with Brent Widman

There are probably a thousand different paths that people take to becoming a ‘leader’ in their industry. Yet, without a doubt, these paths all have common denominators. We chatted with Brent Widman, sales coach with Southwestern Consulting (and sales leader himself) to get his take on what it means to be top sales leader today.

Top Sales Tips and Techniques

When coaching, Brent uses each person’s unique goals and responsibilities to guide them in moving forward. However, he identified three techniques that could help any sales professional refresh their goals and up their game.

Consistency

Stay consistent in your processes and activities—whether that’s emails, phone calls, newsletters, texts, follow-ups— Brent says, “You have to show up and do it every day.” When creating these habits and processes, think about which ones you can carry on, which habits that will truly last.

Ask for help

“So many of us have an ego that keeps us from asking for help. We’re afraid to look dumb,” he says. Yet there’s people all around us that are doing really well and would actually love to share in their wisdom. Finding those people and asking for input can be a huge game-changer for your own journey.

Prioritize wisely

Knowing when to say yes and when to say no starts with establishing what you want to prioritize in life. “We can’t manage time (it just keeps on ticking), but we can manage ourselves,” Brent says.

What it ‘takes’ to be a sales leader (and what to leave behind)

Acceptance

People who look at this role as just a job will likely not be the ones leading in their industry. Brent says “Accept it. Accept who you are and what you do.” Leave behind the stigma (or perceived stigma) and fully embrace your strengths, abilities and calling.

Implement > input

“People will go to trainings, get coaches and mentors, read books, and on and on but they will fail to implement what they learn, to put it into action.” Yes, be a student of the game, but be sure to implement at least some of what you’re learning, or what is it but a giant time suck?

Get past excuses

We all have them, but we can move past them. We can take action when we don’t feel like it. We can stretch our motivation muscles and establish consistency in our processes.

Establish processes that work!

“Any top producer is only as good as their process.” So, if it’s not working, get a new process! Get a system that works for you and try on new systems until you find one that fits. Our time and our business are only as strong as the process and habit we have created.

What’s your why?

Brent shares the story of a trip to the carnival with his six-year-old son, before he started with Southwestern. His son wanted to play a game that cost $5, but it just wasn’t possible.

“I was broke…all I had to my name was $23. That night I went home and wrote on a post-it-note how does it feel? I realized I was preventing my son from making memories. It was time to dig in my heels and listen to the people who believed in me because I never wanted to go back to that feeling.”

He found his motivation to do the work and do it with excellence. Without knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing, your motivation and drive can easily slip away. If anything, before you leave this post, take a moment to reflect on why you do what you do… and believe again that you’re capable of becoming the sales leader you want to be.