When a company is called in to help fix the sales process, the common practice is to immediately rush to tactical recommendations, often missing other fundamental factors. What is the Catalyst Sale and how is it different when it comes to fixing the hurdles that come with making the wrong sales hires? Why are changes ineffective without evaluation and perspective? Why is it so critical to understand that sales is a thinking process before anything else?
On this episode, Catalyst Sale co-founder Mike Simmons shares on the gaps that the Catalyst methodology fills, plans for scaling it, and what goes wrong with so many sales hires.
"Sales is a thinking process. In order to deliver value to the customer base, I have to bring my mind."
-Mike Simmons
Everybody chases a quick-fix shortcut when it comes to sales, but there is no such thing. You’re not just going to hire a VP of sales and have instant results. The ones that are hired quickly usually last 12-18 months. That’s because they usually figure out that they went to the wrong organization, or the organization figures out their hire doesn't have the capability they claimed to possess.
Why passion for the market is important (05:32 - 05:53)
If you’re not passionate about the market you’re serving, it’s really hard to sell in that market. It’s crucial to be able to empathize with the customer and their challenges. You must also be able to connect the dots between the solution you’re providing and the pain that exists in the marketplace.
How to turn thinking process to habit (15:01 - 16:05)
Adopting a different thinking process comes down to developing habits around that process. The only way we can form a habit and get it to stick is through repetition and doing the work so it becomes ingrained. We don’t adopt a new way of thinking that sticks in the long run if we’re just using templates.
There are no quick-fixes and silver bullets in sales. The methodologies that get consistent results are led by the mind, not by product. It allows us to think about what matters first— the thought process behind the actions, the people who are selling, and the passion for the customer and the market we’re serving. If we try and do sales based on a template, we’re not giving the people or the system our best.
Guest Bio-
Mike is a sales consultant, executive coach and the co-founder of Catalyst Sale. He also co-hosts the Catalyst Sale of podcast. Catalyst Sale is a thinking process that is less about selling products, and more about acting as a catalyst that understands how to connect the right people, at the right time, to help navigate through the noise. Mike has more than 20 years of operations, consulting, sales and sales leadership experience, 15 in the EdTech space. He is a lifelong learner, creative, analytical, and driven to achieve results. Mike has built, lead, and optimized sales organizations leveraging both direct and indirect teams.
Go to https://catalystsale.com/ for more information and connect with Mike on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesimmons.
That's all for this chapter of Beers with Max! Hope you enjoyed this week's festivities. As always, if you want to join our virtual happy hour, grab your favorite brew and click the red button below. Til next time, keep your beer chilly and your leads hot!