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22632 Kuykendahl Rd.
Suite I
Spring, TX 77389
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Suite I
Spring, TX 77389
Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Friday 9:00-4:00 PM
3/16/2017
The Habits that Define a Stellar Sales Leader
1. Waking up early :
Waking up early is not an easy habit to develop, but it is one thing that many successful leaders have in common. People who wake up earlier: Feel less rushed when they awake, setting a positive tone for the day Can relish the quiet early morning hours Can maximize their time throughout the day Avoid mid-day distractions Are better at making decisions and setting goals Have a better quality of sleep at night As you can see, there are several ways that waking up early can benefit you as a sales mentor. Still feeling like hitting that snooze button? Here are some helpful tips for waking up earlier: Turn off technology long before bedtime – Staying on your cell phone or tablet well into the night keeps your brain stimulated, making it more difficult to unwind. Keep your alarm clock across the room – This will prevent you from repeatedly hitting the snooze button and force you to physically get up out of bed. Drink some water right when you wake up – Water is shown to refresh the body and make you feel more alert. Eat an apple – Apples contain the right amount of sugar to give your body a little jolt of energy first thing in the morning. Do some exercise – Exercising when you wake up can improve your blood flow and increase energy levels.
2. Reading often:
If you want to be a great leader, reading more could help you achieve that goal. People who read more often have a natural curiosity that keeps them engaged and attentive throughout life. Reading stories about others can help you learn from their mistakes and bypass simple mistakes, or open your eyes to new ways for you to reach your own goals. According to one study, reading can enhance connectivity in the brain and improve brain function. Reading fiction, for instance, can improve your ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes, which is a vital skill for every leader.
3. Being an active listener:
In general, people have the tendency to wait for “their turn” to speak. As a leader, however, you must learn to actively listen to your sales team in order to properly understand and motivate them toward sales success. Active listening is a technique often used in counseling or training, and requires a listener to restate or paraphrase what they hear in their own words. By practicing this skill, you can confirm what the other person (a member of your sales team) is saying, allowing you to fully understand their point of view. When you understand their viewpoint, you can help address and solve any issues they may have, and keep your team running smoothly.
4. Setting clear goals:
Setting goals for you and your sales team is a critical part of being a sales mentor. By doing so, you are able to keep your team on a clear path to success, while avoiding many stressful situations. When you set clear goals for you and your team, you are able to: Maximize your available resources – Time is a valuable resource. When you set clear goals from the start, you avoid wasting time on unnecessary tasks, and you save your salespeople time so they can focus on helping your company grow. Gain peace of mind – As a leader, your mind is probably going 100 miles per hour. But when you set clear objectives for your team, you can take all of your ideas, apply them to each goal, and not have to worry about scrambling at the last minute to find solutions. Improve your decision-making – When you set clear goals, you can see the bigger picture behind each task you and your team are working on. This will also allow you to see what needs to be improved, and help influence your future decisions in a positive way. Improve your communication with others – If you, as a leader, are scrambling for answers, then your sales team will struggle. If you set clear goals, then you will have the clarity to set the right expectations for your team, and they will be more focused and in tune with your needs.
5. Batching daily emails and social media updates:
It is tempting (but understandable) to want to continuously check your emails and Facebook feeds throughout the day, but unfortunately, these things will hinder your success as a sales mentor. Every time you check your email or social media, you are losing focus and it becomes that much harder to return to your regularly scheduled work. One survey showed that, of office workers, on a daily basis: 52% are distracted by texts 36% are distracted by social media 31% are distracted by emails A study from the University of California, Irvine reveals that after each distraction, it takes an average of 25 minutes to return to your original task. That is a lot of wasted time! To help you combat the urge to constantly check in on these distractions, it is important to batch your email/social media checking into specific time slots. If you check your emails and social media once in the morning and once in the afternoon, you can help free yourself from constant distractions. Not only that, but you can: Set a positive example as a leader Stay more focused on helping your sales team when issues arise Dedicate more time and energy toward your sales goals Final Thoughts Being a sales mentor is no easy task, but by developing certain habits, you can grow into the leader your team needs. As a leader, these habits will help build trust with your sales team, as they will allow you to become a consistent and positive example for your salespeople.
