The Importance of Change Agents

Change can be a heady concept, when the comfort of the known is being replaced with a seemingly uncertain future outcome. Transitioning Sales from a product-focused to a value-based solution-centric organization is transformational change that, when done correctly yields measurable benefits and significant growth.

evo•lu•tion n : a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state

But there is the rather nasty business of how to change the culture while maintaining a positive experience for the sellers. Some of your existing team will adapt and evolve and grow, but clearly some will not.

Experience has taught me that the best way to get the team to embrace change is to insert change agents that embody the desired profile into your team, people that eagerly work with what to your organization is a new way of doing things. Profiling is a critical part of the recruiting process that ensures that the transformed Sales organization is staffed with people who are able to masterfully apply the principles and processes of Solution Selling® and yield optimal results. Change agents do more than just provoke change, they let the others know that the new order of things is expected, positive, and that “everything will work out ok.” Soon, some of your salespeople will start to emulate the change agents and the new culture will take hold.

For years now I have been studying and trying to codify the profile of the ideal solution selling salesperson, and my research has yielded some interesting results. Through specific screening, profiling and behavioural interviewing techniques, it is possible to dramatically improve the odds of finding people who are ideally suited to apply solution selling concepts effectively. These people make exceptional change agents that can really help change the culture and raise the bar in the transforming Sales organization.

Author, David Hughes
Executive Vice President Sales Performance Optimization Services, Sales Performance International
With 28 years in Sales and General Management, David Hughes excels at re-energizing and turning around under-performing sales and management teams, generating high-yield results by using proven strategies. 

Comments

[Door Levers]

Selling and the general process of the selling is a vital component of business. You must have a sales funnel to know how you do this for what it is you are pursuing.