If you are still setting up your team to be ‘heroes’ as salespeople, you are setting them up to fail.

You might not realize it, but you probably are causing them to achieve less than optimal results.

As a sales leader, I am going to assume that you ere a (mostly) top performing salesperson. You figured it out, maybe as a Hero or as a Guide. But then running a team, if they aren’t performing, there is a good chance its because you haven’t helped them understand their role.

You want Guides, not Heros. 

How do you shift their mindset?

First, help them understand that the customers don’t care about them.

I know that hurts our fragile human ego, but it’s true.

Prospects/customers only care about themselves.

Second, help them realize that all the amazing, self-promoting stuff that you and the company has put into the salesperson’s brain doesn’t matter either.

Prospects don’t care about your company’s history, logos, reviews, rankings, awards, credentials. They don’t care.

Well…actually – they don’t care at first. Those things are important, but not until they understand that you actually care about them.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Stop having your team lead conversations with all that trust/credibility stuff. If you have a set sales presentation – remove those items or move to the end.

If you catch your salespeople talking about themselves, the company, the other clients/logos early in the sales process – coach them on giving the prospect what they are actually looking for.

Your job is to empower Guides, not Heroes.

 If you keep making ‘Hero’ salespeople, they will continue to get slaughtered in sales conversations (remember – there can only be one Hero in a story…and the customer is always right – they are the Hero – not your salesperson).