Span the Chasm – Sales Team Training – Driving Sustainable Sales and Growth through Development and Consulting

Category: Blog

Blog posts from Randy or any thought leaders who contribute

  • Recession Proofing: A Trainer’s Perspective

    Ep 29: Learn about a winner’s mindset being the tool to help you prepare and thrive through the economic changes. Ken Lundin hosts this week, asking Randy about what companies should DO and what they should NOT DO in regards to investing in their people.

  • Sales Leadership Lessons from Sherlock Holmes

    Sales Leadership Lessons from Sherlock Holmes

    Mr. Watson wasn’t actually an idiot.  Just seemed like it.  

    Sometimes I feel like an idiot, too.  Deals and opportunities don’t always work the way I wanted.  

    But it is clear, Sherlock Holmes was a genius.  And his genius teaches those of us in sales much practical wisdom that we can learn from.

    3 that stand out that are actionable for you IMMEDIATELY:

    It isn’t obvious:  Holmes’ genius played out in ways that Watson missed because Holmes always seemed to understand the nuance of humanity.  What so often should be obvious in our sales process isn’t because of the complex human that we are selling to. She seems like a buttoned up CMO but she is really afraid that one more failed effort could cost her the job.  

    Lesson:  Emotions matter in sales.  If you aren’t connected to or connecting your solution to them, you are setting yourself up for failure.

    It IS obvious:  In plain site.  And yet Watson missed it often because he was looking past the moment.  Making assumptions. Mistakes that Holmes never made. He was always in the moment.  He didn’t make assumptions. He looked at the situation for what it was and didn’t overcomplicate it.  We do it in sales. Frequently. We miss a comment packed with emotion because we were on to our next question.  We missed the blank look because we assumed everyone new that x, y or z was truth. We didn’t clarify because that term means the same for everyone, right?

    Lesson: Slow the F down!  Listen. Look. Learn.  Stop making assumptions.  Ask 3 more questions. Get feedback on what you said.  Listen to the answers.  

    It IS elementary: Holmes cut through all of the noise around a case and saw it at an elemental level.  Watson was distracted by the noise. We often do the same in sales. There is a lot of ‘swirl’ that distracts us.  People. Statement. Goals. Ideas. Suggestions. Phonies. Lots of it. It distracts us from what matters; the presenting, business impacting problem. 

    Lesson: Focus on the business impacting problem, known or unknown, and run to it.  Expose it, solve it and forget the rest.

    Don’t be Watson.  Be Sherlock Holmes.  Yep, it’s a choice. Who are YOU going to be?

    It is elementary.  And in your control.

    Suggested reading: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Dr Carol Dweck

    #BeBrave

  • A Better Lens to Understand Your Team

    A Better Lens to Understand Your Team

    You live in a world of data.  CRM, Marketing and sales metrics, process improvement data, economic and competitive data all drive a business to success. You need this data to inform the important decisions in your business. 

    But what if I told you that you were missing the most important data for success prediction?  Data around your people.   

    Imagine what your world would be like if you could ‘see’ into the capabilities, desires and behavioral goals of every, single person in your organization?  What would that reveal?  

    I suspect it would reveal the following:

    1. Visibility:  You would quickly know who is in the right seat and who isn’t.  You would instantly understand the confounding behaviors preventing people’s success.  You would be more effective at getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off of the bus.  
    2. Action: With crystal clear insight into the individuals and clarity around the needed attributes and skills, your path to the future you are striving for becomes accessible and attainable.  Lit up with a megawatt spotlight, not the weak candle of today. 
    3. Culture: For so many organizations, culture is hype, a bunch of posters and a foosball table.  Strong on the surface, weak where it counts. Your company has a true culture, known or unknown, that affects EVERYTHING.  It affects how your people sell, how you market, even the code your developers write. Your sales team’s culture is no different. What they value (their culture) is what your clients and prospects expect your business to deliver, their microbrand.  

    Time to put on the glasses and remove the blindfold.  

    How can you get this visibility? At Span the Chasm, we have built an entire Talent Management service offering around this to deliver actionable insights for you.  Removing uncertainty, fear, and doubt, PLUS accelerating success. 

