Leading From The Front - Lori Harmon - Coach2Scale - Episode # 026
Today’s amazing guest is a top outside sales voice and brings insights from her 20+ years of building, leading, and transforming inside sales organizations. Lori Harmon is the Vice President & Global Head of Business Development at Cloudflare, the leading connectivity cloud company. She is also the author of 42 Rules for Building a High-Velocity Inside Sales Team. Lori joins Host Matt Benelli to share her framework for leading sales teams from the front, the importance of accountability within an organization, and whether great salespeople are born or built.
Takeaways:
- Good salespeople are not just born, provided they are willing to do the work, they can be developed through training and coaching. While certain qualities and characteristics may make someone more naturally inclined to be a seller, it doesn't guarantee success.
- Hiring salespeople based on gut feelings alone is not recommended. It's important to have a very structured hiring framework to ensure you're getting the right talent.
- An important part of leading from the front is not asking your team to do anything that you wouldn’t be willing to do. This allows you to better understand the challenges faced by the team and enables you to provide better guidance and support.
- Leaders need to create an environment where individuals are encouraged to own their career paths. This should involve proactive planning, seeking out relevant experience, requesting constructive feedback, and capitalizing on opportunities for advancement.
- Develop a Personal Board of Directors. Having a team of mentors and advisors can significantly boost an individual's career growth. Leaders should encourage their teams to build their personal board of directors to guide them in their professional development.
- The fast-paced world of tech sales requires constant skill development. Teams should be provided with continuous training opportunities, which will not only add value to their roles but also aid their personal and professional growth.
- Relationships are crucial both in sales and your career. Encourage your team to build robust relationships with clients, prospects, and colleagues. Strong relationships lead to better customer retention, more referrals, and a more collaborative workplace.
Quote of the Show:
- “It's huge that you own your career because who else is going to own it?” - Lori Harmon
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorilharmon/
- Website: https://www.cloudflare.com/
- 42 Rules for Building a High-Velocity Inside Sales Team: https://a.co/d/dNmE9ZR
Shoutouts:
- Brent Adamson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/
- Matt’s Interview with Brent Adamson: https://coach2scale.transistor.fm/episodes/re-framing-b2b-sales-brent-adamson-coach2scale-episode-025
- Ben Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkennedy/
- Matt’s Interview with Ben Kennedy: https://coach2scale.transistor.fm/episodes/empowering-the-modern-seller-with-ai-ben-kennedy-coach2scale-episode-024
- Steve Kerr - Coach of the Golden State Warriors
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Yb1wPzUxyrfR0Dx35ym1A
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-build-a-coaching-culture/id1699901434
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NvYWNoMnNjYWxlLWhvdy1tb2Rlcm4tbGVhZGVycy1idWlsZC1hLWNvYWNoaW5nLWN1bHR1cmU
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- Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-5419703
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Coach2Scale
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