxiety – perhaps the loss of a job, the breakdown in a relationship, a bereavement, or simply a nerve-racking first day at school. “You’ve already been down the road of uncertainty and faced a bleak situation that ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

“I’m proud to be involved with Wellity and the ISM because we all have the same desire, which is to help people succeed against whatever stresses and adversity they come across in life” you’ve never faced before, so try not to blow things out of proportion.” While a sense of perspective is a key starting point, it is important to seek support. “These days, there are people who can help, from in-house mental health first-aiders to trained professionals. Please, use them,” he pleads. Sales managers also have a critical role to play. “Get to know your team properly, so you really understand them as individuals,” he says. “Build trust by finding out what’s going on in their lives, what motivates them – it’s not always money. Talk to them and really listen to them.” He adds, “You can’t identify a need for support, let alone provide it, if you don’t know a person or if they don’t trust you. So, make that extra effort, make those calls, and get your people to do the same with each other.” Here too, Weston speaks with experience – he runs his own 200 employee security business in South Wales. He concludes on a typically positive note: “Good mental health is good for business. We can never remove all doubt from our employees’ lives, but people never forget kindness – and they never forgive nastiness – so sow the right seeds for the future.” WINNING EDGE 19

MAKING A DIFFERENCE SIMON SCOTT-NELSON is leader of the ISM’s new mental health and wellbeing thought leadership group. Here, he asks four members of the group for their views on this critical topic Why is it important to you to raise everything else follows – it’s as simple as that. awareness of the issue of mental DB: An organisation’s workforce is usually its health and wellbeing? biggest asset, and people need to be well to Vikki Barnes (VB): The world needs it! Now perform at their best for the business. When more than ever. Historically, mental health has challenging organisations, the question should be been seen as something to avoid, with many what happens if your business doesn’t support people finding it difficult to talk about. Finally, employee wellbeing. we’re realising how “normal” it is to have mental EC: Many people still need to learn how to work health difficulties and how important it is to remotely, or in a blended way. There is more learn how to support our mental wellbeing and pressure than ever to work differently, using new practise techniques that help us feel good. tools, adapting to new patterns and keeping up SIMON SCOTT-NELSON Debbie Bullock (DB): Raising the profile of with the pace of change – all while still (CISM) is mental health and mental fitness reduces the stigma often attached delivering on the day job, so it can become wellbeing leader for the ISM. to it, which enables people to get the support overwhelming. By bringing wellbeing to the top He is founder of Wellity, the workplace wellbeing specialist, they need, but also encourages prevention as well of the agenda, we are signalling to people that national champion at Mind, a as intervention. they have the space to reset. Great British Entrepreneur 2020 finalist, and a wellbeing advocate Emma Chatwin (EC): We now live in a world SW: The external pressures people are currently for the sales industry. Email him where work is life and life is work – so putting on under are unprecedented, and the boundaries at ssn@wellity.co.uk a game face for 8 hours a day, then going home between work and personal life incredibly and “letting go” is simply not an option. Having blurred. We need to ensure that colleague worked in the corporate world for over 25 years, wellbeing is a priority in all organisations to I’ve learned that this can be exhausting – it’s far ensure work pressure doesn’t become an additive better to be yourself for the full 24 hours... to the wider challenges society currently faces. I believe I have a responsibility to future generations to role-model a positive attitude How can we be kinder to ourselves and towards mental health. each other in the workplace in 2021? Sarah Walker (SW): I’ve developed my own VB: By taking time every day to look after our career during a period when the discussion on mental health, whether that be making sure we mental wellbeing was at best suppressed, at worst weave something fun into our days, or checking non-existent. I’ve observed the hugely negative in with someone, or taking more breaks to curb impact that has had on colleagues over the the build-up of stress. Mostly, it’s about years, and personally felt the same accepting that we need to be kinder to “Our mission is to help negative impact on my own wellbeing. ourselves – it’s about self-awareness. This is no longer acceptable. DB: Often, we are harder on ourselves organisations from across the than on others, so I would encourage whole world to unite, learn and In the “new normal”, why should everyone suffering anxiety to consider normalise the conversation we prioritise employee wellbeing what advice they would give a best friend around mental health above all else? or colleague in that situation. More and wellbeing” VB: Because people are of most broadly, remember everyone is more than Simon Scott-Nelson importance. If people feel good, then just their work. Be human, be kind. 20 WINNING EDGE

ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

MENTAL HEALTH | COVER STORY

EC: We should always be kind to ourselves and each other, full stop. Being compassionate doesn’t mean being weak, in fact, I believe it results in higher discretionary effort from people. SW: Patience is the critical factor for me. We have accidentally fallen into being a society that expects everything immediately – always on, always accessible. That is not sustainable and creates huge stress and friction. Be more patient with yourself and with others. Be confident enough to switch off, to not always be accessible, and allow others to do the same. What do we need to fix when it comes to wellbeing in the world of sales? VB: Traditionally, wellbeing hasn’t been seen as something that sits on top of the sales agenda. Due to high-pressure, stressful, fast-paced environments, with high levels of competition, there hasn’t always been space for wellbeing. But wellness and performance go hand in hand, so we need to change this harmful culture of continuous high stress. DB: The perception of sales is sometimes of winning at all costs, and if that cost is mental or physical wellbeing, so be it. More awareness that you can be successful without being at breaking point is crucial, and so is not seeing taking care of yourself as a weakness. EC: The world of sales is inherently one of high highs and low lows. By focusing on wellbeing we can equip people with the skillset and mindset to recognise the impact of winning and losing on their personal state of mind. We also need to recognise that the way we engage with people is now different, so we must help salespeople learn how to make an impact in the virtual world. SW: I agree. In particular, we need to ensure that sales lows do not become overwhelming, but that we take learning and perspective to improve and move forward. What one thing can salespeople do to support their wellbeing? VB: Spend more time on the things and people that make you feel good and less time on the things and people that don’t. Live every day like that and you’ll be on track for a happier life... DB: Create at least 30 minutes of “me time” to do something you love every day – and if that includes some physical exercise or mindfulness, so much the better. EC: Make it personal – it’s about you and only you. Get to know your stress triggers, and also what energises you. Use this information to make a plan that’s centred on you. SW: Practise what you preach. How often do you find yourself offering advice to other people that you don’t take yourself ? Recognise the signs ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

in yourself as well as you recognise them in others, create the space and time to do whatever keeps you well, and remember that the key lies in achieving the right balance. Why is authenticity so important for wellbeing? VB: For me, it’s the foundation of everything. If we’re true to ourselves then we live our best lives, because we spend time on things that we believe in, with people who are important to us, and move in directions that give us purpose and bring us true value. DB: Storytelling and lived experiences are really important when communicating wellbeing, and authenticity plays a huge part in that. Also, if you just talk the talk and don’t walk the walk, you won’t role-model the right behaviours and drive the right outcomes, regardless of the words you are saying. EC: I’d revert back to my first point – adopting a “work persona” is a risky strategy when it comes to wellbeing. The right environment and culture means you can be completely yourself at work as well as at home, and this will benefit both your employer and you. SW: Authenticity is important to all aspects of our professional life. Authenticity is born from an inner confidence and acceptance of who you are as an individual, a salesperson, a leader, which in itself is essential to your mental health and wellbeing. Authenticity should be effortless – you are not wasting energy trying to be something you are not – that has a hugely positive impact on your health, physically and mentally. Why did you decide to join the ISM’s thought leadership group mental health and wellbeing? VB: Because it aims to make a difference in the area of mental health and wellbeing. I believe I was invited because my ethos and passions align with others in the group. It feels like a meeting of minds, with a shared hope to make some real, lasting positive changes. DB: Wellbeing is one of those areas where practitioners are keen to share their knowledge and insight for the greater good. There are no losers when improving people’s wellbeing, so being able to share some of my expertise is a way of paying it forward. EC: I’m really excited about this group. I believe that by pooling our knowledge and very diverse backgrounds and experiences we can make a difference at a crucial time. SW: For all of the reasons above, I feel privileged to be in a position where my voice can be heard and can help drive positive change for the next generation.

VIKKI BARNES is doctor of clinical psychology and founder of consultancy Positive Wellbeing. Visit: drvikkibarnes.com

DEBBIE BULLOCK is UK wellbeing lead for Aviva. Visit: aviva.co.uk

EMMA CHATWIN is head of marketing for Fujitsu Services. Visit: fujitsu.com

SARAH WALKER is director, corporate & public sector North & Midlands for BT. Visit: BT.com

WINNING EDGE 21

FEATURE | SALES PRIORITIES

SET FOR THE NEW VIRTUAL WORLD It’s official: 2020 saw the biggest hit to the UK economy in 300 years. The pandemic continues but so does business, and there’s no shortage of advice and tools for the sales organisation, as MARC BEISHON reports

nly 10 years ago we were in the aftermath of the Great Recession and a lengthy spell of austerity was on its way, at least in the UK. The economy, while subdued, slowly improved and was ticking over well with low unemployment, albeit with ongoing productivity and wage stagnation issues, and uncertainty about Brexit. But while “boom and bust” scenarios of various severity are a pattern, nothing in the post-WW2 period has been like the pandemic of 2020 and its stubborn continuation in 2021. The speed of this change has placed severe pressure on many company managers, who have had to react fast to what can only be called a crisis. Before looking at strategies and priorities for the salesforce now, what is the business outlook and which sectors are doing best? The obvious paradox of the pandemic has been record stock market gains on some exchanges while a large swathe of the economy is on its knees, especially sectors such as transport and hospitality, and there have been major rises in unemployment and decreases in national GDPs. The UK economy shrank 9.9% in 2020 – the worst fall in 300 years. 22 WINNING EDGE

It seems like a puzzle but is explained by factors such as the concentration of well-performing stocks in the indexes, near zero interest rates and backing for private bond markets, the bias towards the better-off holding stocks, and a forward looking (and probably over-optimistic) outlook. If you are a fund manager it hardly takes much insight to know where to invest as it has been obvious that sectors such as technology and online retailing were going to do well. The share price of the ubiquitous Zoom conferencing firm has zoomed up from $90 last February to more than $400 now, although it did reach a peak of about $570 at one point. The price of Bitcoin has gone through the roof. Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Alphabet (Google) are huge companies that are just getting bigger. Netflix has added millions of subscribers. There has actually been a boom in companies going public in Europe. A lot of other industries have been more or less pandemic proof. Utilities, construction, support services, manufacturing and professional services are among them to greater or lesser degrees. Pharmaceuticals is another obvious winner given the vaccines story although generally healthcare may have slowed down as people have avoided some care. When the pandemic tails off – and it looks like a long haul – there will be sectors that will build on current success, such as e-commerce and logistics, home fitness, gaming and so on. All companies will have their own take on how their markets have changed, but there are other core factors that have been ongoing anyway, such as the move to greener economies and the introduction of technologies that will underpin many operations (including selling of course), such as artificial intelligence and 5G mobile. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