    What are indications you might need to go down this path?  Symptoms or goals like:

    1. Consistently high turnover in your sales force
    2. You’ve just lost your VP of Sales
    3. Changes aren’t taking shape at the front lines
    4. The client experience just doesn’t ‘feel’ right 
    5. You’re preparing for growth either to buy or sell

    Imagine:  Actionable Data on your entire team, by role, driving curated Information so that your decisions – personnel, strategy, culture – are fueled by Knowledge.  To me, that sounds like real Power!

    How would THAT feel?

    So, why Span the Chasm? Simply put, we are adoption-focused. Getting your team working with field-tested, actionable data only works when you have engagement.  We deliver all three.

    “After our sales manager abruptly resigned in Q3, Steve quickly stepped in and helped our sales team keep their pipeline on track. We closed out our year strong and Steve helped us find an exceptional new sales manager.” – David Minnix – CEO CineMassive

    Unlock the power of people for better results – learn more about Talent Management here!

    #BeBrave

  • Recession Proofing Your People with Natalie Kruse

    Ep 28: This week, Randy welcomes Natalie Kruse, who is the VP of Business Development at HR Equity. Natalie joins us to give tips on the HR side of how to recession-proof our staff. She’ll give us encouragement for trimming the herd, help us be intentional for hiring, and tell us how to hyper invest in our team. Her tips are coming at a great time to help us THRIVE, not just SURVIVE the recession.

  • Recession Proofing from the Investment Banker Value Standpoint with Bill Tucker

    Ep 27: This episode of our Recession Proofing series looks at the sales team’s focus from the Investment Banker’s value standpoint. Randy’s guest is Bill Tucker, Co-Founding Partner of Tucker, Midis & Owen, LLC. Bill shares 4 things for sales leadership to focus on, honing the skills to weather the storm.

    Follow Bill at https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-tucker-0053163

  • Recession-Proof Your Sales Team NOW!

    Recession-Proof Your Sales Team NOW!

    Imagine how it will feel when your sales team is left behind by the market because you didn’t make the necessary adjustments to not just SURVIVE but THRIVE in and thru the recession.  It is not gonna feel good, my friend!

    The question isn’t ‘if’ but ‘when’ a recession is going to hit.  Some argue it is already happening. Others claim the economic macros are strong and we are years away. 

    What can you do to prepare for it?

    Having lived and sold through many recessions, I know there are specific activities that separate the ELITE from the rest.

    Three things you can do now to begin the process:

    Back to the basics:  Now is the time to make sure you and your team are excelling at the fundamentals.  Running your sales process with precision and not taking shortcuts. Setting aside time for pipeline building activities.  However your sales process was designed to run, run it. With precision, confidence and velocity. Now is the best time to focus on pipeline, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

    Get to the Economic Buyer:  I have always been a big fan of getting to the EB.  Now, with everything being more tightly scrutinized and signature levels changing, you MUST meet with your EB, or the NEW EB.  If you have been lazy with your EB language in the past, now is the time to make sure your language aligns with their goals. 

    Tighten up value alignment:  When selling is easy, our value alignment often gets a bit lax.  Our value alignment must be in lock-step with our prospect’s goals and vision.  We must be very clear on how we are going to take them from their Current State to the glorious Future State they seek.  It is CRITICAL that you re-make the Current State unacceptable as your prospect is going to be looking for reasons not to act.

    These are just a few of the many things you can do in preparation of the economy changing.  To get them – and more!, do not miss our Monday Morning Pearl series (https://spanthechasm.com/monday-morning-pearls/) on this topic that Ken and I are leading.

    Also, our podcast, Uncommon Sales Success (https://spanthechasm.com/podcast/), is hosting an expert-voice series on Recession Proofing where we are pulling some of the best from several areas like investment banking, HR, executive advisors, and professional trainers.  We are pulling their expertise together for your benefit.

    Don’t miss either of these.  They are rich with actionable content for you to not just survive but to thrive during an economic downturn. 

    Remember: Market share that is captured during an economic downturn stays with you and has a massive impact on profitability up to a decade later. 

    Simple question that you need to answer: Are you and your team going to be in a position to ride the tide of change or be left behind by it?

    Remember, the best time to buy hurricane insurance is before the storm is buffeting the shores!  I doubt you want to pay those premiums!

    #BeBrave

  • 5 Clear Steps for the Ideal Sales Kick Off in 2020

    5 Clear Steps for the Ideal Sales Kick Off in 2020

    What?  You haven’t started thinking about Sales Kickoff 2020 yet?  

