How a Winning Sales Team Translates into More Commercial Sales
Building a Winning Sales Team with Pat Jarvis
Background
I just wrapped up a fun and informative podcast (listen here) with Pat Jarvis— a really great, smart, successful guy with over 20 years of sales experience. His background runs the gamut from 100% commission sales to VP of Business Development with a history in both residential and commercial sales.
Pat’s experience has led him to understand what it takes (namely the key elements) in building a successful sales team.
- A great attitude. This can’t be taught but is absolutely imperative for any successful salesperson.
- Understanding the long sales cycle, since commercial sales aren’t a one-and-done process.
- Relationship building is ALWAYS based on trust.
- Understanding the market, and hiring the right people for your market.
A Formula for the Best Salespeople
In any sales position, Pat explains, there are several common denominators: attitude, empathy, patience, and the positive aspects of having a difficult-to-manage salesperson.
A positive attitude is always a plus, but when you’re talking about sales, attitude becomes something that really sets a great salesperson apart from a decent one. To go further, resilience is a must. Rejection, in any field, is a reality. And when you have a salesperson who isn’t self-motivated and has a hard time hearing no, not only will he/she struggle, but the company will struggle too. “Positive people bring you up, they make you feel good.”
“Positive people bring you up, they make you feel good.”
As far as empathy goes, it’s something that isn’t always easy, but when you can walk in the other person’s shoes, you’re going to find common ground in a common goal. When your customer wins, you win. When your customer loses, you lose. It’s as easy as that—they go hand-in-hand perfectly. Patience is vital, particularly for commercial sales, given its naturally long sales cycle. Fortunately, this one can be learned and perfected. When you have a salesperson who can not only understand the product but understand the customer’s needs and how your product can help them solve their issues, you’re going to sell more, while solving their problem.
Trust is a word that is thrown around a lot, but how do you go about building trust? Thankfully, Pat has a perfect solution. Trust is often built through handling problems. Inevitably, jobs are going to have issues. It might not be everyone, but there are going to be problems, be they big or small, and how these are dealt with are going to speak volumes about you. Quick, efficient, and empathetic means are going to tell customers that you (and your company) are either reliable or unreliable—and we all want our customers to believe that we are reliable.
It seems counterintuitive, but having a salesperson who is difficult to manage is actually a plus. They will push the boundaries, and we all know that sales is a balance of assertiveness and patience. Again, Pat has a brilliant reason behind this: “No doesn’t mean no, it just means not now. Try again soon.”
Building a New Territory with an Eye Toward Architects
One of the most common use cases is getting specified early and holding the spec. Since sales is a numbers game, the more customers in the pipeline, the better. But you can’t just throw a grenade and hope it hits. In a new market, Pat explains, the first order of business is identifying a target list of potential customers—it can’t be too broad, you can’t just say, “I’m targeting all designers. Or all architects.” Obviously, there are tons of each and not all are going to need your product. This leaves you having to figure out which ones will want and need your product. Instead, just looking at commercial architects is a better solution—and to make the process even more viable, narrow the list to commercial architects who are working on hotel projects.
Going back to empathy, it’s always a good idea to approach your potential customers with an understanding as to what is important to them. It then becomes easier to tailor your products and approaches their needs. This leads to needing salespeople who have a great grasp of the market, but also they must be adaptable. The technology used today likely won’t be the technology used in 5 years. So in this way, education is paramount.
“It’s always a good idea to approach your potential customers with an understanding as to what is important to them.”
Concora Can Help You Grow Commercial Sales
Ultimately, product manufacturers are looking for quick and effective means of reaching AECs, and in turn, end with their products being specified and purchased more. As Pat has explained, sales teams are a driving force in success. And here at Concora, it’s no different. We pride ourselves on our top-notch salespeople who are empathetic, excited, and knowledgeable.
But we go further. Our experience in successful sales translates into knowing how building material companies can grow commercial sales using a digital strategy. We have talked to hundreds of architects, engineers, and contractors (AECs) and identified 3 important elements that your website needs for them to specify or use your products:
- Great user experience: easy to use, easy to find product content
- Great content: 3D, 2D, BIM, CAD, 3-part specs, sustainability
- Great tools: sustainability, project showcases, submittals, and more
Concora’s Digital Experience Platform bolts directly onto your website and easily allows AECs to do business online with you. It can be deployed in less than 30-days and you will have a great partner that understands your commercial goals and what’s needed to be specified and purchased more in today’s digital economy.
We believe in problem-solving. And just like any great sales team, Concora hits the mark with a community of people with great attitudes, who understand the commercial side of sales. Like you, we are in it for the long haul. Our dedication to building relationships means when you work with us, you become a part of the Concora family.
Want to grow your commercial sales today? Click below to schedule a demo.