In our latest whitepaper on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Sales Leaders, we focus on Habit 4: Think Win-Win.
This is the fourth point-of-view article in a series on the current issues facing sales leaders, based on the principles of Dr. Stephen R. Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® - the ground-breaking bestseller on personal and organizational change.
Think Win-Win
“Win-Win is not a technique, it’s a total philosophy of human interaction,” Stephen Covey writes. “Win-Win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying. With a Win-Win solution, all parties feel good about the decision and feel committed to the action plan.” Salespeople need an approach that allows them to leapfrog beyond a traditional, resistant, or guarded interaction—or one that’s often only utilitarian at best—and truly connect as business partners. The primary mindset is based on Win-Win.
Unfortunately, as sales leaders, we’re often under so much pressure from the executive team to hit numbers that it becomes easier to adopt a mindset of “Win.”
Think Win-Win is a powerful way to shift your thinking before any interaction happens. But taking a Win-Win approach will be hard to achieve if you haven’t built trust with others first. The willingness of others to engage with you in a Win-Win way is directly affected by the balance in the emotional bank account you have with them. Simple, consistent steps increase trust and make Win-Win easier and more likely.
Are you thinking Win-Win in your sales organization? Learn about more habits of effective sales leaders by registering for a complimentary Helping Clients Succeed webcast.
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