Getting Sales Leadership Talent Ready for Current Challenges
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The document discusses challenges facing sales leaders in today's business landscape and identifies skills gaps that need to be addressed through leadership development. It provides an overview of an assessment platform that evaluates sales talent readiness and potential through simulations and evaluations in order to develop customized learning plans. The goal is to help organizations transform their sales strategies and build leadership pipelines through ongoing development activities like coaching, assignments, and social learning.
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Getting Sales Leadership Talent Ready for Current Challenges
- 1. Accelerating Sales Leadership Talent Readiness Sales Executive Assessment Platform Accelerating Sales Productivity & Growth
- 2. Business Landscape The New Sales Reality Longer sales cycles, faster business cycles Managing client expectations along with sales and delivery costs Impact of technology on buyer’s behavior Limited time to show results Creating demand in complex new markets New sales strategies
- 3. What does it Mean for Sales Leaders? Demonstrating Business Acumen Driving Sales Transformation Identifying Provocative Sellers Building Strategic Approaches to Business Development & Talent Mgt
- 4. Polling Question 1 • What is the greatest gap you see among sales leaders and executives in your organization? • Demonstrating Business Acumen • Driving Sales Transformation • Identifying Provocative Sellers • Building Strategic Approaches to Business Development and Talent Management
- 6. Skill Strengths and Gaps SALES LEADER LEVEL (N=280, Global) Top Strengths Top Development Needs 1. High Impact Communications 1. Providing Business Advice 2. Exploring Needs 2. Raising the Bar / Driving 3. Coaching Change 4. Gaining Commitment 3. Broadening Business Value 5. Understanding Solutions 4. Setting Sales Strategy 5. Engaging Sales and Delivery Teams 6. Expanding and Advancing Opportunities
- 7. Polling Question 2 • Among sales executives, what do you think is their greatest strength? • LIST ALL 10 if can
- 8. Polling Question 3 • Among sales executives, what do you think is their greatest development gap? • LIST ALL 10 if can
- 9. Skill Strengths and Gaps SALES EXECUTIVE LEVEL (N=300+, Global) Top Strengths Top Development Needs 1. Customer Orientation 1. Business Acumen 2. Cultivating Networks 2. Empowerment/Delegation 3. Influence 3. Selling the Vision 4. Driving Execution 4. Change Leadership 5. Communicating with Impact 5. Establishing Strategic Direction
- 10. Sales Sales Pipeline Pipeline The Talent Talent CEO Strategic Sales Ldr Operational Sales Leader Front Line Sales Leader High Potential Pool Sales Professional Sales Business Drivers
- 12. PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL READINESS The difference matters
- 13. Sales Leadership Potential Factors SUSTAINE D PERFORMANCE + Sales Leadership Promise Balance of Values and Results • Propensity to Lead • Culture Fit • Brings Out the Best in People • Passion for Results • Authenticity Personal Development Mastery of Complexity Orientation • Adaptability • Receptivity to Feedback • Conceptual Thinking • Learning Agility • Navigates Ambiguity = GROWTH INTO STRATEGIC SALES LEADER ROLES
- 14. Polling Question 5 • What is your sales executive team’s major area of concern? • Current performance of sales leaders • Getting people ready for sales leaders jobs • Identifying those with best potential for future roles
- 16. Polling Question 4 • What percentage of your open sales leader/executive positions are filled externally? • 25% • 50% • 75% • 100%
- 17. Key Transitional Challenges • Span of influence and control • Visibility • Business scope • Constituents • Consequences of failure • Business change
- 18. SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR Selecting and Managing Transitions for Sales Leaders 1 Screening Questions 2 Leadership Insight Inventory 3 Sales Leadership Simulations or Multirater 4 Sales Leader Interviews
- 19. SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR Selecting and Managing Transitions for Sales Executives 1 Global Leadership Inventories Sales Executive Simulation 2 or Multi-Rater 3 Sales Executive Interview 4 Talent Review Meeting
- 20. Development Strategy Success Profile Development Strategies Competencies Formal learning, Coaching Experience Assignments, Coaching Knowledge Assignments, Formal Learning Personal Attributes Coaching, Assignments 20 © Development Dimensions Int’l, Inc., MMX. All rights reserved.
