Creating the Successful and Resilient Sales Team

Hear our conversation with Leigh Ashton, Founder & CEO at The Sales Consultancy (UK), where our discussion includes:
– The difference between a good and great sales leader
– Creating psychological safety for a sales team
– How a growth vs. fixed mindset determines a sales team dynamic
– The 10-80-10 rule of sales teams

Want to learn more about the power of self-perception and beliefs in sales, the psychological barriers that have to be overcome and the keys to building the right mindset and a resilient sales team? Check out the full episode! Click the link above!

The difference between a good and great sales leader

You might look at a sales leader and think they’re doing a good job — Everything they do is adequate and rarely requires any sort of realignment. And while they’re a good sales leader, you see the potential in them to be great.

So what’s holding them back? For most, it’s psychological.

A person’s perception, or the story they tell themselves, can be the barrier that keeps them from achieving new professional heights. But, before you invest all your time into training, understand that even the most well-trained sales leader will stay average if they still feel that ceiling above them. 

Building the right mindset

For many, there’s still the notion of the natural sales leader — Someone born with the innate ability to sell while others will never be able to learn. And, while popular, is completely false. Because of neuroplasticity, we can all continue to learn. 

So, while some may be predisposed to complimentary attributes that give them a leg up as a sales person, it’s not enough to be great — Only the right kind of mindset and training can get them there; and, by extension, help them create an environment capable of sustaining team success.

For Leigh, the success of the team depends on the skills of the leader. 

How a growth versus fixed mindset determines a sales team dynamic 

With so much riding on a successful team leader, what can be done to create an environment where everyone feels open to learn? Foster a growth mindset.

Stemming from a study on children, researchers wanted to figure out why certain children could learn easily while others struggled. The difference, they found, was that students who continued to thrive had a growth mindset compared to the fixed mindset of the ones who struggled. 

• Growth mindset: I might fail, but I can try again and get better.
• Fixed mindset: I’m not good at this; that means I’ll never be good at this.

Building the resilient sales team

One of the greatest attributes of someone with a growth mindset is their ability to be resilient. The reason — Resilience plays into their story of improving over time. If they failed three times, it just means they have to try it again until they get it right.

The reason this is so important to sales is because of how high the stakes can be — You either make the sale or you don’t; there’s no in-between. If you are afraid to make mistakes, you tend to hide them. If you hide them, you can’t learn from them. Be aware of this vicious cycle so that you can avoid it.  

The 10-80-10 rule of sales teams 

Even if you do everything right when it comes to growth mindset training, at the end of the day, some people just can’t be helped. The problem for most sales leaders, however, is that they tend to focus on these lost causes, leaving those that could actually benefit from that attention to the wayside. 

Leigh shares her 10-80-10 rule: 

• Top 10%: These are the growth mindset superstars
• Middle 80%: They want to be the top 10% but need help to get there
• Bottom 10%: Have lost hope for a variety of reasons and do not want to get better

Related Links

Follow Leigh on Twitter

Connect with Leigh on LinkedIn

The Sales Consultancy (UK) website

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