LESSONS FROM 2020 Last year we published a number of articles in Winning Edge on strategies to respond to the pandemic. Our last issue majored on resilience, a quality that is even more essential in sales teams and individuals. Putting employees first has also been vital to ensuring people can perform in remote working – which is here to stay for many of us – and smart firms have been communicating well with staff, making adjustments to targets according to pressure at home, and creating new types of incentives. This may be a time when non-financial rewards come to the fore in attracting and retaining staff, such as training and career development opportunities, and making work more exciting and challenging. Sales enablement technology is also coming to the fore given the limitations on face-to-face customer interactions. Companies are having to improve content creation, “findability” and new sales communications routes. Salespeople must be given the tools to do their jobs. Peter Colman’s articles in particular majored on crisis management, including a map that plotted demand against your go to market model, with the advice: “We believe the key to surviving this crisis is commercial agility: to make resilient pricing, product/service design, sales, and cost management decisions with unprecedented speed and flexibility – over and over again – until some form of stability returns to your market.” He recommended setting up a team to work across ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

Virtual sets for your PC, courtesy of the BBC. From top left: Porridge, Eastenders, Dr Who, Match of the Day. Download here

functions to find new ways of doing things; avoiding thinking things will go back to normal; safeguarding time for engaging with customers and issues rather than firefighting; and not caving on pricing (and instead consider price increase campaigns if your costs are rising, say because of Brexit). Offering other kinds of value or discounts related to performance are angles. In fact, a crisis can be a positive force to a make overdue changes to say get to grips with cross-selling, target new sectors, introduce new brands and not least target the customers of firms that are less agile. Jim Irving (and see his article on page 30) also notes that during a crisis, value becomes even more important and is the key to opening doors when people are under stress – you need to get their time and attention. He also advises seeking out people who have been through previous crises and learning from them – experience is a vital commodity. A GOOD TIME FOR CHANGE? The idea of using the pandemic to making changes to sales organisations is one echoed by a number of other commentators. Harvard Business Review, for example, ran an article recently titled, “Now is the time to shake up your sales processes”, by a group at consulting firm ZS Associates. They say that major changes to sales are often disruptive and can cause damage to customer relations and threaten salespeople’s own sense of worth, so they are often not done until events force managers to act. But a WINNING EDGE 23

FEATURE | SALES PRIORITIES

crisis does make people more receptive to change. The B2C world has led the way in digital, online buying for some time, and it has shaped the expectations of B2B buyers too. But B2B sales organisations have been slow to make changes to processes, partly through resistance from the traditional field salesforce. It is noteworthy though that before the pandemic there was also a longrunning trend towards investing in inside sales as B2B buyers shifted towards online research and engagement, and it could well be that companies that have a strong inside sales unit have been better equipped to cope now. But it is the scale and speed of change that is unprecedented. As Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella has said: “We saw two years of digital transformation in two months.” The ZS consultants look to be spot on with their prescription: “The key is to align in-person sales channels with buying complexity and buyer uncertainty.” It means on the one hand, implementing straightforward buying steps for customers who are comfortable with virtual situations, and who are well on their way to knowing what they want, versus knowing when to bring in more experienced salespeople in complex deals with lots of decision makers. This is the same as it’s long been but needs to be translated into a virtual world. As Gartner, the analyst, says, it’s about removing complexity and making things easy for buyers (see also panel, right). Apart from process it may be necessary to restructure the salesforce into more appropriate roles, and sadly also to downsize, if not already

PANDEMIC PRIORITIES What are the top three initiatives that are most critical to the success over the next 6 months? Accelerating early pipeline

49%

Sales enablement (tools etc.)

41%

Effective key accounts

29%

Sales organisation redesign

28%

Customer retention/loyalty

26%

Mapping digital buying

22%

Sales analytics

22%

Aligning with other functions

21%

Rethinking customer segments

16%

Indirect channel partners

15%

Cost efficiencies (eg. in e-commerce) Adjusting compensation plans

12% 9%

Cost cutting (eg. in training) 6% Other 4%

24 WINNING EDGE

Source: CSO Insights

done, and Peter Colman has noted that it is best to tackle this head on and not make promises that are pretty certain to be broken later. But some industries are growing and taking on salespeople, such as technology firms selling cloud services. Roles also may need to focus on the magic words – value selling – as well as being fluent in digital skills. In turn this will affect the incentive structure. The ZS consultants make several points – if matching pay to value, inside sales, which may be doing better than field sales, could be due a rise; pay mix could shift to a larger salary and less from incentives and also more for team-based performance; and aligning plans with overall sales goals could work better, perhaps emphasising certain products over others. Again, see Jim Irving’s “complan” article in page 30 for more on this. VIRTUAL REALITY CSO Insights, now part of Gartner, has weighed in with a survey of chief sales officers, albeit a fairly small sample. The graph on this page shows that these sales execs have put accelerating early pipeline efforts and enabling virtual selling at the top of the list of initiatives that are impacting sales success. The second is not surprising, as the respondents were also asked how prepared they are to deliver the same level of value though virtual engagements as they were before the onset of Covid-19, and 57% said they were only partially prepared or unprepared. The focus on accelerating pipeline implies that new business is a primary aim but the sales chiefs also reported that they expected more revenue (70%) to come from existing customers post-Covid than before, although it isn’t a big leap from 66% before. Certainly, hunting for new customers is necessary but more challenging, especially for those firms that have lost much business from their existing base. CSO Insights says that efforts to enable virtual selling is intricately tied to acquiring new customers, so these top two aims go together logically. Companies have tried to address the challenge with a mix of approaches such as creating virtual meeting playbooks and FAQ documents, to using training and coaching methods to instil the requisite skills. Some organisations are also considering hiring “digital natives” to help with virtual sales. While it’s all well and good focusing on driving digital dexterity in social media, virtual call planning and execution, and the like, there is a problem, and it’s that an overreliance on reps as the primary sales channel is at odds with changing buyer behaviours, who now use your website as well as your reps depending on what they are buying, and younger buyers (millennials) may well prefer to do their buying with little or no interaction with sales reps. Now we’ve heard many times about the shift to decisions made much earlier in the buying cycle, ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

SALES PRIORITIES | FEATURE

and undoubtedly this long predates the pandemic but its extent has not been that well demonstrated. But virtual customer meetings must be organised and run well, and almost every sales consultancy and technology supplier has piled in with advice on how to do so. CSO Insights is one that has gone into detail on an optimal virtual approach, which means doing some things rather differently than most do currently. For example, it’s important not to assume the same stakeholders will be on subsequent live interactions so that needs to be managed; agendas need to be more “narrowly scoped”; buyer enablement materials should be prepared for participants rather than just agreeing next steps; and so on. The salesforce needs training in skills important for virtual interactions, and of course in the technologies used – you don’t want your star salesperson suddenly turning into a cat although it may be a talking point that wins the day. TRANSPARENTLY OBVIOUS? Another analyst, Forrester, has produced an interesting report, “Winning the new B2B buyer”. There’s nothing startling about the changes it charts, but put together they look compelling. Buyers have increased access to critical purchasing information such as pricing, performance, and perceived value; younger buyers, in particular, are shifting behaviour to prefer peer insights and validation over vendor claims; there’s increased demand for self-service; and while the long-term impacts of social distancing and the pandemic are hard to foresee, Forrester predicts there will be a lasting effect on work patterns that impacts all buyers, offerings and markets. That second point – about peer insights – is striking as there is research from Sirius Decisions that shows that customer references or testimonials have grown greatly in influencing decision-making in just the past 5 years or so. This suggests that customers are looking for quick confirmation of good or bad experience in a similar way to consumers using sites such as Trustpilot, and the information on B2B sites is likely to be more reliable and thorough. Forrester also says B2B buyers want access to a much wider range of information, including pricing, business practices and policies, market feedback, sales channel/route choices, delivery options, and ongoing customer experience and results. They also want knowledgeable sellers of course, but they want consistency from all the various people they contact at a vendor. And they expect it all to be fast at every touchpoint. Being more open about pricing and product roadmaps is part of this, backed up by a solid data security protocol that works for both sides – this must be a factor when parties are communicating ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

V I RT UA L LY A L L T H E R E I S n According to Gartner, the key to accelerating growth for B2B sales is a “low-effort, digital buying experience” that helps customers feel more confident about their decisions. It means understanding how buyers are using both digital and human channels, often simultaneously, and the analyst says you need to look at your go-to-market strategy – perhaps even removing the distinctions between sales, marketing and customer service entirely, where all commercial resources are unified in one commercial operations team. n Running virtual sales meetings with the salesforce needs a rethink, especially if people are suffering from “Zoom fatigue”. Allego, a learning and sales content specialist, has produced an e-book, “Rethinking the national sales meeting”, which should give you ideas about revamping such meetings in a virtual world. n Korn Ferry (which bought Miller Heiman), has a report, “Social distancing without sales

disruption”. It notes that most B2B buyers just don’t see salespeople as a resource for solving their business problems, and puts forward the idea of “perspective selling”, which sounds like insight selling, and needs to be applied to create valid business reasons for virtual meetings, and in which new content strategies are a must, new ways of networking must be explored, and the time freed up for salespeople best deployed. n McKinsey is nothing if not dramatic: Covid-19 has changed B2B sales forever, it says, in a recent article. Its research on decision makers’ behaviour globally across industries since the crisis began reveals that the big digital shift is here to stay. About 75% of buyers and sellers say they now prefer digital self-serve and remote engagement Only about 20% of B2B buyers say they hope to return to in-person sales, even in sectors where field-sales models have traditionally dominated, such as pharma and medical products.

virtually. Few organisations, though, reference data security in their corporate social responsibility reports. Forrester also mentions something that seems old fashioned but is still relevant – the emotional response of customers to your brand, which means not just putting products first all the time. Technology for collaboration with customers and partners, unifying data on prospects, self-service e-commerce, “chatbots” and all that other good stuff puts pressure on firms less savvy with tech to compete, but the good news is that it needn’t be expensive in cost, but may be in time and training. Are we rushing in the new virtual world to big changes such as full price transparency, mostly risk-reward contracts and the like? The analysts like to talk up the speed of such change but even with things not moving so fast there’s a world of change. As Bain & Company notes, by 2029, “circular economies” are expected to replace linear economies (it cites Gartner on this). It’s a move from transactional relationships based on selling products to a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing and recycling existing materials and products, and is driven by sustainability. It’s as plausible as electric cars...

