Selling Strategies: How To Be The Lead Dog In Sales

by Emily Huling

'How does she do it?' 'Do you think he'd share his secret?' 'I hear her name all over town.' 'He has the most loyal clients.'

If you find yourself saying these things about a sales professional, you're admiring a 'lead dog.' Much as the lead husky in a dogsled team sees what lies ahead and determines the team's direction, lead sales dogs are visionaries and leaders. They're consistent, financially prosperous, and highly regarded by clients, co-workers, and competitors. They have a great time, too!

Let's examine the characteristics that keep lead sales dogs ahead of the pack.

Build Relationships. Understanding the human side of the sale is by far the most critical of a lead sales dog's traits. Always look at issues from the client's perspective, keeping in mind that clients are focused on their own businesses. By knowing your client's business and personal life, you'll form that client bond more easily.

Invest Time and Energy to Develop Skills. Lead dogs have more acute vision and hearing than the rest of the pack. By the same token, lead sales dogs focus on continual personal development. A library of audio materials and books about sales, customer service, and communications should be available to the sales professional for daily bites of knowledge. Producers should also participate in organizations that develop leadership and communication skills, such as Toastmasters, church activities, and charitable organizations.

Be Confident. With self-confidence, lead sales dogs can devote their energies to serving as a resource to their clients, sometimes improving their clients' position and profit without any immediate benefit to the agency. Confidence and the satisfaction the comes from helping others are directly related.

What services can you offer your clients to help their businesses? Try offering seminars on the Americans With Disabilities Act, ergonomics, controlling Workers Comp costs, or other topics. Create a Client Advisory Board for your agency, which will allow your clients to network (and give your agency valuable feedback!).

Maintain Clear Communications. A great producer must assess, communicate, and follow through. Enhancing service to your clients and developing team spirit within your agency require strong two- and three-way communications skills. Clear, effective one-time communication is absolutely essential for making sure your agreements are kept. 'Ownership' is probably too strong a word for it-but leaders definitely take a protective, nurturing role toward their clients and co-workers.

These are the extra efforts it takes to be a top producer. Sure, it's more work, but the rewards are greater, too. Lead dogs, after all, get all the excitement of seeing their progress as it happens-while for the rest of the pack, the scenery never changes!