    Time is ticking, my friend!  

    You know you’re gonna have it.  You can either half-@$$ it or make it great.  The choice is yours. So are the outcomes that you will get!

    What does an Ideal Sales Kick Off look like?  It has these components:

    • It has a clear mission, with goals and deliverables, in place.  
    • The content educates and inspires the sales teams.
    • It is a complete plan that is developed thoroughly and delivered with excellence.
    • It has clear, measurable objectives in place to determine success.
    • Sales and all relevant teams will leave inspired for 2020 and the potential it holds.

    However, as we talk to sales leaders about their approach to SKO in 2020, here are phrases we frequently hear:

    • ‘The sales reps just need more product training.’  The problem with this is it doesn’t deliver the results desired or drive new behavior.  It results in educated but uninspired sales teams.  Ration educates. Emotion motivates. Get them inspired to new and courageous actions!
    • ‘We will refresh last year’s content and tune it for this year.’  The easy course of action, no doubt. However, this just leaves the sales team frustrated, hungry for more and resenting precious selling time out of the field.  And pissed at you. You certainly aren’t going to gain ‘discretionary effort’ with that plan!
    • ‘Once we get through SKO, we can get on with the year.’  This just results in a massive waste of time, energy and money with unclear goals and expectations.  Again, a frustrated and uninspired sales team.

    Any of these sound like you and your team?  

    If so, 5 clear steps you can take to ensure a fantastic Sales Kick Off in 2020 and drive the highest possible impact on sales and the new year:

    1. Start with engaging all of the key stakeholders for SKO to make sure the PLAN for SKO is in place.  Develop a clear theme for SKO that drives all activity and defines the goals.  Map the expected results. Build a plan that delivers.
    2. With the plan in place, step 2, DEVELOP, drives the agenda, definition, and development for the content and activities needed to successfully carry out the SKO mission.  This includes content type, presenters, activities and real-time assessment.  
    3. Step 3, DELIVER, is all about making sure the message is delivered to the team in a way that will enable, educate and inspire as they enter 2020.  
    4. To ensure impact, step 4, ADOPT, is focused on the 90 days after SKO to ensure that the new skills and behaviors are in place in the field.  Focused on re-enforcement, inspection, and review. Inspect what you Expect.
    5. 9 months out, step 5, MEASURE, is focused on the impact of SKO compared to the goal.  Did the investment drive the expected ROI? What lessons were learned as we approach SKO for next year?  What, if any, adjustments need to be made to improve and raise the bar?

    Sales Kickoff is right around the corner.  You and your team deserve a fantastic experience to ensure you reach your goals in 2020.  They are lofty goal.  Scary goals. They deserve a great SKO to inspire and propel the team into 2020.

    We are here to help.  Check out our content for SKO here: https://spanthechasm.com/sko/

    Make sure that you download our SKO checklist for a guide to the 5 phases of a successful SKO.

    To set up a call to chat, please click here.

    As always… #BeBrave

  • Five Phrases Every Sales Leader Must Use

    Five Phrases Every Sales Leader Must Use

    There are many familiar phrases sales leaders say to their teams.  You may be familiar with a few:

    • Close more deals!
    • Build pipeline!
    • Fill out CRM!
    • Prospect differently!
    • Nurture opportunities better!
    • Accelerate your deals!
    • Meet with the Economic Buyer!
    • Focus!  Or spread-out!

    They (we…) all have their (our…) favorites.  

    Maybe you do too.

    Let’s flip the script and use some new phrases that will do a lot more for your success than the frequently overused list above.  

    Now, for clarity, this is not for the faint of heart.  It takes some courage. If you have it, let’s dig in:

    Thank you: Your team works hard.  They try new things. What they do is often unappreciated.  Let them know that you see what they do and that you are grateful.

    I am sorry: We all make mistakes.  The problem? So few of us step up and are accountable for it.  Lead your team in humility. Say you are sorry for your mistakes.  And ask for forgiveness. Talk about relationship growth.

    I am proud of you: Your team stumbles a LOT.  And fail. And try new things.  Again. Let them know that you see and appreciate what they are doing.  Their failures. Their victories. Large and small. It’s worth a million bucks.  Literally the increased production over the lifetime of a rep could mean a million.

