In this episode of the Sales Leadership Awakening podcast, Brandon Nye, Vice President of Sales for Inmode, shares the key qualities to look for when hiring salespeople, including a proven track record in B2B sales and a competitive mindset. They also explore the challenges of managing high-performing sales reps and the importance of creating a collaborative and supportive team culture.
“What you’ll find with these alpha driver, mega achievers is that you can’t treat them all the same. That they’re all individuals, so you’ve got to really assess each situation and understand what their drivers are.” – Brandon Nye
Key Takeaways:
- Emphasize hiring salespeople with proven business-to-business sales and cold calling experience, prioritizing competitiveness, identity tied to work performance, and ownership.
- Understand that high-performing reps will challenge without emotional triggers, reframing challenges as signs of passion and commitment.
- Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, encouraging mentorship and teamwork for driving performance.
- Utilize technology like WhatsApp and voice notes for seamless communication, making work engaging for the sales team.
The interactive podbook below contains videos, audio, articles, summaries, transcripts, and YouTube shorts from this podcast episode.
Full Episode Article:
Title: “Leading a High-Performing Sales Team”
Byline: From an interview with sales leadership and coaching experts Colleen Stanley and Steven Rosen, along with their guest speaker Brandon Nye, VP of Sales for Inmode
Introduction
In the world of sales leadership, bridging the gap between knowing what to do and doing it is a constant challenge. This thought leadership article will explore the key takeaways from a podcast featuring Brandon Nye, Vice President of Sales for Inmode. Brandon shares his insights on hiring top-performing salespeople, managing high-performing reps, and creating a collaborative and successful sales culture. By delving into these themes, we can gain valuable insights into bridging the knowing and doing gap in sales leadership.
Hiring Top-Performing Salespeople
When it comes to hiring top-performing salespeople, Brandon emphasizes the importance of both hard and soft skills. He looks for candidates with a proven track record of success in B2B sales, particularly those with experience in cold calling and prospecting. This is a crucial skill that many companies overlook when hiring salespeople. He understands that prospecting takes confidence, persistence, and the ability to handle rejection, making it a key indicator of a candidate’s potential success.
In addition to hard skills, Brandon also looks for specific soft skills in candidates. He values competitiveness and a drive to succeed, as evidenced by a candidate’s background in sports or a history of consistently ranking at the top of their previous sales teams. He believes a candidate’s identity should be closely tied to their work performance, indicating a strong work ethic and a desire to excel.
Furthermore, Brandon searches for candidates who are problem solvers and take ownership of their current situation. He cautions against hiring individuals who blame external factors for their lack of success, which indicates a lack of accountability and a victim mentality. By focusing on these key characteristics, he ensures he hires skilled salespeople driven to succeed.
Managing High-Performing Reps
Managing high-performing reps can be challenging, as they often have strong personalities and high expectations. Brandon advises sales managers to embrace the challenges of managing these individuals and not to be emotionally triggered by their challenging behavior. He reminds sales managers that having high-performing reps on their team is a blessing and an opportunity for growth.
Brandon emphasizes the importance of understanding that high-performing reps have earned the right to higher demands and challenge their managers. Instead of feeling disrespected or threatened by their challenging behavior, sales managers should view it as an opportunity to learn and improve. He suggests reframing the situation and recognizing that these reps are passionate and care deeply about their performance.
Additionally, Brandon advises sales managers to treat each high-performing rep individually and assess their unique drivers and motivations. While some may respond well to recognition and rewards, others may value autonomy and independence. By understanding what drives each rep, sales managers can tailor their coaching and management approach to maximize their performance.
Creating a Collaborative Sales Culture
Brandon believes that creating a collaborative sales culture is essential for success. He emphasizes building a community where knowledge-sharing and collaboration are encouraged. His company, Inmode, has fostered a culture of collaboration by encouraging reps to reach out to their peers for advice and support.
He describes his company’s use of WhatsApp channels, where reps can share information, ask for help, and celebrate their successes. This real-time communication platform allows reps to learn from each other, share best practices, and stay connected as a team. He also mentions using voice notes, where reps can leave detailed messages about their experiences and insights. This information is then shared within the WhatsApp channels, creating a repository of knowledge that benefits the entire team.
By creating a collaborative sales culture, His company has fostered an environment where reps feel supported and motivated. This sense of community enhances individual performance and contributes to the organization’s overall success.
Conclusion
Bridging the knowing-doing gap in sales leadership requires hiring top-performing salespeople, effectively managing high-performing reps, and creating a collaborative sales culture. Brandon Nye’s insights provide valuable guidance for sales leaders navigating these challenges.
By prioritizing hard and soft skills in the hiring process, sales leaders can ensure they bring on board skilled candidates who are driven to succeed. Managing high-performing reps requires a mindset shift, where sales managers embrace the challenges and view them as opportunities for growth. Finally, creating a collaborative sales culture fosters knowledge sharing, collaboration, and a sense of community among the sales team.
By implementing these strategies, sales leaders can bridge the knowing and doing gap, leading to increased sales performance and overall success in their organizations.