- 21. Sales Leader Learning Journey April-June July-September October-December January-March Formal Learning Orientation Manager Kick Off Webinar Mastering Emotional Influencing for Org Impact Develpoing Organizational Intelligence Session 1 Translating Strategy into Session 2 Talent Session 3 Cultivating Networks and 3 days Results 2 ½ days Coaching for High 2 days Partnerships Making Change Happen Performance Development Development • Assessment: and Planning 360 Feedback & Job Experience Planning personality Meetings to Assess Action Action Meetings Inventories (DDI Behavior Learning Learning (DDI Coach, Boss, • Prework Coach, Boss, Men Change Mentor) tor) • Action Learning Kickoff Action Coaching Learning Coaching Coaching Job Growth Job Growth Experiences Experiences Coach the Coach Support = Action Learning = Assessment, Pre-Assignment, and Tools = Core Curriculum & Ongoing Development
- 22. Action Learning and Ongoing Development • Discussion Planning Prepare Walk-through Proficiency • Application • Observation/Feedback • After Action Review • Ongoing, Informal Mastery Feedback • Measurement 22 © Development Dimensions Int’l, Inc., MMXI. All rights reserved.
- 24. Business Landscape Moving to Franchise Model Implication for Front-line Leaders Leaders of Leaders Business Advisors / Consultants Managers of Change
- 25. Sales Transformation Decision-Making Process Assessment + Performance = Readiness Competency Readiness Performance Results Talent Review • Career Achievement • Sales Indicators Ready Portfolio Critical to the • Simulations New Strategy • Sales Executives’ Ready with Development Ratings of Potential for the New Role Ready with Considerable Development Not Ready 25
- 26. Sales Leaders with Development Needs Smallest Needs Greatest Needs Driving Results 11% Driving Change 31% Coaching 11% Setting Sales 33% Direction Building Trust 16% Execution 41% Building Business 17% 53% Teamwork Acumen
- 27. Polling Question 6 • What is the best way for sales leaders/executives to develop? • Formal learning • Coaching • Stretch assignment • Social learning
Editor's Notes
- CHUCKThank you for signing up for what is guaranteed to be an action packed Partners breakout session on Accelerating Sales Executive Talent Readiness. The purpose of this video is to cover the details of the exciting new products we are bringing to market in the sales executive space. Understanding these details ahead of time will allow us to spend the majority of your time during the breakout session practicing and delivering a high impact client sales presentation as opposed to learning the details of the new and enhanced products for the very first time. This video presentation will take no more than 12 minutes of your time. Thanks for listening.
- CHUCK, THEN RYAN COMMENTSNOTE: I would add: Managing sales costs – do more with lessImpact of technology on buyer’s behavior NOTE: I would change “Creating demand creators” to “Creating demand and managing client expectations. The need to create demand, rather than just respond. 3 big skill set areas: Teaching, Tailoring, Leading the Solution/Staying in Control/Navigating. Since 2008 we've seen some unbelievable shifts in the economy and these shifts have changed customer behavior for the foreseeable future. This new environment has created a risk averse posture in most companies that has resulted in spending decisions that require close inspection from multiple functions and executives. However, we already seem to be emerging a bit from this, as in 2010 we've seen that most sales organizations will meet or exceed their sales goals. A recent survey by the Alexander group showed that 85% of sales executives feel they will finish the year at or above their growth targets. The risk averse posture does not seem to be changing though as most companies are bracing for the next business downswing. At the same time the abundance of information and the broad spectrum of different markets has increased the complexity and requirements for deep and broad analysis. For example, a sales executive might have to answer questions like: In a mature market such as the US, should I pursue the small to mid business market and if so what type of sales resource should I put in place to drive growth there? Should it be an inside sales approach? Or perhaps I should use a fully web-based e-commerce approach? How about a new and rapidly growing market like china? What should my sales coverage look like there? And while the economy seems to be improving, most companies are not yet ready to make significant investments in sales infrastructure to assist with the growth agenda. Instead sales executives are still being asked to do more with less and to be innovative not only with their market strategies, sales coverage, and positioning of solutions but also with getting more revenue from existing sales resources. This has required them to constantly think about how they need to transform their sales force into demand creators and not just sellers of products. If the stakes weren't already high enough, most sales executives will be expected to make significant progress against ever increasing growth targets in 3 years or less. If they don't the will likely be replaced.