REFERENCES Harvard Business Review (2020). Now is the time to shake up your sales processes. CSO Insights (2020). The chief sales officer. Fourth quarter 2020. Bain & Company (2020). Ten technology trends moving into 2021. Forrester (2020). Winning the new B2B buyer. Gartner (2021). Gartner says a low-effort, digital buying experience is the key to accelerating revenue growth for B2B sales organisations. Allego (2020). Rethinking the national sales meeting. Korn Ferry/Miller Heiman (2020). Social distancing without sales disruption. McKinsey (2020). How Covid-19 has changed B2B sales forever.

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crystal ball would have been a great gift at the start of last year, but learning to adapt, think creatively and respond rapidly are all skills that have been improved in response to the pandemic. This year finds us more prepared, sales muscles toned, skillset improved, and attitudes more determined. So what are the key factors? VIDEO As the global situation unfolded in early 2020, sharp-thinking sales teams quickly embraced the use of video, which became an essential part of the sales process. Fast forward to today and video is here to stay. It allows you to stand out, improving engagement both in the initial contact and the closing stages. It has been proved to accelerate sales deals. VIRTUAL SELLING Covid-19 has changed almost everything, from the way we prospect for potential customers to how we work with existing clients. Virtual selling will continue to be a key to success, long after the virus. There’s no going back, both in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. REMOTE WORKING The pandemic has forced a change in traditional attitudes towards working from home. The UK’s Office for National Statistics showed that almost 50% of adults in employment in 2020 were working from home as a result of social distancing measures. This number is expected to continue its upwards trajectory over the next 3 years. Although some business owners are still concerned that, unwatched, the productivity of some employees will suffer, in general the opposite has proved to be the case. Morale, motivation, a sense of freedom, and ultimately productivity, are generally stronger among remote workers. In 2020, the ability to adapt, consider changes and act quickly was crucial. Sales organisations made rapid shifts in their methods to take advantage of remote communication methods. Don’t expect this to reverse in the years to come. Personal contact, when possible, will remain an important part of sales, but it will probably never resume the place it once had, especially when the creativity and technical expertise of the best sales teams can offer the same service remotely. RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING Can sales professionals still build authentic relationships? Absolutely. Forming meaningful bonds with prospects should always be a priority and if they continue to strengthen relationships through video, there is no reason why this cannot 26 WINNING EDGE

INSIGHT SALES TRENDS

F I NDI NG Y OUR WAY

Jonathan Finch suggests how to flourish on your 2021 sales journey

JONATHAN FINCH (FISM) is group sales director of Sales Geek. He works alongside sales professionals and sales leaders from across the UK, assisting them with growth planning, recruitment planning, retention strategies, and virtual and physical training plans. Visit salesgeek.co.uk

become just as effective. Aim to build rapport and trust just as you would face-to-face. TOOLS Remote working does pose challenges, especially for those who do better with frequent social contact. It’s easy to start ploughing your own furrow without giving the rest of the team a glance to check that your direction is the same as theirs. The opportunity to chat informally and exchange ideas online remains essential, both for motivation, and to keep businesses and individual salespeople on the same track. The right communication methods and tools are key to giving businesses a window on what people are doing, and to help them work productively. They will achieve more if directives are clear. EMPATHY If ever there was a time when empathy and effort to understand the situation of others are important, it is now. In 2020, businesses shut at an unprecedented rate. This, alongside significant personal trauma, means that a caring attitude in the sales process is essential, and even when Covid-19 becomes less of a factor, empathy will still be important, impacting on the psychological approach needed when dealing with customers. If your sales practices have been ethical and empathetic and you continue to stay up-to-date with the challenges, you are on the path to success. CHANGE The business landscape will continue to change – of course it will, it always has. After the disruption of 2020, there may be a reluctance to plan ahead in the expectation that the best laid plans are pointless when the situation can change so rapidly. Yet planning is still essential as this year unfolds. The difference should lie in the increased level of flexibility you exercise to adapt your plans when the need arises, alongside the ability to think creatively to remain on top of your game. Take the advice of American life coach Tony Robbins, who says, “Stay committed to your decision, but flexible in your approach.” Have a great year. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

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Lasting motivation: Harriet Millard of Make it Matta with her BESMA in 2018

HIGHLIGHTING THE HUMAN FACTOR Salespeople need recognition to drive growth in a post-pandemic, post-Brexit landscape, argues Adam Warsop

s I write this article it causes me to reflect on how I plan to simultaneously reward my team, manage risk and enable growth. Hopefully my reflections will help inform some of your thinking and make you pause for thought. As we emerge on the other side of the pandemic this year – I very much hope – and into the new world of post-Brexit Britain, there will be a need to supercharge and drive our businesses in a whole new way. We will face competition from markets we never have before, as well as hurdles in the areas of supply chain and logistics that are likely to challenge us to think of new solutions to meet our clients’ needs. 28 WINNING EDGE

HOW DO WE MOTIVATE THE TEAM? This all being said, the key challenge we will face is how do we motivate our sales teams and salespeople to maximise their talent and drive revenue growth, without breaking the bank. My answer to this ever-present challenge is don’t think only monetarily but also laterally. We all know that everyone is motivated differently, so a one-size-fits-all approach will never work effectively – so why do we so often think a sales bonus alone will solve the problem? In reality, salespeople inherently thrive on at least a couple of key reward factors, of which monetary reward is just one. Equally important for many is recognition among their peers. With the monetary reward element problematic at the ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

TALENT MANAGEMENT | FEATURE

moment because of the economic climate, the recognition aspect becomes even more important – and probably easier to achieve. RETHINKING RECOGNITION Recognition can mean lots of different things to different individuals, so allow me to generalise my approach. Salespeople often see their bonus number as recognition, but what they actually thrive on is the public aspect of being seen by their peers to have hit and exceeded their number. I will quite often run incentives such as “most valuable player of the month”, which highlights amazing stories of objection-handling and closing, with no real reward other than public recognition. I find that this approach drives even greater competition among sales teams than monetary rewards. But due to the fact it is more about the stories behind the numbers, it drives the right sales behaviours as well. I find that it encourages salespeople to focus on solving clients’ needs, and considering their business challenges more, to build a compelling and elevating story to on-sell and cross-sell solutions. For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a league table approach to recognition – which I don’t believe works long term and certainly not in all sectors. I would also add that I don’t judge this for my team – it is judged and voted for by the team members themselves, and they elevate whomever they deem worthy to this title. I see this as taking recognition to another level by elevating sales to become the rudder as well as the engine room of the business. EXTERNAL AWARDS Another way to recognise sales teams and individuals beyond monetary constraints is through external awards. High profile events such as the UK’s leading sales award scheme, the ISM’s British Excellence in Sales Management Awards (BESMA), can be a huge boost and a turning point for any team or individual nominated or awarded. I have seen at first hand what this external public recognition does, and it is highly positive. It is the only chance as a profession we get to compare, contrast and build our skill outside of our direct competitor landscape and truly challenge ourselves on what it takes to be great in our profession. I do appreciate that entering sales award schemes such as BESMA requires some investment from the business, whether it be in taking time to submit strong nominations or in taking a little time away from selling to attend the judging process and the award ceremony. But the motivation it gives sales professionals and teams far outweighs by the time and cost of entering. I speak from personal experience in saying ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

that, having judged or taken part in many of these awards, the skills I have learnt have served me extremely well and challenged my personal approaches for the better. BEYOND BONUSES Whether your preference be internal or external recognition via the methods I have mentioned above, I would urge you to pause and consider these the next time someone suggests a need to give salespeople bonuses to increase their motivation. Salespeople and teams are not inanimate machines, but vital human beings upon whom businesses depend to drive growth, regardless of the macroeconomic climate. The post-pandemic, post-Brexit challenges will be

“We wouldn’t recognise a great engineer, medical professional or scientist simply through monetary rewards alone” vast for sure, and quite often unexpected, but one thing I am certain of is that our sales teams will drive us through and enable our businesses to adapt, grow and succeed. I am passionate about the world of sales and have committed to becoming the best I can be in this field. To me, sales is not just another function to serve business needs. I strongly believe in sales as a profession and in my colleagues across the sales profession as true masters in their trade. We wouldn’t recognise a great engineer, medical professional or scientist simply through monetary rewards alone, but would instead look at multiple ways of valuing them, from supporting their professional development to honouring them through awards. We should do exactly the same with salespeople – after all, they perform a critical role in driving the success of the products and services that the aforementioned roles produce, so without each other the whole value chain breaks down. EVOLVING FOR THE BETTER As I mentioned at the start of this article, I am using it to challenge my own thinking and it has done so. It has allowed me to really reflect on how I want to motivate and be motivated as a sales professional. There are more options than those I’ve mentioned that I now wish to consider, and you are sure to have your own ideas too. So, whether you are a salesperson who will now go to your sales manager with new ideas, or a sales manager challenging yourself like me, hopefully we will all evolve for the better by creating value and growth via new ways of recognition and reward in 2021.

