What defines a sales leader?

A Presentation by:John Pylant

January 8, 2017

A sales leader is best defined by his/her people – not just their performance, but their morale, the shared vision of success they work together to reach, their levels of trust and commitment to their goals and the culture created by his or her words, actions and beliefs.

--- John Pylant

What defines a sales leader?

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John Pylant is a motivator and a leader who pushed me to go beyond the expected. He reminded me to challenge the status quo to make my job better for myself and the customer. I enjoyed coming to work more to a supervisor who saw the employees as an individual. His drive for success is relentless and contagious! --- Amanda Lane

John has a rare ability to change his tactics to best help his team members to do well. His ability to coach is beyond compare and his knowledge in how to make people great sales people comes from a genuine desire to help others achieve their goals. He also has shown tremendous loyalty for his team members by following the rules but being willing to go to bat for them when he felt they were in the right. --- Amy Adkins

I always felt like I could talk to John. In comparison to my first supervisor, when doing development meetings he brought something modern to the devo. He was able to show us how he used to sell and the questions he liked to use. When it came to figuring

out each of our selling styles and strengths, he was good at it. He always believed in all of us. He was never afraid to tell us something that would be taken as positive criticism. While at work he always tried to make the day light hearted and fun when usually it would of been boring and dull. I am forever grateful in John for believing in me and helping me go after sales and goals I otherwise would not have. --- Kayla Drummond

John Pylant, even though I wasn't lucky enough to be on your team I have to say you made my job so much easier. Leaders tend to neglect the need for companionship to their team members but you were able to see that and able to encourage me in the best ways. You were able to support me when I felt discouraged from my burden of a long, unlucky, draining day even if it might be a light joke or an analogy I always felt better after chatting with you. That is a characteristic that is so rare to many leaders but to you it is just your natural personality. I feel so blessed and lucky to have worked with you and believe you will always be perfect for any leadership role you aspire to gain. --- Angel Chamberlain

I was one of John’s original representatives at CenturyLink and have watched him work in shaping the careers and performance of over 300 very different individuals. Not all of them succeeded, but it was never for John’s lack of trying. His approach to every representative was different, based on their personality and skills – but one thing was always the same, he treated us with caring and respect. Those of us who took his advice, followed his instructions and embraced his “Let’s do this!” attitude found not only success, but a leader who was there to help us take the next step and the one following that. This is why his team had the lowest attrition in CenturyLink. We were more than our numbers, but we kept them high to never let him down. -- Amy Mumma

What defines a sales leader? Performance

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Sixty-nine percent of salespeople who exceeded their annual quota rated their sales manager as being excellent or above average. In addition, the quality of the sales organization is directly associated to the quality of sales leadership. Fifty-six percent of salespeople who rated their sales organization as excellent also rated their sales manager as excellent—compared to only 3% who rated their organization as average.

– Harvard Business Review

“When I met John Pylant, I was struggling in CenturyLink’s Retention Department. I had never had a sales job before and I was scared to offer to the customers. But John sat with me, learned about me, took the time to understand me and created a plan to get me over my fears. I am a performer – music, stage, comedy – I love it all. John found a way to bring MY gifts into my

presentations. One day, he forced me to stop answering calls as myself, to use an English accent, on every call, until the end of the day. I forgot to be worried about the customers telling me no. They were telling a character I was playing no. I offered time and again, having fun AND doing my job – two things I thought weren’t even possible together. By the end of the day, I had made more sales, and more money, than I had ever made in a single day – everyone around me saw and heard me doing it and saw the success I had had and could see the smile on my face. It wasn’t the accent that sold, it was the attitude, the fearlessness that John gave me.” --- Lee McKinney

Fear is the ultimate enemy in sales. It stops us from taking chances, grabbing opportunities and putting ourselves out there time after time. By removing this fear and replacing it with self-confidence, the only variable left in a sales representative’s performance is desire.

--- John Pylant

What defines a sales leader? Morale

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“You can’t want it more than they do.”- Common Idiom

Sometimes, you have to want it more than they do. You have to show them how important it is, fuel them with your enthusiasm, then be the spark that lights the fire within them.

--- John Pylant

“I had been working for CenturyLink for less than a year when they closed the Retention Department and told us that they were moving all of us to Sales. It was less money (we believed), worse hours and a harder job. I remember the day of the announcement, about thirty of us out on the smoker’s porch complaining, talking about other jobs in the area, when out walked John, who climbed atop a transformer larger than a Volkswagon, clearly marked “DANGER – Do not climb” or somesuch. I will never forget the passion and sincerity of his words. He said, “I promise every one of you, if you stay, I will be here. I will show you how to do this. This is an opportunity! I have been here before and I know how to succeed. I can’t promise that all of us will make it, but I can tell you, if you do what I ask, and give me just three months of your lives, I can prove to you that YOU CAN DO THIS!” I was the loudest critic of the change, certain that I would either quit or be fired within a few weeks. Over a year later, I lead the office consistently in sales and the only way I would ever leave this job was if John offered me an opportunity to work for him again. I would follow that man into Hell and be pretty sure that we could take over.”

--- Nathan Terry

What defines a sales leader? Vision

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Sales managers who closely monitor and strictly enforce a sales process are more likely to exceed their quotas, and the best sales leaders seek to control the daily behavior of their sales teams. Forty-three percent of high-performing sales managers responded that their sales process was closely monitored, strictly enforced, or automated, compared to 29% of underperforming sales managers. Forty-four percent of underperforming sales managers indicated they had a nonexistent or an informal structured sales process.

