We have all been influenced by inspirational leaders in our lives and perhaps you are an inspirational leader yourself. I have been fortunate enough to have worked for and been coached by leaders who were able to not only get my best but, in several cases, more than I thought I was capable of. Why is it that some leaders are able to get the absolute best out of those around them? In the blog Motivating Your Sales Team I wrote that people are not motivated by others they 
are motivated by themselves. Inspirational leaders inspire others to motivate themselves at the very highest level.
I would consider caring about the people you lead as an absolute given so I didn’t list it as a separate trait. With that said, in no particular order, here is my list of what I consider the top three traits of inspirational leaders.
Empathetic- Empathy doesn’t mean sympathy. Inspirational leaders can still make the tough calls when it is called for but also have a unique ability to empathize with their team. They are able to understand what is important to each individual at any given time and create a work environment that is most conducive for personal motivation. In some case that might be empowering team members and in others it may be removing some responsibility at the appropriate time. In the blog Perception is Reality I wrote more about the power of seeing things from the point of view of others.
Great Communicator- Not only are all the inspirational leaders I know great communicators but they are able to communicate in ways that uniquely impact each individual. At times it might be a stern conversation that challenges others to push a little harder and at times it might be a word of public recognition for going the extra mile. Inspirational leaders are able to flex their communication style to fit not only the situation but the individual as well.
Great Story Teller- Inspirational leaders have an amazing ability to tell compelling stories at exactly the right time that inspire others to achieve great things. In the blog The Leadership Imperative I devoted an entire blog to this subject alone. The art of storytelling can captivate the imagination and illustrate a vision in unique ways that others can relate to.
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
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May 2, 2012
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Although the title of the blog might seem like a trick question (two of my favorite blog topics if you are a regular reader) it is inspired by some VERY interesting results recently published from a 2012 survey of Mid-Market companies ($250M to $1B) by Forbes Insights. You can download a copy of the entire report at this Forbes Insight link. The study revealed an upbeat business environment where three out of five executives interviewed stated their firms had grown over the past two years. Almost 72% believe their firms will continue to grow in the future contrary to some of the “doom and gloom” reports being circulated during an election year.
The continued growth the survey predicted is being driven by three strategic priorities that emerged as clear winners in the study in terms of relative importance. Number one was “improving the customer experience” at a whopping 60% (up from 55% in the past 5 years) followed by “optimizing sales force effectiveness” at 47% (up from 45% in the previous 5 years) and “building and retaining a qualified work force” at 46% (down from 49% over the past 5 years). It would appear from the Forbes Insights results that Mid-Market companies are not only recognizing that improving the customer experience is critical to their current growth but also one of the most powerful strategic initiatives that they will focus on over the next 5 years as well.
The Forbes Insight survey also asked the question “What external forces are the likely biggest game changers for your company?” The study revealed the top three answers as the combination of “increased foreign and domestic competition” at 46%, “pricing pressures” at 41% and “decreased customer budgets/ spending” at 36%. While focusing on “great service” may have been the number one strategic initiative a “great sales team” will certainly have their hands full with the top ranked external forces. In last week’s blog, “Is Your Sales Team Communicating Value or Creating It?” the recipe outlined is clearly in sync with overcoming the top “game changing” factors in the survey. The best customer experience in the world is meaningless without a customer but without the commitment to provide the best customer experience your competition will eat you alive. The answer to the title question is undoubtably “no, they are both equally important.”
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
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April 25, 2012
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I don’t think there are many sales executives who would argue that selling has changed pretty dramatically over the last ten years. Companies whose products and services were once clearly superior to the competition are struggling to hold market share let alone expand. The “best” products and services are no longer enough to win the day because the competition in most industries has very effectively closed the gap.
The reasons behind the changing role of the seller are not only tied to the leveling of the “perceived quality” playing field but also the rise of the internet as both a source of information and the ultimate vehicle of “commoditization.” If you don’t believe it consider the plight of the “brick and mortar” retailers. In a recent WSJ article it was estimated that currently 8% of all purchases are being made online and that HALF that number were made by consumers that were using the “brick and mortar” store as their showroom before making the online purchase. Said another way, consumers are using the “traditional” method of purchasing in a “non-traditional” 
manner. If the “brick and mortar” retailer isn’t creating enough value to prompt a consumer to buy from them they are nothing more than a virtual showroom for an internet purchase where price is the only differentiator.
The message is really quite clear. Traditional selling in which the sales professional who best “communicates” the value proposition wins is an antiquated model. If you are trying to field the best sales team of “communicators” of your value proposition I advise you to stop before you become the B2B equivalent of a virtual showroom. Better competition and better access to information equals price compression given no other perception of additional value. On that battlefield the ultimate winner is not the best sales force but the company with the sharpest discounting pencil.
The sales teams who will win in the future are the sales teams who are learning to create value versus communicating it. I know a lot of sales organizations who are TALKING about this but very few who are actually doing it. Why? Because creating value with your customers is hard work and requires an incredible amount of commitment on the part of the individual sales professionals. To become a co-creator of value with your clients you have to be willing to invest a significant amount of time to understand the industry, the clients business and their clients businesses as well. What I am talking about here is significantly more than sending interesting articles to your customers (although there is certainly nothing wrong with doing that too). What I am talking about is a systematic way of understanding your customers entire “value chain” and developing an in depth understanding of how they create value for THEIR customers. The “value creation” seller must also have a very good understanding of his own company’s “value chain” as well as the basic business and financial acumen to find points of “value added” alignment.
In today’s selling environment true sales professionals need more than just persuasion skills to win the day. Can your sales team make the transformation from “value communicators” to “value creators”? Finding creative ways to leverage your company’s resource capabilities in ways that impact your customers’ ability to add value to their customers is where the B2B sales of future will be won.
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
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April 18, 2012
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are motivated by themselves. Inspirational leaders inspire others to motivate themselves at the very highest level.
