Sales are the lifeblood of any business. Yet, many companies struggle with stagnant revenue, inefficiencies in their sales processes, or teams that underperform. This is where sales consulting services come into play, offering actionable strategies and insights to unlock a company’s full revenue potential. In this blog, we’ll explore how sales consulting can address common challenges and drive growth for your business.
Common Sales Challenges Businesses Face
Inefficient Sales Processes: Many organizations lack streamlined workflows, leading to missed opportunities and decreased productivity.
Underperforming Sales Teams: Without proper training and motivation, sales teams may struggle to meet their quotas.
Market Misalignment: Businesses often fail to align their sales strategies with current market trends and customer needs.
These challenges are not insurmountable but require expert guidance to resolve effectively.
How Sales Consultants Solve These Problems
Sales consultants bring an outsider’s perspective combined with deep industry expertise. Here are some key ways they help:
Refining Sales Strategies: Consultants analyze your current sales approach and identify areas for improvement. This might include optimizing pricing models, targeting new markets, or refining value propositions.
Enhancing Team Performance: Through customized training programs and performance metrics, consultants help your team achieve and exceed their goals.
Implementing Advanced Tools: From CRM systems to analytics platforms, consultants ensure your team has the right tools to succeed.
The ROI of Hiring a Sales Consultant
Investing in sales consulting isn’t just an expense—it’s a strategic move that delivers measurable returns. Businesses that work with consultants often see:
Increased revenue due to improved sales processes.
Higher close rates and larger deal sizes.
Better team morale and reduced turnover.
For example, during my time as Director of Corporate Sales at JDog Brands, I led a team that achieved a 31% revenue increase within 11 months by implementing tailored strategies and fostering a results-driven culture.
Ready to Drive Revenue Growth?
If your business is ready to overcome sales challenges and achieve new levels of success, I can help. Visit my page to learn more about what I offer and how I’ve helped other businesses thrive. Better yet, schedule a free consultation today to discuss your goals and start building a roadmap to success.
As a leader, it’s important to set the tone for your team. You want to be someone that your team can look up to and emulate. But what does it mean to lead by example? And how do you go about doing it?
Leadership isn’t about telling people what to do, but rather guiding them with your own example. The best leaders are self-models who show dedication by being professional and doing the right thing over the easy one, all of the time–even when they think no one is watching.
Let’s take a look at some ways you can set the tone for those around you and inspire others in their work
Respect
The dictionary defines respect as “a feeling of admiration or esteem.” When it comes to respect in the workplace, it’s a two-way street. Your employees should respect you because they admire your work ethic and have high esteem in your ability to lead. However, respect is also something that’s earned. Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean your employees will respect you automatically.
In order to earn respect, you need to lead by example. Show your employees that you respect their time, their effort, and their ability to do their job well. When you show respect, you set the tone for a respectful work environment and build the foundation for mutual respect.
We’ve talked about this in previous posts, but you should never look to publicly correct someone, shame them, or be overtly disrespectful. This seems like common sense, but we have all had a boss that treated us poorly and barked orders instead of articulating them. Unfortunately, that type of behavior can force multiply and create toxic leaders who believe the loudest voice holds the most authority.
Inspire
What does it mean to lead by example? To most, it means being the kind of person that others can look up to and aspire to be like. To me, It means having a strong work ethic and always giving 100%. Leading by example means setting a standard and following it yourself. It means approaching challenges in a methodical way, instead of trying to use brute force or avoiding them entirely. This doesn’t means always maintaining a positive attitude, you don’t have to skip through the halls singing; but you should leave the impression of confidence even in the face of adversity.
When you lead by example, you inspire those around you to do better and be better. You show them that it is possible to achieve anything they set their mind to. This is crucial because you do or will have someone on your team that doesn’t truly believe the can accomplish anything, likely because they are coming from a team with a poor leader.
Inquire
To lead by example also means to be inquisitive and get to know your people. It’s not just about giving direction but asking for feedback. You should conduct a debrief after every project to learn what could have been done better, this includes being receptive to constructive criticism about yourself.
