Stop Selling and Start Leading

12Celebrate the Values and Victories

“WE GOT THE APPOINTMENT. NOW WHAT?” Phil Gerbyshak had secured a demo, but there was only one person inside the buyer organization excited about it. His team was disheartened by the lackluster reception they'd received as they gathered details to create a personalized demo. Without any pre-meetings, there was no opportunity to break the ice or get acquainted with the needs of decision-makers. Most team members felt they were wasting their time with the demo. Without the information they needed, they weren't sure they could conduct a successful demo of the brand-new product. Many were concerned about the product's functionality outside of the test environment. Phil was asking himself how to turn the situation around.

Phil realized they wouldn't be successful if his team was discouraged. He reminded each member of the team that this was a tremendous opportunity to learn and challenge themselves. He emphasized how they could use this demo as a soft launch, figuring out all the bugs in their presentation and process. He encouraged them to give it their all so they'd represent their brand positively and leave the demo smarter than they were before. He reduced their stress by taking the focus off making the sale. In doing so, he unified the group around their core values. Consequently, going in, they felt a strong sense of pride about their bravery and willingness to step outside their collective comfort zone.

Phil had something else working in ...