    I believe in you: Sales reps get punched in the face.  A LOT. It gets old. After a while, teeth and blood don’t taste so good. It is hard to constantly summon the courage and energy to press on.  You have the power, more than you imagine, to fuel and feed their courage. Do it!

    How can I help?: Stop yelling about what they aren’t doing.  Or what they are doing wrong. Lighten the load.  DO something to help them.  Something very specific to what they are trying to do right NOW.  Why do it right NOW? Because helping someone later sometimes never happens.

    Leadership Challenge:

    If you have the courage, for 1 month, keep a log of how many times you use each of these phrases and with which reps.  If you aren’t using these with your team, you are risking dis-engagement, loss of loyalty and potential employee flight.  Certainly you are undermining their performance.

    Hey, it’s your call.  Do you care enough to change?  Do YOU have the courage to use these 5 phrases to be the leader you always wanted to be?  Maybe model the leader you had when you were coming up through the ranks?

    I care about this enough that, for the first 5 sales leaders that reach out to me, I will help you with this and be your support and accountability for the month.  Seriously. I care THAT much. REACH OUT TO ME NOW!

    Truly, I mean it when I say – 

    Live to serve… serve to live!

    #BeBrave

  • Sales Leadership Lessons from: Alcoholics Anonymous

    Sales Leadership Lessons from: Alcoholics Anonymous

    You read the title and one of two things just happened…

    If you have known me for a long time: ‘Wow! THAT explains a LOT!’

    If not a long time: ‘So THAT is why the club soda!’

    My decision years ago to walk away from my addictions was the best decision I have made in many ways. And it drove unexpected benefits, too many to count. One of which was the many lessons learned in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous that, unexpectedly, brings tremendous leadership wisdom for sales leaders.  

    Are you willing to learn from a bunch of drunks in recovery who have mapped a path to freedom that applies to how you lead your teams? I suggest we can and should as there is a lot of time-tested wisdom in there that is available for you.

    Humility:  Humility isn’t thinking less about yourself. It is thinking about yourself less. That means focusing on others and serving them. Humility makes it much less about what you are entitled to and makes it more about what you can do. Humble people have an amazing propensity for production.

    Honesty:  Truth is truth. And that is just the truth. Once it is managed or manipulated, it is no longer the truth. Basing our engagements and interaction on truth makes the conversations much safer and productive. And there is a whole lot less to have to remember!

    Hope:  Hope is the fuel of the front line. Without it, the amount of received rejection would crush them. The health of their hope is in your hands.

    Self-Discipline:  To train. To practice. To run the play the right way. To not be distracted away from the goal. That is self-discipline and it is like a muscle. It takes a lot of training. It can atrophy. Sales leaders can help their teams to train it. To feed it. Success is built on self-discipline. Self-discipline doesn’t give up what we want most for what we want now.  

    Courage: Facing the reality of addiction takes courage. It isn’t easy and it isn’t pretty. For your team, they are facing difficult tasks that are new, difficult or frightening. Courage is action in the face of fear. Help them through it. Be kind along the way.

    Integrity: Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. You set the tone for your team on where the line of integrity is set. What are you going to tolerate? Pick wisely because whatever you tolerate, you are going to have to live with. In a socially connected world, where you are drawing a line in private may become public. Set the bar high for your team.

    Willingness: The core for achieving and maintaining sobriety. Willingness. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to win and serve your clients in an amazing way? If you aren’t, don’t expect your team to. Being willing to do whatever it takes is contagious. Be that for your team.  

    Perseverance: To quote Dwayne Johnson, ‘It is hard to beat a man who won’t quit.’ That is perseverance. No matter what the conditions, applying the will to win. I think of my sweetest sales victories and they came when I could have easily and justifiably quit. But I didn’t. Nurture and encourage perseverance in your team.  

    Service: In the end, we must answer the question: ‘Is this about taking or giving?’ Giving, ultimately, I believe, is the path with greatest reward across all vectors. A life and profession built on true service is not only gratifying to live it is filled with success. As our good friend Zig Ziglar reminds us: ‘There is plenty left for us if we help others get what they want and need.’  