If you’re not being inquisitive, you won’t get the information you need to make informed decisions. If you don’t ask for feedback, you won’t know what people are thinking or how they feel. If you’re not receptive to constructive criticism, you won’t learn and grow as a leader.
This also sets the stage for open communication. Your team should feel comfortable enough to come to you with questions, concerns, or unsolicited feedback on the project. I’m not saying anyone should be allowed to come into your office and say, “hey, I think you’re an asshole!” Rather, there should always be a channel for your team to express their thoughts and your team should be comfortable giving input. If you’re doing it right, I would say the odds of an outburst like that are low.
Accountability
Accountability is key. It means holding yourself and your team accountable to timelines, milestones, goals and action items. Performance is important, and if its not measured then it’s improved. At least, how could you know if it has? As a leader , it’s important to provide valuable feedback for your team as they fufill your expectations for them, as well as the ones they set for themselves.
Don’t forget, you need to be able to show that you’re following through on your commitments as well. That means being on time, meeting deadlines and taking responsibility for your actions. If you don’t keep up with your teams timelines, especially if they are highly effective, then you will create a bottle neck within your organization. Enable your team for success, then keep pace with them.
Composure
Leading by example means setting the standard for how you want your team to maintain composure under pressure, stay level-headed when emotions are running high, and always making decisions with a clear head. Remember, it’s not enough for just you to be able to withdraw [emotionally] from a stressful situation; your team has to be just as disciplined.
Of course, that’s not always easy. We’re only human, after all. But it’s important to remember that our emotions should never influence tough decisions with a lot at stake. The only exception to that is empathy. Even in the heat of the moment, we must always be aware of how our words and actions will affect others.
Otherwise, you could escalate the situation beyond saving. If we can’t eliminate emotion from our decision-making process, then we need to consult with our team members or superiors before moving forward. By modeling composure and restraint, we can set the tone for a calm and productive workplace.
Conclusion
So, what does it mean to lead by example? It means embodying the characteristics you wish to see overtly from your team. Setting a standard, then following through with yourself. Earning the respect of those around you and not demanding it or believing that you inherited it with the position.
You got to where you are now, a leadership role, by proving to yourself and others that you have a tenacious work ethic. If you continue to practice what you preach and always look to improve, you can expect similar habits from your team.
Did I say anything that resonated with you? If so, let me know at Gmail@SamKensinger.com
When it comes to managing a small team, there are a few things you need to keep in mind in order to get the best out of them. Managing small teams can be challenging, but it’s definitely worth it when you see your team achieve their goals. The first line supervisor is directly responsible for implementing the strategic vision of the organization. They can shift culture or drive revenue. Most new managers don’t fully recognize the gravity of their position and they end up having a negative effect on the business. The fact that you’re reading this, proves that you are an asset to your company. Keep that life-long learner mentality, as I share some tips that helped me as a junior level leader.
Define roles and responsibilities for each team member
So, you find yourself in a new leadership role. One of the first things you’ll need to do is define roles and responsibilities for each team member. This can seem like a daunting task, but it’s absolutely crucial to operating an effective operation. First, delegation is key. You can’t (and shouldn’t) try to do everything yourself. Give your team members unique roles that play to their strengths. Second, ask your team members what they want to do. They may have ideas about how they can contribute that you haven’t considered, and if they’re passionate about the activity they will need less oversight. Third, be clear about what you expect from each team member. You can’t blame someone for not executing on a task you didn’t explain in clear English what the desired outcome was. Defining roles and responsibilities is an important first step in effective team management – so be thorough and make sure you’re making a good match between the assigned role and the person you’re assigning to it.
Set goals and expectations for the team
If you’re filling a new leadership role, you’re starting with a blank slate with your team; even if you were once a member of that team yourself. It’s important to set goals and expectations for your team. Tracking success through milestone achievements, sprints, and rigid schedules will help you keep your team on track and motivated. Here are some tips to get the best out of your team:
Layout a Roadmap
Define the milestones you want your team to achieve and layout a clear roadmap to help them get there. This should have accountability dates and should go for the duration of a project or program. You can call this anything; Milestones, goals, Objective Key Results, the important thing is that you get something up on the whiteboard for everyone to see.