– Harvard Business Review

It is vital that when you present your goals and vision for the department and company that you not only show where “there” looks like, but you tell your reps and leaders exactly how you are going to get “there”. If you set clear expectations early on, there will be no confusion as to who is doing what or how they are doing it. Then keep a close eye on progress – reward successes and be ready to apply pressure where needed. If you forget where you are going and how to get there, you will get lost every time. --- John Pylant

“John Pylant was the hardest working super in our center. From the time he started with us, he was looking for every way he could make both our sales and our lives better. John is the kind of person who takes the time to dig into your soul, find your strengths, and help you develop the tools and mindset to strive for greatness. From helping you understand your

market, recognizing your customers needs and positioning your offer so that you aren't just selling, you are building a relationship. There were many times I’d see John on a rep’s headset, selling a customer, showing the rep how to win on every call. None of the other management would do that. They’d just tell us to sell harder. John would show us how. John doesn’t just talk the talk. He walks the walk.”

--- Levi Fuller

What defines a sales leader? Working Together

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Sales forces should be precision missiles directed from company management with a clear vision of what is expected of them. If the role of the seller is to listen to the market, that of the manager is to keep an “ear” on the sellers. So knowing exactly how your sales team dedicate their time is essential.There is only one way to truly know what your sales teams are doing: get out of the office and hit the road. When was the last time you got on a delivery truck or went on route with a distributor? The more you know about your sales teams day-to-day, the better. - http://www.forbes.com/sites/iese/2016/10/28/busting-the-biggest-myths-about-sales-teams/#70d077776670

“I have had many supervisors in my life, and by far John Pylant was the best one. He was always there for all of us. I know when I first started, he was always there giving me advise when I needed it. When I was down on the floor my first month, he was there

with me, guiding me all the way. With his help I had made goal and even above that. I really appreciate John as a manager, because most managers would sit there and watch you but John was more of a coach, and a great person who everyone wanted to be around. All the associates all wanted to be on his team, and I don't blame them. When I heard that my previous supervisor was retiring, and I had heard everything about John, I knew I wanted to be on his team and for good reason too. Anyone who is on his team is always successful. He gave us goals and helped us hit them. The lessons he taught me are things I will use the rest of my life.” --- Craig Hassard

There is no substitute for spending time with your people, seeing the challenges they are facing and working together to find ways to overcome them. What is the point in bringing a sales background to a sales leadership position if you never get your hands dirty? If you don’t lead from the front, you aren’t really leading, are you? --- John Pylant

What defines a sales leader? Trust & Commitment

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Sales Leaders are empowering. They empower their managers and reps to succeed. They derive total commitment from all the members of their sales team and elevate their reps to the highest levels of performance. The end result is the vision and culture of the entire sales organization.

www.insightsquared.com/2013/09/are-you-a-sales-manager-or-a-sales-leader

“John brought great energy to a sales department that sorely needed it. He was great at coaching people up to being great salesmen. He was a very caring, and nurturing leader, and made a great impact with his team. He always had an ear to borrow if anyone needed help, and always brought the enthusiasm needed to perk anyone up.His greatest strengths are his people skills and charisma. He always brings his A game everyday, and always knew the right thing to say to fire up his sales team. We trust him and he trusts us. This created an environment where nobody ever wanted to let him down. He also shows great compassion, respect, and love for his employees and coworkers. He is a great addition to any sales environment. You will see your sales grow and see how tight knit a group can become.” --- Stephen Howard

If you believe in your team, they can feel it. Be there in the good times and the bad. Lift them up when they are down, push them forward when they are hesitant and always, always, build upon their successes. If they see that you sincerely believe in them, they will believe in themselves and in you. Empowerment is a very strong tool – if you lift someone up, they will never want to let you down.

--- John Pylant

What defines a sales leader? Words, Actions & Beliefs

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“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”--- Mahatma Gandhi , Vince Lombardi, Margaret Thatcher

“John’s style of leadership builds strong employees. There is always a sales script - there will always be metrics to be met, but one thing John taught me is those fall into place when

someone is doing their job. For John, making us into great performers was telling us where we could improve in a way that was constructive, always finding a positive outlook and using that to motivate us, taking our feedback and sending it wherever it needed to go, listening to our career ideas and where we wanted to be. I'd love to see John in a place where he is building up other people to coach in a way that is helpful to the employee. John’s focus was always us, because that allowed John to get to know us and use every aspect of that to keep us going in the way we needed to. I know I wouldn't have been able to be on anyone else's team there – John’s morale is impeccable, his sales pitches are fantastic, and he taught me more knowledge in a short time than I could have imagined. John is one of the reasons I am now so good at what I do, because he taught me compassion and empathy in the workplace.” --- Courtney Joseph

As a sales leader, I must regularly ask people to take actions outside their comfort zone. As I lead them into the unknown, they must know that I have been there before, that I have conquered the same fears and challenges and that I will be beside them every step of the way. I firmly believe that I must serve as a role model to my team with every word I say and every action I take. By doing so, every moment they are around me is a coaching moment. My positivity, dedication, compassion and drive are then mirrored in their words and actions and, eventually, their habits and values. Once the right habits are instilled, success is natural.

--- John Pylant

What defines a sales leader? Conclusion

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I started out in life wanting to either be a teacher or a minister. Instead, I went into sales then found my way into leadership. As in parenting, there are fewer things more gratifying than watching your children succeed – taking their first steps, speaking their first words – sales leadership is the same. When a representative comes to you and says, “Thank you, John. I couldn’t have done this without you.”, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.

However, along the way, we as leaders/parents/ministers/teachers must be consistent in our messaging, support and discipline. Though our actions may not always be understood and sometimes unappreciated, those who look up to us will trust in our leadership so long as we are honest, loyal and fair.

The culture I commit to building is one of passion, integrity, honor, shared success and realistic optimism.

These are the ingredients required to build a strong, cohesive and driven team – each member pushing forward not only for their own reward but for the growth of their customers, their employer and their peers.