- CHUCKDemonstrating Business Acumen in Client and Internal EngagementsManaging Change (Sales Transformation)Identifying and Developing Provocative Sellers Building Strategic Approach to Business Development and Talent Management
- CHUCKRyan will tell story about an organization that took aplanful approachChuck will tell a story about an organization in crisis
- CHUCKDDI summary of sales leader assessment results (hundreds of SL assessments over past 2-3 years, crossing many industries, geographies, global in scope, etc.)Our analysis: Strengths are more short term, day-to-day competencies (shows they are good at closing business). Development areas have long-term implications (for example, shows they may not be able to deal effectively with new economic reality and long sales cycles. To have a strategic, long-term impact on the business, you need these skills.) N=280
- RYANDDI summary of sales leader assessment results (hundreds of SL assessments over past 2-3 years, crossing many industries, geographies, global in scope, etc.)Our analysis: Strengths are more short term, day-to-day competencies (shows they are good at closing business). Development areas have long-term implications (for example, shows they may not be able to deal effectively with new economic reality and long sales cycles. To have a strategic, long-term impact on the business, you need these skills.)
- RYANHow do you look for these skills (and whether or not your team has them)? One answer is with assessment tool . . . .
- RYANRyan will tell story about an organization that took aplanful approach
- RYANWhen we talk about potential we are talking about identifying people who have certain characteristics that would suggest they are capable of rapid growth. It’s not about how they are performing today or whether they are ready for the next promotion. It’s about whether or not an individual has certain attributes that would enable them to take full advantage of a significant investment in his/her development.
- RYANTalk about difference between performance, potential and readiness.Could talk about the classis mistake we see: Organizations promote their superstar salesperson, but then they don’t have strong leadership capabilities. Wouldn’t it be nice to know--in advance--who will succeed as a leader and who will fail? Wouldn’t it be powerful to actually predict this in advance—BEFORE you make the investment?But how do you know? There are tools available to help you make informed decisions . . . . ADD: Talk track about HOW you would go about identifying potential. There are tools out there such as LPI. . . . Explain what this is and what it does. Not many organizations use these. It is a real opportunity for competitive advantage b/c it becomes the lynchpin b/c. . . . You should not rely on managers alone because they have zero predictive power in these scenarios . . . .
- RYAN
- CHUCK
- RYAN
- RYANSay we are going to zero in on Action Learning and Ongoing Development next . . . .
- CHUCK Now lets shift to what individuals need to do after they have completed acquisition.Improving skills really comes in two stages:Reaching Proficiency—in this stage the individual is still learning the ropes. This stage requires more preparation on the part of the individual. This can also require support from managers/mentors (i.e., role-playing before challenging discussions, observing initial applications, providing feedback, etc.) to make sure that they are applying the skills appropriately. Mastery—this is akin to becoming a black belt. Here they would seek out more informal feedback (from managers, peers, direct reports).
- CHUCKChuck will tell a story about an organization in crisis
- CHUCK
- CHUCKTell Avon storyEffectiveness of campaigns/new product launches
- CHUCK