Influential sales leaders are unmistakable. They are people of interest, people of insight, people of purpose, people of direction, people of value, and people of now! They seamlessly garner the support of those inside and outside the dealership, their customers appear to readily flock and follow in-step, and they rarely suffer a bad month because they attract a constant supply of opportunities that seem to just fall in their laps.
There is no doubt that influential sales leaders possess something very powerful that puts them in a position to win more sales again and again. It’s not some sixth sense or a secret superpower; it is the right core beliefs.
We noticeably all have different beliefs, that control different emotions, that result in different behavior. There is nothing that influences our behavior more than our beliefs! Unfortunately, too many professionals never stop to acknowledge and question their own beliefs. Instead, much of what directs their behavior day in and day out is formed unconsciously. Make no mistake, highly influential sales leaders enjoy unrivaled results because they have developed superior core beliefs. Below are ten of the most prevalent.
Belief 1: It is not what you know about your products that matters most; it’s what you know about your customers.
Customers don’t care what you know if you don’t know them! Highly influential sales leaders recognize they are in the business of providing solutions, and the only way they can properly position those solutions is to really know their customers. They believe that customers buy for their reasons, and not ours. In turn, they go to special lengths to learn, lead, and leverage what really drives them. This includes learning who their customers are, their character and values; where their customers are, their attitude, skills, and knowledge; and where their customers want to go, the change they most want in their family, occupation or recreation.
Belief 2: Opportunity is created by how you manage your customers’ expectations.
It’s not what happens, but what is expected to happen, that matters most! Influential sales leaders are careful about what they put their focus on throughout the sales process. They believe that what they put their focus on determines what their customers put their attention on, and what their customers put their attention on becomes what they take action on. Influential sales leaders recognize that while things can happen which frustrate customers, as long as their expectations are properly managed throughout the process, customers will seek to move forward despite unforeseeable challenges.
Belief 3: What a customer says in the beginning isn’t always critical in the end.
You can be dead right, but if your customers do not feel that you are right, your deal is as good as dead! Highly influential sales leaders do not get sidetracked or bail on a deal just because their customer is way out in left field early on in the sales process. After all, every customer is in the market for a reason. They resist the urge to argue with their customers. Influential sales leaders are persuaders, not debaters, and they believe that doing right is more important than being right. They stay the course because they know that what their customers experience throughout the process changes everything.
Belief 4: Customers are not motivated by what is on paper.
A sale is not business, it’s personal! Some sales professionals spend a lot of time presenting and hashing out their proposals with customers. Influential sales leaders take a different approach. They believe that just explaining the features, facts, and figures is not really leading, and it is certainly not selling. What’s on paper may be unique, but it is not compelling alone. Influential sales leaders don’t rely solely on the facts, features, and figures; instead, they create value that isn’t found in a brochure or on a website. In this way, they make the transaction bigger, more meaningful, and more compelling to their customers.
Belief 5: They are the number one reason why their customers buy.
To win sales, you don’t need to have the best price or even the best product, but you do need to create the best experience! It’s you and your efforts that make the difference.
Highly influential sales leaders believe that the true value is not in their product, but rather in the solution and experience that they provide. They can attest that when you gain a personal edge and really connect, customers begin to look for a way to say yes and buy. Influential sales leaders are able to bring value, add value, and become a person of value because they connect with their customers and create exceptional experiences.
Belief 6: The most compelling message is based on what’s personal to their customers.
Your customers don’t want a verbal brochure; they want a professional who gets them and makes the process fast, fun, and interactive! Influential sales leaders believe that it’s a me-first economy where customers are most concerned with “what’s in it for me.” Where some sales professionals jump into the water without ever knowing (or caring) about the direction of the waves; highly influential sales leaders take a different approach. They intentionally align with what already moves their customers, and they personalize everything; right down to what they communicate and how they communicate it.
Belief 7: No one is without resources and resourcefulness.
If they want it, they will find a way to get it! Influential sales leaders believe that everyone either has the resources to buy or can get the resources if they want to. Customers can always make sense of spending more, but it is as Steve Jobs said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Influential sales leaders are successful in making more deals work because they are successful in getting their customers to really want to make it work.
Belief 8: Showing the way is just as important as showing the ‘why.’
The decision to buy takes effort. Your customers do not want to think through the process of buying too! Highly influential sales leaders do more than show up, they lean-in and show the way. They understand that it is not uncommon for a customer to want to buy and still lack the certainty to move forward. Often, it is because they quite frankly don’t know how to buy. Maybe they don’t know how to go about obtaining financing, maybe they don’t know how to get the down payment needed, or maybe they don’t know how to budget for the payment. Influential sales leaders come alongside their customers to help find the resources and gain the certainty needed to move forward.
Belief 9: Price only matters when nothing else matters.
Prices are just made up, but the value must be established, and it is unique for each buyer! If it seems that price is all your customers care about, it is because you haven’t given them anything else to care about. Influential sales leaders do not set out to win deals on price alone. They believe that while the price is a factor in every deal, price only matters when nothing else matters. Influential sales leaders are known for creating value that shadows price. Consequently, their customers don’t compare apples to apples, they compare apples to some of the best fruit in the world.
Belief 10: Everyone is a buyer.
The business of your business is people! When you pre-qualify customers, you disqualify customers. Highly influential sales leaders believe that everyone is a buyer and that everyone can be influenced to buy now. They understand that their customers want to buy, and if they don’t find a way to help them buy, someone else will. They work every deal as a real opportunity. With this approach, when problems arise and when objections surface, influential sales leaders don’t find themselves in a hard battle with their customers. Instead of a take-it-or-leave-it situation, it becomes more of a let’s figure it out together scenario.
Your core beliefs have a dramatic impact on your sales performance today, as well as your capacity to perform in the future. This is precisely why so much of what is called “training” today doesn’t produce lasting results. Without the right core beliefs, knowledge is left discarded, skills are left unversed, talent is left undeveloped, and the bottom line is left largely the same or worse.
Your level of success will never rise above your ability to lean-in, lead, and influence others! If you are interested in improving your influence, then I challenge you to adopt new core beliefs. When you change your thoughts you effectively change your world! Changing your core beliefs is not complicated. It’s simply a choice. A choice to take on a new perspective. I encourage you to take on the positive perspective of a highly influential sales leader.