My first advisor, a sales director with a lifetime of knowledge of the PR business, taught me to tell a prospect: ‘I don’t want to learn what your company does; I need to know your business and your requirements. This provided me with the necessary mentorship for developing a consultative selling approach, where my main focus is about creating value for the client versus driving a transaction. This is a simple approach that has become critical in developing long-term client relationships, and thus, aspects such as trust have become key values that my company upholds to enable it to succeed.
I began my professional B2B sales role at 21 years of age selling consumables. I have been blessed with great mentors throughout my career, but my first mentor made the biggest impact on me which was transferring to me the love of selling. Roger was the consummate Sales Leader who saw in me potential that I did not see. He brought out the best in me by demanding excellence in my critical thinking and execution. The three best pieces of advice he provided to me for selling are: 1) The importance of active listening; you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen with your emotions. 2) The importance of thorough investigation in the sales call. He said make the goal to be able to "sit on a four-legged chair," before making a recommendation. This means if you only garner information from one person in a B2B scenario, you are sitting on a one-legged chair and are likely to fall down based on just one set of assumptions. Key point - Get the viewpoint from the top of the mountain not down in the trees so you don't miss any opportunities to serve. Identify the economic buyer, technical & user buyers and find yourself a coach. Uncover motives by asking "why is this important to you?" because people buy based on emotions and justify with logic. The third piece of advice was to never stop once you get the momentum going. Be in the Spirit of Selling! Always be planting seeds and reaching out to customers. What you do today is creating your future tomorrow.
When I first started in sales in 2008, I knew dentistry but I did not know much about the sales process. I had been an educator and in a clinical capacity previously, but that was my first time in sales. I had mentors as my managers that showed me the value of educational selling and qualifying the doctor to try and solve a problem. With the proper questions asked, you can receive insight to what the doctors are looking for, so you can help with issues they have in their practice with products. My mentors stressed the point of having a thorough knowledge of the products I was selling, while also knowing the features and benefits of the competitive products I was selling against. Having mentors with a clinical background also helped me to be able to integrate my clinical knowledge in the sales process so that I was speaking the same language of the doctors I was calling on. Since then, through the years and development as a sales professional, different mentors have helped me with different aspects of my role. Communication is a large portion of the process, along with being emotionally intelligent to handle certain situations and foster relationships. Each mentor at each stage in my career development has definitely contributed to my success. I am very grateful for every one.
Mentorship has been crucial in my journey as a sales professional. Having experienced mentors by my side has made all the difference. They've shared their wisdom, taught me tricks of the trade, and cheered me on through tough times. Their guidance has helped me grow personally and professionally, making me more effective in my role. Thanks to their support, I've been able to navigate challenges with confidence and achieve success in the competitive world of sales.
SEO Specialist at GREAT Guest Posts
Answered 2 years ago
When I worked for GGP, I was fortunate enough to have several senior marketing experts on my team that taught me a lot lot not just about my career but professionalism in general. I’ve done my best to mentor others but I’ve found that they’re often not interested, ungrateful, or are dismissive. I do my best to mentor anyone who shows interest, regardless of whether they work for or with me or not.
How Mentorship Transformed My Negotiation Game Mentorship has been instrumental in my growth as a sales professional. One example that stands out is when my mentor guided me on effective negotiation techniques. They shared their experiences, offered constructive feedback on my approach, and provided valuable insights on understanding client needs. Through their guidance, I learned to listen actively, identify pain points, and tailor solutions accordingly. This mentorship not only enhanced my sales skills but also boosted my confidence in handling complex negotiations, ultimately leading to successful outcomes and strengthened client relationships.