Traditionally, sales is seen as an individual sport, where you, alone, are responsible for hitting your quota. But does it have to be that way? The answer quite simply is no. In today’s working world if you are not directly in sales you are still supporting someone who is. This is why sales really is a team effort (i.e team selling). Collaborative sales teams also see far greater success and report having higher job satisfaction. Ultimately, teamwork is more important than you think in determining not only your overall success, but also the success of your clients.
Team selling
Roadblocks…we’ve all hit them before. They come in many forms–maybe a specific technical detail, a question, or a hiccup that stops a deal dead in its tracks. We’ve all been there and we all hope to avoid these roadblocks at all costs. But what if we told you there was a reliable way to minimize the chances of these roadblocks from ever coming up again?
Enter: Team Selling. Team selling is a sales strategy that involves two or more members of an organization working together to win deals.
In a world with buying committees, long security processes, and competitors who all look and sound the same, being a solo seller has become challenging. Instead, introducing members of your team with different skills and expertise into your sales cycle might be the solution for maintaining momentum.
Why Try Team Selling
As someone in sales, your job isn’t to solve every problem yourself, but rather to get the problems you encounter solved. You’re working in a climate where products are complex and there’s a ton of information available to prospects, and your product or service likely competes with a variety of others. Team selling allows for your organization to unleash its institutional knowledge which in turn makes for a better buying experience, solves problems more quickly, and leads to higher win rates.
For example, if you’re selling in the Marketing Technology space, you know that the problem you’re solving might also include other vendors in the industry. But, wouldn’t it be nice to have a specific person from your company who’s experienced in integrating, or maybe even replacing a specific vendor? With a proper introduction you can position yourself or your business as the expert and reassure your prospect that you’re the one to pick.
How Team Selling Creates an Impact
Different personality types match best with varying kinds of people. Complementing characteristics allow for a higher rate of customer connection. The best salespeople know when they’re not the right fit, and they’re smart enough to bring in the resources needed to get the job done.
By bringing your non-selling peers in on a deal, you can drive the prospect’s confidence and comfort levels in your company. Selling as a team subconsciously reduces pressure and increases confidence. A stronger level of trust and rapport is also built when the prospect hears directly from that future partner what they can expect.
Conclusion
Remember that your organization is made up of extremely bright people who all hold different nuggets of knowledge about your products, competitors, and the industry at large. If you want to accelerate your deal cycles, create better customer outcomes, and eliminate road bumps, team selling is a great place to start.
If you want more information on how sales doesn’t have to be a solo sport, check out episode #81 of our talent, sales and scales podcast here.