ADAM WARSOP (FISM) is head of sales, marketing and business development at PwC Operate, the managed services division of PwC, where he is responsible for driving new relationship generation. Email: adam.warsop@pwc.com or visit: pwc.co.uk/operate

WINNING EDGE 29

FEATURE | SALES MANAGEMENT

PLAN FOR PERFORMANCE

If you haven’t got to grips with replicable performance planning for the salesforce, there is no time like now to find out and implement what works, says JIM IRVING

non-standard contract terms and conditions? Or perhaps it might be bookings made and subsequent delivery completed (again, however defined), or is it a cash received target? Is it the headline revenue number you want measured, or just the gross profit, or the net profit? You need to consider what you want and the company needs, before laying out the complan. 2. When do you pay commission against orders and veryone prefers not to be measured. on what basis? If salespeople have signed a contract It makes life so much easier, doesn’t for monthly payments do they get all of the annual it... All salespeople (unless they are revenue-based commissions up front or as it well ahead of their target) are proceeds through the year? Or at some mid-point? among the least comfortable with And only for year 1 if it is a multi-year contract? constant measurement. But if they 3. What is the target based on? Your core product, are ahead of goal then they want everyone to and/or supporting services? Professional services know... And more generally, people tend to not like attached to the deal? Service contracts? Define specific targets and measures. clearly what counts towards the target number you Setting sales targets can be a daunting thing to have set. What rates are paid out against each of do at the beginning. But in any other role there is a these elements? process to setting targets and it’s really not too 4. When? If all the deals come in on the last month difficult. First, note down what you want and need of the year is that OK for you? If not, define from your salespeople for your team or business. monthly or quarterly expectations (I have seen these In a small business or a also include ups and downs corporate sales role, it is for the season – lower in “As a middle (or front-line) absolutely normal to set a mid-summer when the manager, you are in effect a numerical target. What holiday season is in full swing, chief executive of an revenues generated justify for example). their initial or continued 5. Priorities. Perhaps you organisation yourself; you employment? That’s a good want a focus on a specific can improve your group’s starting point, but is it enough? market, or on one of your performance and A clearly defined offerings above the others. productivity, whether or not performance plan, tied to their Maybe you need at least the rest of the company compensation plan (aka four new “strategic” follows suit” “complan”), with everything customers (again, define covered up front, is by far the them) from this person, this Andy Grove, ex-CEO, Intel best way to go. But what year. Lay that out and other elements, apart from the emphasise it though your headline number, should be considered and added payment scheme too. in, if appropriate? 6. Velocity. It can often be helpful to measure velocity. What does this mean? Think of your HERE ARE SOME TO CONSIDER pipeline as laid out in your CRM system or even 1. Is the overall goal to be based on bookings made on paper. You have perhaps 5 stages and maybe (and what is the definition of that to you)? Is it (hopefully) between at least 2 and 20 deals in each when a purchase order is received, or your order stage. Velocity, in this context, is simply the sum of paperwork signed – but what if the deal includes the movements further along/down the pipeline

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FEATURE | SALES MANAGEMENT

in a given period, say a month. It is easy to create a measure and it does show clearly just how well and quickly there is progress. 7. Finally, on all that I have listed, what is the most important, what is second etc? Make sure your plan leads them to your business focus areas first and foremost. Drive their behaviour. 8. I also include a couple of “soft” measures in the complan too, to focus minds. Things like work rate, working hours, being a professional team member, mentoring more junior staff etc. 9. I often ask a salesperson to use the available ratios (see below) to figure out their own activity level requirements. SPEND TIME ON THIS I think, from this list, you can see that there are many factors to be considered in a tight and clearly defined complan. Spend time on this – please. In

SET YOUR PRIORITIES – A N D COMMUNICATE THE M Priorities are self-evidently critical to your success. Do you actually know what your own true priorities are? Do you build your day, week, month and year around them? But you cannot have a large number of priorities. In the past decade, working closely with start-ups, I have found the need, several times, to sit down with the business leader and say to them “please tell me all your priorities”. All too often, they are on point 6 – and accelerating fast – when I have stopped them dead. Priorities are just that, the most important things, and you can’t have 6, 10 or 20 of them. So, the first step is to decide what your core, most critical priorities are. Now, it’s not to my mind set in concrete, but I really like the idea of “the rule of 3”. This is an old – but also at the same time, very current – idea on exactly how to set your priorities. It also works in many other areas of life. The idea and theory are simple: you can’t have more than three areas of focus at one time. Three also seems to just be a maximum – and optimum – number. In storytelling, science and history, we see the three musketeers, three wise men, three little pigs, Newton’s three laws of motion, three acts in a play. The concept can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece and has been consistently effective and applied in entertainment, writing, presenting and leading since then. So sit down with your team and explain your three priorities for them, why you have set them and how they are defined and measured. Ask questions to make sure they understand. Then observe and tune their behaviours. Watch your team as they work towards your stated priorities. Take every opportunity to delegate. Give team members the chance to prove themselves, and stretch their skills and experience, while of course freeing you to focus even more strongly on your priorities. It is a really simple idea. Take the time to clearly establish your priorities, both for you and for your team. Then take time yourself, every month, to measure your progress against them. Then discuss and share progress (or the lack thereof) with your team regularly.

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the early stages of my career, I found that complans were often hurriedly assembled. Guess what, like water, salespeople will always find the easiest route to their earnings. And it’s usually to your disadvantage if you haven’t done your job right. I have seen a company confuse revenues with net profit – now that was a disaster for everyone, except the sales team members. If you have the power to set or influence the complan, you must make sure the highest earnings come from achieving whatever is your highest business priority. MEASURING PERFORMANCE The complans are now set and the individuals have signed it. Do you leave it for a year? Of course not, that is where ongoing performance measurement comes into play. Measuring and analysing performance is critical. It helps you to spot issues early on. They could be internal (lack of effort, product shortcomings etc.) or perhaps the market you sell to has changed under your feet as many have found with Covid-19. Your speed of response as the leader is all important here. For new employees, take the time to clearly lay out your expectations – not just against the numeric target(s) but also work rate, behaviour, ethics etc. Make it all clear from the beginning. At the outset, get yourself a large whiteboard or similar. Put it up on the wall or in a prominent place. Then create a board recording the most critical goals your team has – most normally in sales, the deals you want to close and each person’s progress towards their monthly, quarterly or yearly target. List by salesperson and keep it simple. It’s a strong, visual reminder of success, progress and what still has to be done. Set aside times for one-to-one reviews of progress against the targets set. Don’t let it falter. Everyone should know they will be reviewed and asked about their performance regularly. In essence, what you are doing is creating what is known as a replicable process. Something that works, is understood and accepted as required, fair and reasonable. It is always more difficult to introduce after time has passed – a structure that doesn’t yet exist is seen as a burden. Upfront, it’s just part of the job. CONVERSION RATIOS One technique I have used consistently since the 1970s – to great effect – has been the measurement of ratios (aka conversion ratios). I have been a convert and talked about the concept for over 30 years now. They are powerful tools for the salespeople themselves, but they are also invaluable for a switched on leader. And they can be applied in whatever discipline you are managing, as long as there are measurable steps in the process you are leading a team through. The idea is quite simple. A CRM system records ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

SALES MANAGEMENT | FEATURE

the deals and their details as they move through each step along your pipeline. And that is all well and good. But you can do so much more than just record basic facts. It’s not the basic data itself – “How many deals are there in stage 2 or stage 3, what is their £/$ value.” Far more important to me than just those raw numbers is the idea of the resulting conversion ratio between each of your sales stages. This was the big lesson I learned all those years ago – back then it was recorded on a daily sheet of paper rather than in a CRM system. But the recording mechanism doesn’t concern me – it’s the hidden information in there that points to where the gold is sitting. Now take a break or walk around for 2 minutes because I go into detail in the panel – but it is critically important. Calculating ratios is a powerful but infrequently used mechanism to define exactly how to achieve success. The elements are: time available, qualified deals entering the pipeline, those ratios at each stage and the average deal value. With that historic information, or even just starting today to measure in this way, you are in a better place to start reviewing and tuning your sales process. IMPACT ON TEAMS So, what does this concept have to do with team management? While it can make a fantastic difference to the individual that uses it, it is also a wonderful tool for guidance and early warning at the management level. Let’s say your process is actually a bit more complex than the example in the panel. Perhaps there are six clearly defined steps. If you enforce measurement of those ratios you can clearly see where there is a poor dropout rate at any given stage. These ratios are typically viewed like this – 3:1, 2:1, 10:1 etc. Of course, you want them to be as close to 1:1 as possible. Lower means the deals are flowing along the pipe and not dropping out. Maybe you have a high number of prospects at the first stage but you lose a very large number of them before they proceed to your next formal “needs investigation” step. Ask yourself, why? Is it a lack of skills in the team, something wrong in the sales approach, the way your current process is running, competitive activity…? Dig down, focus on any steps where the ratio is poor and work to improve them. Slight improvements in the ratios will have an enormous impact on team success. But even more important, you can then, as time passes, compare these ratios among team members. How is it that Mary’s conversion ratio at the first two steps is twice as good as anyone else? What is she doing differently? Have her talk at the next sales meeting – detailing everything she does to ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

H OW TO C A LC U L AT E C O N V E R S I O N R AT I O S Start with your end result in mind (typically the annual target number). Now look at your activity records. Then look at what they mean for you. Here’s a simplified example. How many cold calls/social contacts/engagements does it take you to achieve one real conversation with a qualified new prospect? That’s Ratio 1. How many of these identified prospects does it take you to get to the next stage – let’s say a meeting to review their needs in detail or a demonstration of your solution? That’s Ratio 2. How many demonstrations then lead to an agreement to quote (or explore needs or whatever is your next stage). That’s Ratio 3. Perhaps finally you ask, how many of these quotation stage deals do you need to close one sale. That’s Ratio 4. Now using simple arithmetic and your average deal size, you can easily figure out (if your historic activity records in the CRM system are reasonably accurate) how many new, perhaps cold calls/contacts a week or month you need to make to hit your annual target, how many demonstrations a month are needed, etc. How? Well let’s assume there are just four steps and at each only 50% of deals move forward to the next step (a constant 2:1 ratio), and your average deal size is £75k, then to get to a £500k target you will need 112 qualified deals at your first stage. Eh? Follow the process with me… You need seven deals at £75k to get over-target (7 x 75k = £525k). But that is the outcome from stage 4. With a 2:1 ratio you will need 14 deals at the final stage to close those 7; 28 at the stage before to get your 14; 56 at stage 2; and finally, 112 qualified prospects entering at the top of your funnel. Of course, this is just a snapshot picture and it’s based on a very unrealistic set of ratios. After all, how many people have a hit rate as good as 2:1 on their first contact with prospects? Your own ratios may perhaps be something like 12:1 at the top, dropping hopefully to 2:1 or even 1.5:1 as you reach the very end and try to close the deal. The point is this: knowing what those ratios are historically tells you what has to be achieved at each step to get to your target.

perform so well. And what about Simon, why is his ratio in closing the deals that do make it to the end of the pipeline so poor? Ratios enable you to quickly review real-world, day-to-day performance and make valid, logic-based, clear cut comparisons. THE LESSON Repetition is the mother of skill. This review, analysis and coaching discipline needs to be ingrained into your management and leadership DNA from the outset. Check often and make corrections and give advice and support each time. And yes, pull them up when you see things that are wrong. It’s easier to do that as you go along (like small corrections in a rowing boat) rather than ending up way off track at the end with no time to fix the problem. Putting off giving critical advice will only make it harder to adjust later.

JIM IRVING, an ISM Fellow, has more than 40 years in B2B selling with a number of major technology firms including Amdahl, Sequent, Silicon Graphics (SGI) and Information Builders. This article is adapted from his new book, The B2B Leaders Guidebook, available at Amazon.

