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BOLD GROWTH: FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEADERS
For Modern Sellers, Actions Speak Louder than Words
Gandhi said, “actions express priorities.” For today’s modern seller, what are your actions communicating to your prospects and customers about you? Are they saying you are strategic and committed to creating long term value? Modern sellers focus on the long view versus a transactional view, knowing that one contract is simply the beginning of the value chain. With that in mind, below are three strategies to help elevate your identity as a modern seller. Ask Thoughtful Questions Modern sellers are continuous learners, and the skill of thoughtful questions is part of the learning process. Before any sales conversation, I have my questions ready, and they’re usually a blend of open-ended and clarifying questions. My goal is to get...
On Board: Lessons for Board Development
As a business owner, I place a high value on commitment to the community. One of the ways I choose to give back is by serving on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland. Helping to develop women leaders has long been a passion of mine. My work with the Girl Scouts provides a unique opportunity for me to help develop girls into the leaders of tomorrow. When I recently completed my term as chair of the board development committee, I was surprised to receive a special recognition. The President’s Plaque is an award given to a board member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty as a board member to help forward the mission of Girl Scouting. What an honor! I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with this organization. “Under Amy’s leadership as chair of the Board Development Committee, her team consistently exceeds expectations and has always done a great job ensuring Girl...
Vision, Culture, and Googliness
CEO Insights Featuring David Kaufman President & CEO, Motorists Insurance Group Great leaders are always learning and want to pay those lessons forward. The latest Columbus Chamber CEO Insights event had a lot of thoughtful lessons to share, with David Kaufman, president and CEO of Motorists Insurance Group. My first impression of David is that he is a humble, approachable leader, someone you could easily grab a cup of coffee with. A native of Bellefontaine, David said he didn’t envision himself as even going to college, let alone leading a major corporation. However, he sees Motorists as this great combination of being large enough to provide opportunities and growth along an entire career path, and small enough that it still feels like a family. During the hour-long discussion, David explained that Motorists is on a transformational journey as an organization. The team is reimagining the...
2/3 of Executives Say This is Their No. 1 Concern
Billions of dollars are spent on leadership development programs each year. In fact, according to McKinsey, almost two-thirds of the executives they surveyed identified leadership development as their No. 1 concern. Are companies seeing return on their leadership investment? Too often, that answer is no. In my experience, programs that succeed have one thing in common: strong support from the top and at the mid-levels. When that support doesn’t exist, or isn’t at the levels it should be, often a perception gap exists between the C-suite and the organizational development teams responsible for building and executing the programs. Take for example a program I once delivered at the headquarters of a major retail business. The...
Leadership Starts at the Top
To say the start of 2017 has been tumultuous for Uber would be an understatement. The company’s leadership and culture have been in the spotlight. First were sexual harassment allegations, brought forth by a former engineer. Then CEO Travis Kalanick was caught on dashcam chastising a driver—a video that went viral. That’s not to mention another lawsuit by Google. Uber tough times, to be sure. The result: Kalanick admitted he needs leadership help. “I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up,” he said. Help for Kalanick will come in the form of a new COO. Despite the tremendous popularity of Uber until this time (in fact, I’m a rider), Kalanick has been known for his aggressive leadership style. Clearly, a change is needed to transform the company culture, from the top down. The president resigned in March, as well. When there are challenges and churn at the leadership level, it can create an...
How Do You Show Up?
By Amy Franko I love the March Madness tournament season-- watching the games, seeing who’s making it through each round, and especially the stories that emerge. There are two stories that caught my attention this March, because they epitomize the choices we have as leaders, and how we show up in every situation. UConn’s 111-game win streak was one of those stories. 111 games. That’s over two years of not losing a single game. Not. A. Single. One. Itty Bitty was one of those stories. Itty Bitty is Morgan William, a 5’ 5” guard from Mississippi State. There was more than one debate about whether she’s even that tall. Didn’t matter though because she was the clear leader, running the floor and playing as tall as her 6’ 7” teammate. Her at-the-buzzer shot in overtime snapped UConn’s streak and chance at their fifth title in a row. Everything was rolling her way at that moment in time, unstoppable....
The Modern Seller: Turning a Long-Time Dream into Reality
By Amy Franko I’m excited to share that I’m fulfilling a long-time dream of publishing my first book. This has been on the “someday” list for longer than I’d like to admit, and I decided that this was the year to make it happen. The working title of the book is The Modern Seller, and the premise is that many of the ways we’ve learned to sell or lead sales teams no longer work with today’s customers. To survive and thrive, our customers are needing to evolve into modern organizations themselves, and we have to evolve along with them, into modern sellers and sales leaders. This isn’t a book about the topics we’re used to, like prospecting, presenting, and closing – although they’re all important to be successful. I’m fascinated by the higher-order skills, or the “skills behind the skills,” that can help us to become better not just with our daily professional work, but hopefully our personal journeys, as...
Let’s Talk Social Selling, Sales Intelligence
By Amy Franko A year or so ago, I had the great fortune of meeting Phil Gerbyshak on a Twitter chat. Phil is a well-established authority on social selling-- and an all-around fun guy. We had the opportunity to chat recently on the topics of social selling and sales intelligence. Listen in! Some insightful nuggets you'll take away include how you can: Make friends first, and do business last-- so your business lasts. Take a balanced approach. Offer value instead of volume. Be authentic. Use online tools to boost your sales intelligence. And bonus: why wishing people "happy birthday" is an easy first step in building strong connections. Catch our discussion here, and let us know if you have additional tips for social selling. Want more information? You can also watch Amy and Phil's discussion on sales and leadership. About Phil Gerbyshak: Phil Gerbyshak is a speaker and a trainer, who delivers programs on...
Elevate Sales Results: Insights To Succeed as a Modern Seller
In sales, as in most other professions, 80 percent of our results come from 20 percent of our efforts. How do we know what to focus our efforts on to get the best results? What does it take to achieve sales success as a top performer? You'll find out in my new eBook, 6 Strategies to Maximize Sales Results. I teamed with Brittany Shonka and Jen E Miller to create it. This eBook will give you insights into: Growth Mindset and High-Value Sales Opportunities: Your way of thinking can help you spark success. Creating Intellectual Curiosity: Maximize sales success by honing your intellectual curiosity and active listening skills. Showing Up: Is your head in the game? In sales, it’s critical to show up mentally, not just physically. Understanding Your Customer: Do we really know our customers? How can we do better? Prospecting and Pipeline Management: The quality and quantity of your pipeline are direct results...
Top 6 Sales Blogs You Should Be Reading
Sales people are a driven bunch. We’re always seeking to achieve greater sales, and do it in a more effective manner. One way to continuously stay on top of trends and learn new ideas is by reading blogs. As an avid reader, I subscribe to several top sales blogs. Here are my six favorites—they provide regular, compelling content. Peruse the list, and be sure to bookmark these sites, too. Fresh Sales Strategies by Jill Konrath – Jill is one of the sales thought leaders I most admire. Her posts cover categories that range from sales prospecting to the success mindset. She offers fresh perspectives, and also expertly intersperses videos in her posts, to help bring the content to life. Don’t miss this: Value Proposition Examples – Words That Get Meetings Latest book: More Sales, Less Time The Sales Blog by Anthony Iannarino – A fellow Central Ohioan, Anthony posts daily tips on his renown Sales Blog. You’ll...
Our Strategic Selling signature sales training program is now available online. This online sales learning program is ideal for professional services and B2B sales. Get started with 2 free lessons.
