“The Business Developer’s Mantra” = every deal must yield two more
That quote and definition are from Lee Salz’s new book Sell Different! Ever since I read it I’ve been thinking about the process of hiring inside salespeople. When you’re create the criteria you use for hiring/interviewing/candidate selection I’ve always suggested you include:
- Talents / skills you’re looking for
- The applicants outlook
- Cultural Fit #1: within your organization
- Cultural Fit #2: with the people they’ll be selling to
- Their ability to tell stories about & demonstrate everything you’re looking for
Now I believe you need to add:
- do they subscribe to “The Business Developer’s Mantra”
“That mantra is a philosophical game changer for salespeople. It creates a compounding effect on your sales. Rather than thinking about winning a deal, top salespeople look at the award of a contract as the beginning of a potentially lucrative relationship.” ~ Lee Saltz
When I think about the most successful salespeople I’ve worked with over the past 25+ years, every single one of them had the mindset that the first order was only the beginning of their business relationship with a client. Funny that is true even with industries that are typically considered one time sales (including Lee’s example in the book).
Of course, your organization may have additional criteria for your inside salespeople – I don’t see how you can lose including “The Business Developer’s Mantra” as one of them.
I do recommend you buy a copy of Sell Different! for
everyone on your sales team… and yourself obviously.