Reward Success
Celebrate each milestone achievement with your team and offer incentives for accomplishing goals. Positive reinforcement is a far more powerful tool than the contrast. Ever heard the saying, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar? That’s because honey tastes better! By the way, I am NOT saying buy a $25 gift card to target. Do something thoughtful, offer to let that employee run a project or give them a few hours of mentoring. Show that what has made you successful so far.
Be Flexible
Remember that your team is composed of individuals with different skills, strengths, and weaknesses. Be flexible in your approach and cater to the needs of each individual. This can be with schedules, as there are a lot of parents out there. It could also be work attire, different cultures ask for different things. Throw out the traditional management mindset that you need cookie cutter employees that toe the line. If they are effective, do what you can to accommodate their success.
Communicate Often
You need to give your team room to work but that doesn’t mean they are on autopilot. Check in as often as needed to make sure your team is well equipped for the tasks you’ve delegated. Keep your team updated on your progress and solicit feedback regularly. Encourage open communication and allow members to voice their concerns freely. An open door policy is highly recommended. This means that at any appropriate time, a team member can reach out with ideas or report project disruptions. This will enable you forecast potential issues. Which gets into my next point…
Encourage communication and collaboration among team members
The ability to create a working environment that encourages communication and collaboration among team members is an important skill for new leaders. By Encouraging effective communication, leaders can help build a more cohesive team that is better able to achieve its goals. The best way to create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions, is by being receptive an open minded, especially in a public or group setting. Do this by encouraging team members to share their thoughts and feelings openly and by listening to their suggestions carefully, possibly even taking notes. When team members feel that their voices are being heard and that their ideas are valued, they will be more likely to work together effectively because they will not have that emotional reservation from being ridiculed in the past. This can be challenging. It will take time and repetitions, but the longer you consistently lead by example, the faster this will take hold. The “call out” environment is pretty toxic, in my opinion. Rather than humiliating an employee with underwhelming performance, pull them aside and find out what the issue is. It could be a simple fix, it could be that they aren’t a good fit for the position. Either way, it’s your job to properly motivate them.
Celebrate successes together, and learn from failures together
One way to celebrate success is to have an after-action report or debrief after each project. This is a chance for the team to come together and discuss what went well, what could be improved, and what lessons were learned. It’s also an opportunity for you as the leader to give feedback and praise.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses – there will be times when things don’t go as planned. When that happens, it’s important to take a step back and learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable, but they can be invaluable learning experiences if you approach them the right way. So debrief after each failure too – what went wrong, and how can you prevent it from happening again? You need to remember as well that ultimately, as the leader of the group, the straps of failure are tailored to your shoulders – not the teams.
Give employees the opportunity to grow and develop their skills
As a new leader, it’s important to give employees the opportunity to grow and develop their skills. One way to do this is to offer time for team members to attend free workshops, webinars, or classes. You can also find out if your employer will sponsor a tuition assistance program or off-site training programs. If you’re in marketing, put someone on your team through an SEO course. If you manage a sales team, teach a class on list building, or put someone on your team in a Sandler program. The more you invest in the skills and aptitude of your team, the more efficient and successful they will be.
Another way to help your team members refine their skills is to block off some time each week for them to work on personal development projects. This could include taking an online course, working on a blog or side project, or reading industry-related articles and books. If you placed the right person in the right role, then they have a level of passion about what they do. There will be a residual benefit to their work, if this is implemented the right way. By investing in the growth of your team members, you’ll set them up for success–and ensure that your team is always ahead of the curve.
Conclusion
When you have the right team, it is easy to stay on track and get things done. By assigning roles with clear responsibilities, establishing goals that everyone can understand (and helping them achieve those goals), rewarding success rather than just distributing rewards randomly throughout the year; you’ll find yourself surrounded by happy and loyal employees. Most importantly: give your workers opportunities for personal growth so they’re always eager about coming into work every day because their skills are growing too.
All-in-all, I would say these tips are manageable.
Sam Kensinger 