Episode Summary
Being a salesperson is an emotional rollercoaster. And when things don’t go your way, or you struggle to make a sale, you will be tempted to ponder on whether you’re really cut out for a career in sales.
However, once you master these crucial sales skills, you will be unstoppable.
In this episode of the Taking the Lead podcast, host Christina Brady welcomes Jennifer Ives, a founder, advisor, and board member. They chat about the most critical tips for making it in sales and how to embrace your curiosity and build professional resilience.
Guest Profile
Key Insights
- Sometimes, all you need is a tap on the shoulder. There's no limit to what you can accomplish if you surround yourself with supportive people who've got your back. Even if you have it in you, sometimes a pat on the back can make all the difference. Jennifer explains, "Many times throughout my career, there has been someone who has tapped me on the shoulder to say, 'I see this in you, and you would be really good at this.' And it was almost at the same time that I was thinking that same thing. [...] That's why I mentor so actively because many times it does take someone to tap you on the shoulder and say, 'Why haven’t you thought about this? You would be so good. What are you thinking about as your next step? What do you want to do? How would you like to help this company or another company? What does your career look like? You'd be excellent at this.'"
- Listen more, and ask open-ended questions. Too many people (and salespeople, in particular) don't know how to listen properly. But listening is the most vital part of being a salesperson. You need to learn how to listen more and ask open-ended questions if you want to sell like a pro. Jennifer says, "Early on, a mentor shared that a good ratio to kind of listen and speak is to listen 90% of the time, and speak and ask questions, I'd say, 10 to 15% of the time — allow your clients to share fully with you, understand their needs and challenges, learn from them, and hone in on what they need. And by listening, you can better identify the type of pain they're in."
- Here's why you should take ‘no’ for an answer. Despite what some people believe, sometimes you should take ‘no’ for an answer. Identify the ‘nos’ as early as possible to get to those amazing ‘yeses.’ Jennifer explains, "Identify and uncover 'no' early. There's nothing worse than a sales process where you haven't asked the right questions, or you're allowing conversations to go on and on. [...] Once you've identified 'no,' you can then, one, take them out of your pipeline, and two, start working on and identifying those who do need your services or do need your help. You can provide that person with guidance and always leave them smarter than when you met that person or the company, and you can move forward versus spending time on a problem that doesn't require your service or your product."
Episode Highlights
Having a good product is not enough; you also need a good sales and marketing team.
“I’m a big proponent — lots of people hear me say this, ‘If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?’ I feel the same way about amazing technology and an amazing product — it can be out there in the market but if no one knows about it, if there’s no sales team or an incredible marketing team, and what I call a commercial team to talk about that product or talk about that technology and really introduce it to those who have a headache or have a pain that needs to be solved, then you can have the best technology or products in the world, but it really doesn’t matter.”
Take a step back only for the right reasons.
“If you take a step [back], make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons — not because you’re afraid, not because you’re doubting yourself, and not because you don’t think you’re good. But because you think, ‘Oh, I really need to learn this piece of it in order to go forward.’ As I mentioned, I jumped two steps as I took one step back; when that role was done, I took two steps forward and became a senior vice president.”
Professional curiosity and resilience are superpowers.
“Be curious and build your resilience because those are two characteristics that are going to be critical to your success throughout your sales career. You’re going to hear ‘no’ far more than you’re going to hear ‘yes.’ And most things don’t go your way or aren’t going to go your way — it has to do with that ratio of ‘no’ to ‘yes.’ And that’s okay. It’s how you handle those moments that matters.”
Find a mentor early in your career.
“Mentors are so important. Find a mentor early in your career — one who can help accelerate your knowledge and your growth path, and they can guide you in honest and true ways, they can challenge you to take calculated risks, and they can encourage you to try harder things, while they’re also supporting you every step of the way.”
