Part 2: Why Leadership Should Care
In Part 1 of this post, we looked at the Compelling Conversation™ in relation to sales and marketing success. A key benefit of the Compelling Conversation™ structure is that it requires sellers to make an empathic shift: from making a sale to helping your prospect buy.
Buying these days may not be a linear process, but by using the Compelling Conversation™ as the basis for all of your materials and conversations, you can deliver a consistent story that encourages buyer confidence while having the flexibility to meet each buyer where they are in that sales process. The “helping your prospect buy” portion of the conversation ramps up as you move deeper into the funnel.
Post-Pandemic Sales Mission and Management
Nailing the Compelling Conversation™ to convert prospects to buyers is worth the effort. However, none of that matters if your sales team isn’t happy with their job.
Let’s talk “The Great Resignation.”
Thomas C. Rousseau, Head of Global Marketing Strategy and SWZD University for Spiceworks Ziff Davis, points out that the best of today’s sales reps — like much of the pandemic-scarred workforce — are looking for more than just a fat commission check for their efforts.
“60-70% of sales recruits right now are millennials,” says Rousseau. “They want training, but more importantly, they want work that comes from the heart. They’re self-aware, and they want to talk in an authentic way to customers.”
This is where that alignment with marketing can help in a big way — marketing leadership can provide that authentic story and the materials that deliver it to both sales and prospects.
Rousseau also notes that this existential crisis isn’t limited to sales reps. “Middle management is dealing with a lot of anxiety and stress right now,” he explains. “These mid-career leaders are having to learn to manage and trust dispersed teams. They’re also painfully aware that to retain top talent, modern processes and tools are now table stakes. These players want to spend their time telling a story, not spending eight hours a week managing outdated CRMs.”
That Authentic Message? It’s Invaluable.
The Compelling Conversation™ supports the resolution of both these concerns. Empathetic, buyer-centric messaging that is rooted in guiding buyers — not just making sales — demands authenticity and provides a sense of mission. And when everyone – sales, marketing, executives, customer success, etc., etc. – is on the same page and using aligned assets to drive structured conversations, it really doesn’t matter where your sales team is physically.
You’re all working from the pages of the same book — telling a consistent story that matters to everyone.
“Alignment is everything,” confirms Rousseau. “From GTM to product engineering to marketing to sales, you must have a consistent global value proposition. Even if you have the perfect product, if you get the story wrong then it won’t matter — for your sellers just as much as your buyers.”
So, WTF is happening in sales? The answer is: a lot.
A lot of new challenges and opportunities. With this much in flux, the cost of doing nothing is higher than ever before. Time is money; don’t waste either one. Double the amount of time you spend with marketing – and marketing spends with your customers. And if you’re ready to talk about how you talk, start your own Compelling Conversation™ with us.
At Visible Impact, our mission is creating the Compelling Conversation™ that breaks through the status quo. But we’re also peers, with a staff of seasoned sales, product, and marketing professionals. That’s why we know how to develop the assets and training that will keep your people satisfied and successful in their work.