    A completely understandable question is: ‘Randy, will applying these principles work and, if so, how?’ I think the answer is ‘Yes!’ and here is why:

    1. We are building on transparency. Authentic conversations. Based in truth. It is a safe and nurturing environment where your teams can experiment and grow. Not without consequences but certainly without fear.
    2. Progress, not Perfection. The beauty about AA is there is no expectation of perfection, only progress. If we foster a mindset of constant progress, our teams will grow. Their skills will grow and their production will follow. Not because they are perfect but because they are focused on getting themselves better today than they were yesterday.
    3. We practice these principles in all of our affairs. The key word is practice. Focused. Intentional. Daily. Consistently. If we as leaders practice these principles in all of our affairs, our stress level will come down. Our relationships will be stronger. Our contribution will be higher. Practice.
    4. One Day At A Time! This is probably the killer hack from AA. The focus on NOT living in sobriety for the rest of your life. It is just on today. If we are focused on today, mindful, present and focused, we can Win the Day. Do that 7 days in a row and you just Won the Week. 4 of that in a row? Won the Month. You get the point. #Winning TODAY is the critical first step of winning anything long term.

    Imagine what it would feel like for your team members and clients if you practiced and applied these principles every day. It. Would. Feel. Amazing!

    My challenge to you is to pick one or two of the principles above and start putting them into daily practice. Need help? Let’s chat. You deserve it. Your peeps deserve it.

    Bring it! #BeBrave

  • 3 Sales Leadership Lessons from: MacGyver

    3 Sales Leadership Lessons from: MacGyver

    You ever wonder how MacGyver does it? You know, that crazy 80s TV guy who can get out of ANY situation, no matter how impossible?

    In a race against time before an impending explosion and all he has is some bailing wire, duct tape, and 3 pennies. Tic, tic, tic…. You feel time running out and <presto> he is free.

    Un. Be. Lievable!

    Amidst the stressful predicaments, there are lessons that also apply to sales leadership:

    He did what he could, where he was, with what he had.

    There was no luxury of a smartphone or Amazon prime app to find resources or get help. He had to solve the crisis with what he had in THAT moment.

    This lesson is so important for sales leadership because MacGyver was able to stay in the moment, present and focused. Why does this matter? Because, as sales leaders, when we don’t use this mindset we focus on what we can’t do and wish for things we don’t have. All of which DON’T help our current situation and distracts us from our mission.

    Let’s break down the 3 best MacGyver lessons:

    Do what you can.

    In every situation, you have a handful of things you can do.  And thousands of things you wished you could do but can’t. Pick from the realistic list of things you can do now. It might be with a frustrating rep or difficult prospect. Pick what you CAN do and do it!  Wishing for options that don’t exist decreases your chance for success.

    Where you are.

    You are where you are. Nowhere else. In a situation. With a rep. You are there. BE there. 100%.  Wishing for somewhere with a better territory or a different team reduces your probability of success. You have your mission and your team. Make the most of them.

    With what you got.

    Your product or solution does what it does today. No more.

    Your team today is your team. No different.  

    That is what you have to work with. Not a future set of functions or people. Not what it will do someday or who they will be someday.  Lean into what you have and solve the most meaningful business impacting problems you can with what you have.  

    Go to battle with the team that you have. Use their strengths wisely. Deploy them wisely. Help your team focus on where they can give value with the assets available today. Not focused on what you will have someday. 

    Adopting this mindset will move you forward faster in every situation and will remove much of the stress you carry by worrying about things outside your control. It’s what successful leaders do. Coach K and Coach Wooden both won games against much better teams because they used this mindset. They did what they could, in the moment, with the team they had. And won.  

    It’s really an application of the Serenity Prayer. Grant me:

    • the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
    • the Courage to change the things I can and
    • the Wisdom to know the difference.

    Psychologists and Buddhist monks refer to this as being Present and Mindful. It’s amazing how much we can do when we embrace and deploy this way of thinking and acting. 

    MacGyver got a lot done because of this mindset.  Situation after situation averted because of it.

    Immediate action:  

    In the next 10 meetings, with reps or prospects, say the Serenity Prayer to yourself before the meeting. Seriously. Focus on doing what you can, where you are with what you got.  

    It’s available to you. But it’s a choice. It sounds easier than it actually is. But, like most things, with practice and focus it comes into clarity.

    Imagine How it would feel if you maniacally implemented this mindset? You would be much more focused and would win more frequently. Guaranteed. 

    You up for it?

    We are, of course, here to help.  Because we aspire for the title of Teacher.

    Recommended reading:
    Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin