Cracking The Sales Innovation Paradox - Dr. Howard Dover - Coach2Scale - Episode # 022
Today’s guest is a renowned sales thought leader, author, and professor. Dr. Howard Dover is the Founder of the Institute for Sales Knowledge and Innovation and Director of the Center for Professional Sales and Sales Coach at The University of Texas, Dallas. Dr. Dover is also the Clinical Professor of Marketing at The University of Texas, Dallas, and the Author of The Sales Innovation Paradox. Dr. Dover joins Host Matt Benelli to discuss why tactical best practices don’t scale, how to drive results as a sales leader, and the role technology plays in a changing sales environment.
Takeaways:
- Sales leaders focus too much on making their sales processes efficient while ignoring the effectiveness of their sales strategies. This involves ensuring the sales team is proficient in communicating the product's value to the potential customer, accurately identifying customer needs, and aligning the product's offerings to meet those needs. It's also about being effective in building relationships with customers, which requires an understanding of the customer's buying journey and personalizing the sales approach accordingly.
- Sales roles require continuous learning and the ability to quickly adapt to changes. Salespeople need to stay updated with the latest industry trends, customer behaviors, and sales methods. This might include attending workshops, taking courses, reading, or attending industry events. It also involves adapting the sales methods based on the feedback received from clients or market responses.
- Technology should be viewed as a tool that enhances the sales process rather than as a solution for all sales issues. It can be beneficial in handling data, conducting customer analysis, or automating repetitive tasks, which eventually improves productivity and efficiency. But it's also important for salespeople to understand why and how they're using these tools, and the impact they would have on the sales process and customer interactions.
- Businesses must reconsider the 'classic sales machine' approach, which emphasizes extensive hiring and investment in sales tools and training while seeing a decrease in sales performance. Revising the model to focus on the effectiveness of sales strategies rather than mere expansion can lead to more meaningful sales interactions and ultimately, better conversion rates.
Quote of the Show:
- “Chaos doesn't generate revenue” - Dr. Howard Dover
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howarddover/
- The Sales Innovation Paradox: https://a.co/d/8LWpAXZ
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