WINNING EDGE 33

FEATURE | SOCIAL MEDIA

SELLING WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA STARS

GORDON GLENISTER considers the rise of social media influencers and what it means for sellers

he year 2020 saw record levels of consumers online, with more brands realising that they must have an online presence. A decade ago, the main influencers that would inspire us were celebrities with huge social media followings. Since then so much has changed and now social media influencers – or content creators, as many like to be called – have come of age, and marketers are spending more on influencer marketing. CHANGING CONSUMER INFLUENCERS Brands such as ASOS, Boohoo, Estée Lauder, Made.com, Sony and many others, embrace influencer marketing – the term used to run campaigns through the use of social media influencers – as a major part of their marketing strategy. There are millions of content creators now, with huge audiences all around the world giving great access to a large audience of potential clients. Research from Tap Influence has proven that influencer marketing has shown 11 times greater return on investment than many other forms of advertising. Over the past few years, though, brands have connected more through “micro-influencers”, typically with 10,000-100,000 followers. These smaller players often create greater engagement with their audience. They communicate in an authentic voice and are seen as more relatable, so consumers trust the relationship they have with them more than with many brands. It’s also one of the reasons why the World Health Organisation (WHO) has used a number of content creators during the Covid-19 pandemic 34 WINNING EDGE

to spread the word about the importance of protective measures such as hand-washing and social distancing. This was a smart move to engage with a younger audience, in particular, that is less engaged with TV news channels. A recent survey conducted by influencer marketing platform, Takumi, found 24% of consumers in the UK, 23% in Germany, and 28% in the US are more likely to source news updates and opinions from influencers than from established journalists and news outlets. Predictably enough, the figures are higher among younger age groups, including 38% of 16-34 year-olds and 34% of 35-44 year-olds. And 41% of consumers agree that social media influencers should use their platforms to discuss current affairs and everyday activism. Marketers are also exploring additional social media channels. Takumi’s research found that, over this year, 58% of marketers are considering working with influencers on YouTube, a further 55% on Instagram, 35% on TikTok, 20% on Twitch, and 10% on Triller. DRIVING SALES Influencers are now often seen as creating real value for brands through inspiring content and telling great stories to new markets. One of the benefits of working with influencers is the focus on a typical niche, so whether its travel, beauty, fashion, lifestyle or gaming, it allows brands to engage with a very targeted audience. Companies use influencers to create awareness by generating a social media buzz, and they have been hugely successful recently in driving sales through affiliate links. Influencer monetisation ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

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platforms like rewardStyle have generated millions in sales revenues through the use of influencers. They work with 5,000 retail brands and 30,000 influencers in over 100 countries, generating a sale every second. With many high street stores closed for lengthy periods during the pandemic, retail businesses realised the needed to consider using influencers to drive traffic to their online stores. Some of the UK’s top beauty and fashion influencers are now generating over £50,000 a month in revenue for themselves, so you can only imagine what sales they are driving for the brand. Top influencer Jourdan Riane, for example, who has over 630,000 followers on Instagram and 53,000 YouTube subscribers, works with many major fashion brands, including Pretty Little Thing, Oh Polly and Missguided, and creates amazing videos from her loft room. Takumi’s research suggests that YouTube is still the clear favourite for consumer choice, but Instagram and TikTok are very important too. The content from thousands of creators has been steadily rising, helped by better editing tools and cameras. Creators can use great video tricks to bring brands a whole new look and feel. Engaging content keeps consumers coming back. COLLABORATIVE VENTURES Influencers can do more than amplify your brand; they can take over your social media account, create innovative content that you can use in other media, get feedback on your new brand, and, more excitingly, help create a brand jointly. This last trend has been around in China for years. For example, apparel manufacturers may approach influencers to co-create a brand using the influencers’ audiences. The profits are then shared between brand and influencer. Tiana Wilson is a 13 year-old with over 16 million subscribers on YouTube. In November 2019, the Hearts by Tiana brand hosted a 2 day % of consumers over the past 6 months influenced to purchase a product or service by influencers YouTube

27%

Instagram

TikTok

24%

15% Source: Takumi

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pop-up store in Bradford run by the Social Store. Some people queued for 5 hours to meet Wilson, and over 20,000 people visited the store over the 2 days. The shop averaged a sale every 20 seconds and generated an average spend of over £20, with a highest of £344. VIDEO IS THE WAY FORWARD Parents of teenagers, among others, will have noticed TikTok’s emergence as a major pop culture force. The video-sharing app seems destined to become a major channel for an increasing number of brands and to be even more significant in 2021. The app has already been downloaded a staggering 2 billion times. Other platforms have been forced to compete, which is one reason why we have seen Instagram launch Reels. Currently, according to businessofapps.com, the 10 most-used social media apps, are: 1. TIKTOK 2. FACEBOOK 3. WHATSAPP MESSENGER 4. INSTAGRAM 5. ZOOM CLOUD MEETINGS 6. MESSENGER 7. TELEGRAM MESSENGER 8. SNAPCHAT 9. GOOGLE MEET 10. LIKEE – LET YOU SHINE YouTube, TikTok, Facebook video and Instagram Reels have all seen tremendous engagement, as has live streaming. This is not only a great way to entertain an audience but to educate too. Many content creators have embraced the new technology with collaborative tutorials, unboxing videos, interviews, debates, competitions and a great deal more. LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS There has been a marked increase in brands working with influencers, and indeed consumers, in the form of ambassador programmes, and they are often seen as offering the most authentic content. Fans see regular postings from these brands and will often spark greater engagement in comments and sales through affiliate links. Some of the “nano-influencers” (those with under 10,000 followers) tend to run gift-related campaigns as opposed to paid partnerships. B2B INFLUENCERS Influencers are not restricted to those in the B2C space. Many are thought leaders in sectors such as technology, finance and pharmaceuticals, and are likely to be authoritative figures such as academics, authors, speakers and professionals. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

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Expert influencers of this sort can be used by businesses to generate sign-ups to conferences with discount codes, appear as guests on podcasts, collaborate on ebooks, write blogs or articles, co-create research reports, and more. FINDING INFLUENCERS There are many tools on the market that enable you to search for influencers by location, age, gender, interests, average engagement and followers. These databases allow you to find the influencers that will resonate best with your brand campaign. Of course, it is advisable to do due diligence – you don’t want to enter a campaign with an influencer who has worked with one of your competitors, has unusual spikes in their follower count, or who has a follower base outside your target market. THE FUTURE Looking ahead, dad blogger John Adams, aka @dadbloguk, believes we are going to see greater demand for lifestyle content focused on fashion, entertainment, sport and fitness. “We’ve had a very hard year with Covid-19 and I think people will increasingly come to social media for a bit of light relief,” he says. “I also think we’re going to

GORDON GLENISTER (FISM) is an influencer marketing expert, author and host of the global podcast, The rise and rise of social media influencers. He is global head of influencer marketing for the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA). Visit: gordonglenister.com

see short-form video content platforms go from strength to strength. Instagram’s Reels has been a big success and I think TikTok will also become more popular.” Adams is among industry watchers who predict growth in omnichannel social marketing, with companies able to achieve different objectives by taking an “influencer plus platform” strategy, “So, for example, it could be YouTube for tutorials, Instagram for layered content, and TikTok for viral video.” He adds, “Social commerce will continue to grow across all platforms, as businesses seek relationships and partnerships with influencers that share their brand values and deliver sales directly to their online stores. Micro influencers will continue to grow as they are seen to be more authentic than famous celebrity influencers.” There is little doubt also that influencer sourcing platforms, such as Influencity, Tagger Media, CreatorIQ and Tribe, will be seen to be highly effective at finding the right type of influencers for particular campaigns. Influencer marketing will become more analytical than ever, as more sophisticated measurement tools come onto the market and form a key part in campaign management.

I N F LU E N C E R S TO WATC H LAURA WATSON, AKA LAURA BUBBLE Watson is a comedian, presenter and content creator who has worked with organisations including BBC comedy, Comedy Central, BBC3, EA, Disney, Radio 1 and Hat Trick Productions. She scripted, presented and blogged for two shows on CBBC for over 4 years, as well as having been selected by YouTube as one of their six Women in Comedy in the UK with WhoHaha and producer and actress Elizabeth Banks. She has hosted many red carpet interviews at awards including at Brit, NTA and EMA and regularly does stand-up. She began her career in 2007 by uploading comedy sketches and parodies to her YouTube channel, which now has over 4.5 million views, and she has also accumulated over a million followers on TikTok by posting comedy sketches. Watson believes that what’s essential to a brand collaboration is producing content that she’s proud of and having clear communication with the brand about the result and deliverables they desire. One of her most successful brand

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collaborations was with Aussie hair care and celebrity hair stylist Ben Cooke, where the videos received over a million views on the Aussie channel. She believes that brand collaborations will still be a big part of the digital world in 2021 but the rise of authentic, genuine content will become more popular given the pandemic. “I think 2020 was quite a tough year for a lot of people, and superficial content or people who seem to be bragging online are going to fall out of favour in the years to come,” she says. “I believe we’re going to see a new rise in influencers and content creators who are showing a slightly more real side of life and are able to incorporate their brand collaborations within that.” DESI PERKINS Having begun her career as a freelance make-up artist, Desi Perkins now inspires thousands of individuals daily with her lifestyle and beauty content. With a staggering 4.3 million followers on Instagram alone, Perkins creates simple-

to-follow make-up tutorials, engaging interior and lifestyle content, and popular “haul” videos, where she displays recent purchases. JETTE With over 104,000 followers at just 22 years-old, Instagram influencer Jette has an impressive engagement rate of around 18% per social post. Largely focusing on fashion and beauty, Jette incorporates illustration in each post and has begun working with major German brands. SHUDU For the past couple of years, we’ve seen a huge increase in computer generated influencers, and in 2021 their influence is only set to rise. Rising up the ranks is Shudu – the world’s first digital supermodel with over 210,000 followers – who’s been accumulating partnership deals from major brands including Fenty Beauty, Ellesse and Tiffany & Co, and was also featured by Harper’s Bazaar Arabia in 2019.

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BOUNCING BACK IN 2021 Are you waiting for a postpandemic recovery, or are you building a team that can drive it, asks MATTHEW SCARFE

his year holds a sense of nervous anticipation for everyone, particularly sales leaders. It’s the year of cautious optimism. Vaccines against Covid-19 should continue to be rolled out, the dust should finally settle on the recent post-Brexit trade deal – and we may even see the return of worry-free holidays... TURNING TALENT INTO A COMPETITIVE FORCE With many companies having anywhere from 3 to 12 month sales cycles for new business, it is important to have the right talent in place in order to chase new business this year. But despite the gradual increase in rebuilding and growing sales teams since the end of summer 2020, many companies are still cautious in pushing forward. Even in cases where there is an open vacancy, “decision paralysis” is all too common, where hiring managers struggle to move forward with conviction, just in case they make the wrong choice on who to hire. For sales leaders at a strategic level, it makes perfect sense to account for uncertainty and form realistic forecasts. But, by definition, uncertainty means you can’t be sure how things will turn out. So, operationally, surely the only option is to try and shape your own recovery, rather than waiting to be revived at the same pace as national or industry averages. After all, we’re salespeople – we must aim to be ahead of the curve, bucking the trend and exploring all avenues to reach as many customers as possible and offer the best service we can. 38 WINNING EDGE

A RECENT REPORT BY GARTNER SHOWS THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR SALES LEADERS IN 2021 ARE: A renewed focus on customer acquisition I can say from a recruitment perspective that the highest demand has been for proven new business hunters. So the questions I would ask in the first 6 months of this year are, what’s your blueprint for new business? And do you have the right people – and are they in the right roles? Enhanced virtual selling capabilities We’ve all made adjustments to remote working, but in the first half of this year sales capability needs to be optimised and teams need to be trained and supported to avoid a sluggish start.

REFERENCE Gartner (2020). CSOs and sales leaders top priorities for 2021.

Revenue growth will still be heavily reliant on upselling existing accounts We’ve seen many companies with subscriptionbased models, like software as a service (SaaS), move responsibility for renewals to customer success teams, to place more emphasis on account managers being rewarded purely for the upsell. Is there room in your business to create financial incentives and new role descriptions that really push the need to drive additional ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

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revenue? The right balance can create a powerful shift in a performance-driven culture and weed out underperformers. THE RAPID REBOUND Phase 1 of an economic recovery is the rapid rebound, and we are now in a prime 18 month rebound period. At the end of those 18 months, what will your account base look like for continued revenue generation and growth through the multi-year expansion phase to follow? Make some strong decisions now about what your team should look like and the support it will need. Each quarter that goes by potentially reduces your chances of a swifter rebound. DON’T SACRIFICE QUALITY If you don’t have quantity, don’t sacrifice quality. Let’s not operate under the thinly veiled disguise of a recruiter writing about how companies need to hire more salespeople – although that may be the case where caution causes lost market share. The reality is that for some industries, budgets will be heavily constricted. Even for hypergrowth software start-ups, adjusting your headcount because you’re suddenly not growing at 500% year-on-year, but only 200%, is still an important commercial consideration and highly impactful – especially if you’re still loss-making. As management guru Jim Collins evangelised in his widely revered book, Good To Great, it’s “first who, then what” in order of priority. Getting the right people to both support and drive your sales team is essential. Depending on the sector you are in, this covers everything from marketing, sales operations and enablement through to customer success, account management and business development. Even in smaller teams, the right people will adapt as you evolve your sales model through 2021 and beyond – providing you treat them right. So who should you retain, remove and recruit? ARE YOU BUILT FOR GROWTH? If you’ve been severely impacted by the events of 2020, then 2021 must be the year where you fight back with a growth mentality. And if you’re lucky enough to be in an industry that has been relatively unscathed by the pandemic – or has even profited from it – are you truly maximising your ability to shine? As a senior leader, your management needs to be well placed to implement your strategy and goals from an operational perspective. If they are myopic and asking your frontline salespeople to achieve growth numbers without any thought as to what support is needed, you may have a culture problem – and culture is the lynchpin in any sales environment. Be audacious with your ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

“When it comes to wins, don’t be afraid to set the bar low if you need to... you’ll create a positive sales culture with engaged salespeople” goals, but don’t implode through poor culture. Of course, when the internal pressure is at full force it can drive poor behavioural standards. To combat this, a culture of being radically transparent will be key. This goes up the chain as much as down. As a leader or manager are you ready to hear feedback from your team on what they need, and on what is happening on the ground? Frankly, saying, “Yes, I’m willing to hear that” is not enough. Instead, you should be having confidential one-to-one meetings on a regular basis, as well as doing anonymous surveys, both company wide and at a department/team level. What are your processes for leaving no stone unturned? Do you give your team the structure that results in high impact processes, along with the agility to exploit the most profitable areas? MILESTONES General data is all well and good, but whether your business has a lag time in experiencing the fruits of hard sales labour, needs to be rebuilt, or is growing but needs to be growing a lot more, I’m a big fan of milestones. Milestones help implement a feeling of progress, a culture of recognition for good performance, and set clear benchmarks. It’s about the factors that will eventually lead to the right financial performance and let people know they are on the right track ahead of the lofty up-tick sales graph much satirised in cartoons. When it comes to wins, don’t be afraid to set the bar low if you need to. By controlling the inputs, but also celebrating the outputs, you’ll create a positive sales culture with engaged salespeople who strive for gains even if it’s been a tough start to 2021. BUILD TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS It’s not always easy when you only have the view of your company rather than your whole market. When trying to make sure you have the right team and set-up, do you have someone you can go to for honest, well-informed and transparent advice? For example, we have lots of job market data at our fingertips that we can segment and mine for new insights (salaries, diversity, hiring volumes per sector etc.), as well as hands-on industry expertise. Because of our industry knowledge, many of our clients speak to us outside of active hiring because they know we’re happy to add value in other ways.

MATTHEW SCARFE is a manager at Michael Page Sales, one of the UK’s leading recruitment agencies for experienced sales professionals. You can contact him via linkedin.com or visit: michaelpage.co.uk

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WOMEN: ARE YOU BEING HEARD? Women are under-represented in sales. To boost competitiveness, their views must be given more weight, argues PATRICIA SEABRIGHT

ith more and more women entering the workforce every year, why is it that the number of women taking on sales roles is barely increasing? According to LinkedIn, women represent 39% of the sales workforce and this figure has only grown 3% in the past decade compared with an average 10% rise in the number of women in other roles. Worse still, research by Gartner suggests that the percentage of women in sales management positions is only 19%. In all professions, there is a “broken rung” in women’s career progression. An equal number of women join the workforce at entry level, but there is a progressively falling percentage of women at each management level, until at board level the percentage becomes a lowly 21%. 40 WINNING EDGE

WHY THE GLASS-CEILING? The reasons for that drop off between entry level and senior management are factors that I explore in my new book, She Said!, which looks at the pervasive societal paradigms that make speaking and being heard considerably more challenging for women than for men. When a woman speaks in meetings or Q&A sessions, she is much more likely to get interrupted, talked over or have her ideas restated and appropriated by more forceful male colleagues. According to annual research conducted by McKinsey for Lean In, women get interrupted 50% of the time, ie. every other time they speak... Whether this is done consciously or subconsciously, the net effect is the same: it is a very effective method of silencing women. Interestingly, women are interrupted by both men and other women, suggesting that the ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

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anachronistic but powerful societal norm that says it’s not really very feminine to speak up, is still subconsciously accepted by both sexes. As a result of this subliminal messaging, women are often slow to seek or even accept opportunities to speak at sales kick-offs or conferences. Even the women who do chose to counter these prevailing cultural norms, and do speak up routinely in meetings and volunteer to make presentations, often find that they are not fully heard. Their contributions are too often belittled or ignored, and they are personally criticised. Many describe their experience in trying to get themselves heard as “wading through treacle”. And let’s be clear – what we’re talking about here is rarely overt or intentional sexism, but subtle yet powerful prevailing behaviours, comments, micro-aggressions and interruptions, which collectively add up, like a spider’s web, to an almost invisible but very strong prejudice. WHY IS THE SALES WORLD WORSE THAN OTHER PROFESSIONS? Sales is traditionally thought of an aggressive, boisterous, hyper-competitive, and therefore male-leaning profession. It’s all about delivering results and being seen to do so. So, when women are less visible because they speak less and are heard less in public forums – presentations, meetings and speeches – this negatively affects their reputation, credibility and career prospects. It is often a “catch 22” situation for women because if they emulate the more forceful or vociferous behaviours of their male colleagues, they are often then criticised for being aggressive, shrill or bossy, because society is still extremely uncomfortable with women not conforming to the paradigm of femininity that owes more to Disney princesses than the Sheryl Sandbergs of the world (the Facebook executive). These factors go a long way to explaining the low numbers of women who are in sales and who progress to sales management. WHY MUST THINGS CHANGE This situation needs to change, however, because sales, certainly B2B sales, has changed. It is no longer enough to be a slick, bullish, “gift of the gab” salesperson. Sales, business development and relationship management are sophisticated roles that require intelligence gathering, analysis, strategising and nuanced communication skills. Sales as a profession needs all the talent it can get, so having a culture that alienates many potential recruits and half of the potential audience is not helpful. Research has proved repeatedly that more diversity in an organisation avoids groupthink, drives more creativity and innovation and ultimately produces better results. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

R E D R E SSI N G G E N D E R I M BAL ANCE She Said! is a new book designed to help women address unconscious biases that affect them. It does two key things. First, it seeks to explain some of the societal paradigms that negatively, and specifically, affect women. Recognising what is really happening around them is the critical starting point for women. Second, it offers specific advice, approaches and tactics to enable women to be heard and win due credit for their achievements, hence enhancing their impact and developing their careers. She Said! A guide for millennial women to speaking and being heard is published by Panoma Press, priced at £14.99, and is available on Amazon and from all good bookstores.

HOW TO HARNESS FEMALE TALENT Sales leaders need to review the culture of their organisations to ensure that they create a gender-balanced environment, free from outdated biases rooted in the past. Assessing their culture to understand it better and providing some element of their training that addresses women’s specific challenges would be a good start. A particularly interesting insight that came from interviewing board level women for the research for She Said! is the idea that often well-meaning male managers, mentors or coaches give women advice that can be counterproductive. This is because actions and behaviours that work for them are perceived very differently in women and can backfire. For example, a woman who was CEO of a division of a multinational business told me of a time when she was up for an award and, to compete, she had to present her achievements to the global CEO. She was advised to position the presentation to talk about herself and her achievements, whereas she was inclined to talk about the team effort. She followed the (male) coach’s advice, and was subsequently criticised for lack of acknowledgement of her team and did not win the award... Women are judged by different standards, different criteria. GENDER BALANCE BOOSTS BUSINESS Individual women in sales would benefit from pausing to understand some of the dynamics taking place around them and to develop approaches to proactively address some of these challenges. They and their leaders need to be tackling these issues so that the future of sales embraces the full benefits that a gender-balanced workplace can bring – not least, sharper competitiveness and better business performance.

PATRICIA SEABRIGHT (FISM) is founder and director of Archimedes Consulting, which specialises in sales and commercial effectiveness. She is a sought-after speaking coach and the author. Visit: archimedesconsulting.co.uk

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ISM MEMBER PROFILE

ENGINEERING SALES Winning Edge meets MARK WILLETT (FISM), founder of C3 Sales & Consulting, which offers sales consulting services to the energy, engineering and manufacturing industries What is your current role? What brought you into sales? In 2018, I started my own B2B technical sales After stints in the drawing office and project consultancy, C3 Sales & Consulting, in Wilmslow, management, I took to proposals and sales, where I Cheshire. Over the years, I’d met with small and was promoted into management positions. This medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from a range of gave me a better understanding of the sales process industries, including oil and gas, subsea, offshore as well as the opportunity to improve. When the wind and marine energy, petrochemical and proposal manager retired, I was promoted into his industrial sectors, which have struggled with position, before starting my first external sales role business development and sales. My consultancy following relocation to Cheshire in 2002. offers professional sales expertise to clients such as these and we’re highly experienced What has helped you most in “I joined the ISM because in selling bespoke, engineered-to-order, the course of your career? it champions best practice customised solutions. This has been gained My qualifications have helped greatly. I’ve through our sound knowledge of selling both sold, and managed teams who have and ethical standards, while products and services to end users, operators, sold, highly technical bespoke products and driving professionalism and contractors, engineering houses and OEMs services in the energy industry, including oil self-development, which are in the energy industry. Our services include and gas equipment that sits on the seabed, very important to me and assistance with sales strategy, sales process which brings about its own challenges with reflect my values” and structure reviews, sales representation, materials, water depths, pressures and so on. sales training, and coaching. A collaborative approach has also helped me. I truly believe that for a business to be How did you get started in your career? successful it requires a team effort – the whole being I left school with poor exams results and started greater than the sum of the parts. It is a collective work at the age of 16 as an engineering apprentice, effort and businesses can differentiate themselves before I was unfortunately made redundant – much through superior customer service, for which to the disappointment of my parents... customers will often pay a premium. Redundancy made me more determined and I quickly joined a pump company as a draughtsman What are your strengths? and worked hard to prove myself. Around this time My key strength is developing and driving successful I was about to become a father and, realising the sales and marketing strategies that result in responsibilities that this would bring, instead of significant revenue and profit growth for my clients. negotiating a pay rise I asked if I could go back to I’m fully adept at both simple transaction sales and college. I wanted some qualifications to fall back on. selling complex products and services to multiple I was fortunate to be sponsored to study part-time decision-makers, while handling complex technical and I grasped the opportunity with both hands, and commercial negotiations. I’ve worked for and ultimately gaining a BTEC HND in mechatronics. with all sorts of companies, from SMEs to large I’d got the bug. I went from one extreme to the corporations. I’ve developed new business from other and, following a change of job, my manager prospects who have become key accounts and was very supportive and encouraged my selfsubsequently a key supplier on multiple projects development. I was keen to be the first member of under strategic framework contract agreements, my family to obtain a degree and the next logical resulting in multimillion-pound sales per annum step would have been to carry on studying year-on-year. engineering, but as I was in a commercial position, I’ve been told many times that I’m not a typical my manager suggested a management qualification. salesperson – that I’m too nice and too honest... It’s I decided to follow his advice and duly enrolled with the value I create and the professional relationships the Open University Business School. I build through speed of response, trust and support In 2004, I graduated with an MBA – which was that result in long-term sales success. Sales is about undoubtedly one of the proudest days of my life. people wanting to do business with you because you 42 WINNING EDGE

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listen to their problems and help support them to solve their challenges. I have the ability to meet with clients and ask pertinent questions to understand their problems, establish where we can provide solutions, and develop business by cross-selling and up-selling, product development and framework contract agreements. What do you enjoy most about your role? I’ve been fortunate enough to have travelled extensively, visiting many countries and meeting some wonderful people. People really do buy from people. I enjoy sitting down with a prospect or a customer and finding out why business is not being won, putting account strategies in place to turn things around to win new business and developing them into key accounts. I like solving problems and creating opportunities, meeting technical challenges straight on and finding solutions, thereby creating value for my clients and customers. For example, on one occasion I was invited to pitch for a key contract by someone who had worked for me in the past. This led to an introduction with a key decision-maker who I was able to present to, quote and ultimately close an order with. So it led to a new customer, which is always highly satisfying. On another occasion, I worked in collaboration with another manufacturer so that we could package the product that I was selling into a turnkey solution for our client. This resulted in winning our first order and ultimately becoming a key supplier for them, with further orders received from other global regions. What have been your biggest successes? A few years ago I was working on a multimillionpound project enquiry and was contacted by the supply chain manager who asked for a significant discount just prior to placing the purchase order. This is an all-too-common occurrence, but I believe strongly that if you can demonstrate value, and the product or service that you are selling isn’t seen as a commodity, then you’re in a strong position to politely refuse. In this instance, I knew that the products that I was selling had been engineered into their equipment, so it would have been too late and too costly for them to change to another supplier – and I was successful in holding my ground. One of the biggest decisions I’ve made in my career was when I was heading a sales team and we were looking to expand into a promising new region. To be successful, it meant making a significant investment to qualify the product that we were producing. Following my market research, I made the decision to proceed with this approach. It proved successful, leading to a number of high value projects being awarded, which ultimately made the return on investment very lucrative. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

What advice would you give an aspiring sales professional? Anything can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. The one thing I’ve learned about business is those who don’t adapt and change usually die. It’s vitally important, therefore, that we should keep adapting and developing as individuals and constantly hone our skills. Wherever possible, I would advise that you use the opportunity to be mentored by the best – always watch, listen, learn and put this into practice. Always have a sales plan – the old saying holds true: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Build relationships and trust through positive communication – visit clients regularly, always have an agreed agenda, keep your promises, continually prospect to build your pipeline – and above all else, pick up the phone... What do you like about the ISM? I’m passionate about sales and believe that it is the lifeblood of any business, but all too often it is misrepresented and has historically had a bad name. This is because people from all backgrounds can enter the profession without any experience or formal qualifications. They’re often just given a laptop and mobile and told to sell, with little guidance and support. You wouldn’t expect a pilot to fly a jumbo jet without any training, so why would you put your salespeople in front of your best clients without the necessary skills, risking the reputation you’ve built up over years? I joined the ISM as a Fellow because it champions best practice and ethical standards, while driving professionalism and self-development, which are very important to me and reflect my values. The ISM also gives me the chance to give something back by mentoring those new to sales or who see the benefit of learning from experience. WINNING EDGE 43

BUILDING BRIDGES ADAM BROOK gets out and about to meet ISM Fellow, Stewart Moss

llow me to reflect on 2 days last summer that I spent in Harrogate – a town I had never been to before, but one to which I will definitely be returning. I’ve not seen much of the UK and, despite lockdown, 2020 provided me with the opportunity to see a little bit more of it. And so, following a gracious invitation from one of our members – ISM Fellow, Stewart Moss, group director of sales and marketing at Harrogate’s Cedar Court Hotel – I boarded a train and shot up to North Yorkshire to meet him. NEW CONTACTS... FRESH OPPORTUNITIES Stewart had kick-started my adventure in May by getting in touch with me on LinkedIn. It’s a special moment for me when a member takes the trouble to get in touch personally. I realise that it takes time out of their day to compose their thoughts and convey their wishes, with no way of knowing if they’ll get a satisfactory response. So, when Stewart made that effort to reach out to me, I replied a minute later – literally. 44 WINNING EDGE

Socially distant, yet professionally close: Stewart Moss (left) of Cedar Court Hotel with Adam Brook of the ISM

I had leapt at Stewart’s invitation, accepting it immediately without checking how far away Harrogate actually was. To be honest, I have always tended to take spontaneous decisions, for better or worse, so I shouldn’t really have been surprised to find it was a lot further than Birmingham, which is what my faulty internal geographic sensor had been telling me – it’s a good thing I didn’t become a pilot... ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

ISM NETWORKING | FEATURE

SUPPORTING MEMBERS What followed from that call in May was a camaraderie I have had the pleasure of experiencing with every one of our members who has approached me since I joined the ISM 3 years ago. In all of those conversations, I have always had an overwhelming desire to help. I don’t really see my role as a sales and marketing director, but view it as looking after one massive family of sales professionals. I aim to be available day or night, even at weekends, to ensure they get the support they need from the ISM and are given the best opportunities we can provide to allow them to thrive in their various roles. There is a phrase I’ve coined which sums up this intent, which is visible on our website. Quite simply, it states: “It’s not about us, it’s about giving our members around the globe a platform to shine within their industry.” EXPANDING HORIZONS After our initial connection, Stewart and I found common ground through a series of emails, phone calls and WhatsApp messages over a number of days – culminating in his kind invitation to me to stay at the Cedar Court and deliver an ISM webinar from the hotel. Dispensing with convention on a hot midsummer day, I ditched the smart-casual look and arrived for my train at King’s Cross in seagullpatterned blue shorts, a pink shirt and flip-flops. It was good to get away and as the train sped north, I took everything in, from rolling countryside, innumerable sheep and impressive mansions, to industrial estates and old coal-fired power plants. On the final leg of my journey, having rumbled through a seemingly never-ending tunnel, my mind was blown away as we suddenly emerged on what I now know is the Crimple Valley Viaduct (pictured). A sharp bend in the track on the south side of the viaduct caused my train to reduce speed significantly as it traversed this extraordinary structure. Completed in 1848, the Grade II-listed viaduct is 571m long and has 31 arches, each with a 16m span, which reach a maximum height of 34m above the valley (OK, I admit Google helped me out on the details). I duly arrived at Harrogate station, to find Stewart waiting patiently. He kindly drove me to the Cedar Court Hotel, located in the heart of this historic town, pointing out landmarks and imparting considerable knowledge as we went. We soon arrived at the handsome Cedar Court, a member of the Ascend Hotel Collection, which offers amazing accommodation overlooking 200 acres of the pristine Stray parkland. ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

BUILDING RAPPORT After checking into my luxurious room, I was ready to relax, but then Stewart invited me for some liquid refreshment. My most deep-seated fears about Northerners began to surface – specifically, their legendary ability to drink “soft southerners” under the table – but I needn’t have worried. What followed was a lovely evening, filled with laughter, with me asking too many questions about Harrogate, as we continued to explore it, expecting Stewart to know all the answers. At one point we passed a burnt-out shed, which I suggested must be of historical importance – alas, no, it was a burnt-out shed. More laughter ensued from discussions about our top 10 peeves in life, as we discovered that we shared similar disdain for people who eat takeaways on trains, speak or play something loudly on their phones, or cause delay at the station barrier trying to find their tickets. In a more serious vein, we also talked about the upcoming ISM webinar – the format of the occasion, the preamble and the questions I would ask – all of which put me at ease, and all in the company of an ISM member I had known nothing about just a few weeks earlier. ADDING VALUE As for the webinar itself, I was hugely impressed by the set-up Stewart had organised – including four technical support guys and a green screen – which demonstrated his tremendous passion for the ISM. Despite delivering over 100 webinars for the ISM, I always feel a little nervous before each one, but those fears were rapidly dissipated by the professionalism of the crew, the calmness with which they helped me, and their desire to deliver excellence for both the Cedar Court and the ISM. You can see how it went by clicking here. Back in London, and now in the depths of a new lockdown in this pandemic-plagued British winter, it’s hardly surprising that I miss those sunny days of summer, rolling hills of Yorkshire and historic sights of Harrogate. But more important than all of these happy memories, one key legacy remains intact – a warm and constructive business relationship with Stewart. Now, imagine if we could duplicate and multiply this type of relationship exponentially across the ISM’s entire membership base. Wouldn’t that be something? I will be working hard to do just that in 2021 – and I sincerely hope all ISM members will strive to do the same. In the meantime, to Stewart, the staff of the Cedar Court and the tech team at Orcula – thank you for your great hospitality and support, which made for a fabulous visit. I will return.

ADAM BROOK (LISM) is sales and membership marketing director at the ISM. For more information on partnership opportunities with the ISM, call him on +44 (0)7493 644611, email abrook@ismprofessional.com or visit ismprofessional.com

WINNING EDGE 45

ISM PROFILE

A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE Winning Edge meets MIKE COADY (FISM), a highly successful wealth manager, coach and mentor – and a huge fan of the ISM What has been your biggest challenge? My toughest challenges have also turned out to be my biggest successes, oddly... There comes a time when you build such successful teams and businesses that, to a degree, you become too powerful for the business. The challenge comes after you’ve built all the systems, standards and processes that your team’s success just builds on itself, achieving a trajectory. When you enjoy what you do and who you do it with, you don’t How would you describe ever want it to come to an end, as having to your sales journey? “I work with several find your feet again and rebuild is tough. I left university early. I felt bored and needed professional entities and I get a new challenge. I wanted a “prove myself ” What advice would you give to role with some frontline interaction. My first most value from the ISM. It someone just starting out in sales? real role was at 22 with Prudential as a really is a phenomenal A career in sales for many can be because financial consultant, and then on to firms professional body” they can’t do anything else, but sales is such as Barclays, deVere Group and absolutely a career of the future and should Guardian Wealth Management, working my not be chosen for the wrong reasons. way up to number one adviser globally, number one If you are going to have a career in sales, now regional director then on to leading international more than ever information is at the consumer’s salesforces and global wealth management fingertips, so it’s about having a service level higher companies. During my career I’ve achieved many than anybody else’s. That means being presentable, awards, and always felt a need to prove that leaving knowing your product better than anyone else and university early was the right thing to do. It’s that the problem it solves, being communicative and single decision that answers the “why?” in my day. consultative. It’s not about persuading people, but about building relationships and trust. Trust is a How would people describe you? huge thing in business – it will define your success. It has probably changed over the years. Certainly, in Don’t think short term. Sales is all about your the early years I was more bullish and a lot bolder. long-term brand and reputation, and making sure I was more driven in a way that others might that you clearly add value. perceive as self-assured. Over the years I’ve learnt My success came from years of hard work and that running a million miles an hour is not always sacrifices. Early on I learnt the trade, I studied hard, the best way. I absolutely love my work and my and I listened to everyone around me. During my team, but enjoying the moment and those around time at Prudential I had two amazing mentors – I me is a huge part of what I want from my future. did what they did, I went where they went, and I wanted what they had. You must strive to learn from What has been the most rewarding the best around you. moment of your career? But my biggest tip is, “You have to put in!” I can As a financial adviser by trade, a great driver for me teach and nurture anybody, but above all else they was being recognised at a young age and winning must have that drive and hunger to succeed. major awards year after year at some of the biggest banks and wealth management firms in the world. How has the ISM added value to you? Being recognised as a number one gave me the trust The ISM really is a phenomenal professional body. I needed from others to get onto the next step of It provides a significant resource, content, and a my career, building and leading many of the proven opportunity to network with others and highest-performing teams in our industry and share best practices. Being able to help each other in opening new offices all over the world. business and introduce contacts is great. I work with As a leader, it has also been incredibly motivating several professional entities and I get by far the most for me to see those I have led in the past grow and value from the ISM. Thanks ISM. go on to achieve their own spectacular successes. What is your current role? I am an experienced wealth manager, looking after clients in the Middle East and globally. These days, I also share a lot of my time nurturing and developing others via my coaching consultancy, Coady Performance Group. I find it incredibly rewarding to work with people to help them succeed, and I’ve done it for so long now, it just comes naturally.

46 WINNING EDGE

ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM

Become an ISM Fellow! Join the ISM and boost your career prospects

ISM FELLOW (FISM)

10-15 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: £250 Fellowship is for sales directors or CEOs, or those with sales experience and a Level 6 or 7 sales degree. It requires you to give back to the community. REASONS TO JOIN: LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT l Access to our professional resources, conference archives and extensive library of video, audio and printed materials l Continuing professional development (CPD) programme l Offer mentoring to members l Study for OFQUAL-accredited professional qualifications l Download and offer best sales practices and whitepapers l Offer a less than 1 minute video on tips to support members MARKETING l Register to be a BESMA judge l Prestigious post-nominal, FISM, raising your professional standing l One solus mailer to the ISM audience pre and post participation in a webinar l Amplify a survey of your own

NETWORKING l Attend live and virtual events, including conferences, workshops and regional industry meetings l Member-only networking l Free or discounted admission to BESMA and other events l Connect through our memberfind-member platform l Become an interview prepper l Host an event at your offices l Collaborate with members within special interest groups l Participate in our Committees l Register for a private dinner PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT l Free ISM legal advice line l Ask-an-ISM member for advice on pitching a business or service l Complimentary coaching call with an ISM Adviser l CV writing, interview guidance and a trial pitch RECRUITMENT l Receive alerts on new jobs through our online job section l Feature a sales role in your organisation in Winning Edge magazine and on social media l Become an ISM Career Adviser

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If any of the opportunities interest you then visit ismprofessional.com for more information, or get in touch by emailing ABrook@ismprofessional.com

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP l Access our quarterly digital magazine, Winning Edge l Submit articles for publication in Winning Edge and on our blog l Register to deliver a webinar l Book review by the ISM‘s COO, hosted on ISM website l Submit best sales practices and white papers for download l Download and offer best practice sales templates l Submit pre-recorded video content to our website l Speak on a sales topic at an ISM event to raise your profile and professional credibility l Author a Winning Edge preface.

WEBINARS THE ISM OFFERS A RICH VARIETY OF WEBINARS TO INFORM SALES PROFESSIONALS

T he ISM’s seminar programme offers unique learning opportunities to sales professionals at all levels, from students to senior leaders

W e also work closely with other professional bodies and selected commercial partners to provide the most topical and informative programme to both our members and the wider sales profession

L isted below are some webinar dates for your diary, along with some recent talks that you can catch up with “on demand”

F or the most up-to-date information on all ISM webinars and ISM-supported events, visit ismprofessional.com

ISM SPOTLIGHT WEBINARS – COMING SOON 9 March 9 March 11 March 18 March

11am 2pm 11am 3pm

Mastering the art of sales development: Owen Richards, Air Marketing Group How good design can improve sales: Simon Hutchings, Visualise Top ten tips for writing winning sales proposals: Graham Ablett, ISM Fellow Apply science and technology to drive growth: Matthew Blanchard and Neil Whitney, Varicent

20 April

11am Maximising client retention: Graham Ablett, ISM Fellow

MISSED A WEBINAR? NO PROBLEM... Catch up with them on demand by visiting brighttalk.com/channel/15979

RECENT ISM SPOTLIGHT TALKS – AVAILABLE NOW ON DEMAND Darran Berry, marketing & business development manager UAE, BASF Sam Carrington, former sales controller, ITV Steve Logan, ISM Fellow Peter Colman, partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners Ollie Sharpe, VP of revenue EMEA, SalesLoft Roger Bradburn, chief operating officer, ISM Stewart Moss, sales director, Cedar Court Hotels Yorkshire Darryl Praill, chief marketing officer, VanillaSoft

HOW TO REACH SALES PROFESSIONALS Winning Edge is the official journal of the ISM and an integral part of the ISM’s membership package. This high-quality digital magazine is packed with informative and entertaining articles, providing a wealth of practical advice and new ideas to help sales leaders and professionals. That makes it your route to a targeted and highly influential business audience.

I n sT I T u T e o f sa L e s m a n ag e m e n T

R a i s i n g t h e va l u e o f s a l e s

number 3 2020 | ismprofessional.com | £4.95

I n st I t u t e o f sa l e s m a n ag e m e n t

R a i s i n g t h e va l u e o f s a l e s

I n St I t u t e o f Sa l e S M a n ag e M e n t

R a i s i n g t h e va l u e o f s a l e s

number 1 2021 | ismprofessional.com | £4.95

number 2 2020 | ismprofessional.com | £4.95

strong stuff

bRaving a new woRld

Why Simon Weston is backing the ISM on mental health

how to sell safely and successfully in spite of the Covid-19 catastrophe

people are the thing turnIng talent Into a coMPetItIve force

To advertise in Winning Edge, email Adam Brook at abrook@ismprofessional.com or call 020 3167 4790

what’s new for 2021? SaleS challengeS and trendS that lIe ahead

zero in on tech

Tools to transform sales performance

members matter

Industry bodies are putting people first

Where next?

Leaders identify key business strategies

remote control tips on managing your virtual team

worlds apart

giving customers a fantastic journey

stay strong

make sure to mind your mental health

trust in the team Pulling together in tough times

niche targets

Selling with the social media stars

partner with us

Your business can work with the ISM

Winning Edge: January 2021 - Strong Stuff

Articles inside

Show them you care

Selling with the stars

Highlight the human factor

The virtual outlook

Cover story: Simon Weston

Tools for the job

Why mental health matters