 We’ve all been stuck in the dreaded “check-in” zone.
An idea is shared with a customer. You shake hands or hang up the phone with promises to speak soon. The weeks that follow are filled with seemingly endless emails and phone calls “just checking in!” where most likely you receive no responses, but the ones you do receive are non-committal and uninformative. It’s a frustrating place to be, especially when you know just how often the “check-in” zone turns into the “ghosted” one. It’s even more troubling when you’re not quite sure how you got there. And the truth is, there are a lot of ways to wind up in no-man’s-land, waiting and hoping you get a response - and the first starts with how you present solutions. Telling the customer what to do by why of a solution they didn't help create is a one-way ticket to the check-in zone. Many salespeople simply provide a solution. They essentially hand their client a packet and say, “here’s what you need, any questions?” without inviting them to be a part of the conversation at any point along the way. Yes, you are the expert on what you offer, so it’s only natural that you have some idea of what will help the customer. But when you share it, it should be with the expectation that the customer will jump in, will ask questions, will have adjustments, and will be excited to share their thoughts, too. Ultimately, all of that feedback is a good thing. It allows both of you to course correct and arrive at the final destination together. I call this co-creation, and it’s very powerful. Your customer will be more invested in a solution they helped create. Being told what to do does not, and never has, inspired action. Implementing a solution that you were a part of creating and are excited to see come to life does. When a customer leaves a collaborative meeting, they may not have signed on the dotted line, but they are already picturing what comes next. They’re excited about the proposal, and it will be on their mind as they go about their day. The next time you talk, they’ll probably have more ideas, have realized a need that wasn’t addressed, thought of new follow-up questions, and even gathered input from their team. All of it gets you closer to the perfect shared solution. Co-creation takes more than one meeting. We all want to close a deal as soon as the customer starts to agree with the plan. We all worry that the end of a really great brainstorming session will turn into endless check-ins. But you don’t need to. Just because a contract isn’t signed immediately doesn’t mean your customer hasn’t 100% bought in. In fact, when you take a collaborative approach, the first meeting is just a conversation starter. The goal isn’t an immediate answer, but to lay the groundwork to continue the conversation. It’s the first step at creating a solution that is uniquely suited to the customers needs and a conclusion that is much more satisfying for both of you. And remember, the more you work together before you sign a contract, the more you’re patterning what it will be like to work together once you have. You’re, in essence, developing a working relationship and demonstrating to them what it will be like to work with you. And that shows them your real value. One morning, as Karl was packing up some gear for a day of sailing, he asked his (at the time) 16-year-old son if he wanted to come with him that afternoon.
He knew his son would say no for one simple reason. His son always said no. Karl was so sure, in fact, that he almost didn’t ask. But to his surprise, his son shrugged. “Sure, Dad, what time?” As he made lunch and packed an extra towel, Karl couldn’t help but to smile to himself. He had an idea in his mind about what his afternoon was going to look like, and with one small shrug, it had taken on a completely different shape. “Hey, Dad, we have extra life jackets, right?” his son asked. “I invited the guys to come with.” Karl knew who his son was referring to. His son’s three best friends who he (and Karl) had known since they were in pre-school. Before he knew it, Karl was driving four teenagers who didn’t seem entirely clear on what the plan was. “Where are we going again?” One of them asked. “We’re going sailing,” Karl reminded him. “But I have to warn you guys, it’s a bit windy, so it’s possible we’ll get up there and we won’t be able to do much sailing.” The boy thought for a moment. “If we can’t sail, can we swim?” As the day went on, Karl felt less and less like he was hanging out with his son’s friends and more and more like he was one of the guys, just hanging out on a regular Sunday afternoon, which quickly turned into an adventure. It was windy, but they were still able to sail for a while, until a few of the boys wanted to swim. Karl navigated to a calmer cove and anchored the boat, and they all jumped in the water. They swam to the shore, explored the sand, found shells and cool looking rocks. They joked around, teased each other, and made up games. On the way home, they even stopped for ice cream. The entire day, which Karl thought would include him having a calm, relaxing few hours on his sail boat, turned into a free flowing adventure where suggestions were immediately accepted and everybody laughed freely. As they pulled into the driveway, one of the boys spoke up. “This was so much fun. Why don’t we do this all the time?” Once again, Karl’s perception turned on a dime. He never thought his son, never mind a crew of his son’s friends, would want to come along with him sailing on a random weekend afternoon. They probably didn’t think it was their idea of a good time, either. And yet, when all of them let go of their expectations and let the magic of spontaneity happen, they had an incredibly memorable experience. On the Embracing Unexpected Encounters episode of the Leadership Circle Podcast, Karl shares how many of the best outcomes, from the beginnings of Karl’s business to the lessons learned from working with customers to a spontaneous adventure with his son and his friends, are entirely unexpected. Listen to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for the full conversation.  Have you ever heard the phrase “fish where the fish are?”
“Of course,” you’re probably thinking. “But what does that have to do with increasing my sales?” Your community is likely ripe with potential new customers you’ve never connected with, but you’ll never find them if you’re looking in the wrong places. That being said, finding the right places can be challenging, especially if your new customer strategy has largely relied on organic growth and word of mouth until now. Here’s a good place to start: picture your ideal customer. What is the problem they’re looking to solve? What industry or industries are they in? What will they be buying from you? How often might they buy your solution? Are your cultures and values aligned? What type of budget or investment might they have to put towards the solution? Hopefully the picture you’re painting represents or mirrors some of the best customers you’ve had. Next, figure out if there are any local networking groups or associations that cater to that demographic. This part will take a little digging, but most of the information will be available at the tip of your fingers, if you know what you’re looking for. Look up networking groups and associations specific to their industry, the size of the company, or the job titles you’d like to connect with. Find websites for these associations and reach out to any members that are in charge of new membership or events. Introduce yourself, share what you do, and why you were interested in the group. Most importantly, explain how you believe you can bring value to the group, and ask if there is an opportunity to get involved. The purpose of groups like these are to help members build connections, share their knowledge, and bring people with common interests together. If you show up to any of their events in the spirit of doing those things - especially when it’s clear you’re looking to give to the other members of the group just as much (if not more) as you’re hoping to get from them, you’ll become somebody that they want to have in their group. Business will naturally follow. It oftentimes can feel like a big leap to get involved in associations or networking groups, but remember, you miss every shot you don’t take. Besides, joining a group where everybody has common goals, namely, meeting other industry professionals they can form a relationship with, means you both need each other to succeed. It also means that, as the group grows, new members will join, and you’ll consistently be presented with the opportunity to meet new people who could become new customers. Each of these people may have connections that could help you, too, and when you support them, they’ll want to do the same for you. Just as importantly, regardless of the size of your community, word travels fast and reputations are often built quickly. When you show up to networking events with a smile, a handshake, and an eagerness to share resources that support other event professionals, you’ll develop a reputation that benefits your entire organization.  Let’s start with the obvious. The point of investing in a new salesperson or team is to increase your revenue by growing your business.
Here’s another seemingly obvious statement: good hires in a well-structured machine lead to revenue growth. It’s a simple, effective equation. However, it’s one that relies heavily on a few modifiers:
A great hunter may be a “good” salesperson, but they won’t be a good hire if your team needs somebody to farm existing accounts. And even the perfect salesperson to fill the needs of your team will struggle to be successful if there is no process in place to teach, no designated onboarding plan, and unclear expectations. So how can you make sure that you’re looking for the right additions to your team and have the right processes in place to set them, and you, up for success? Keep reading to find out. Set the Intention. You don’t build a bookshelf by opening up a box and slapping pieces together while hoping for the best. You read the instructions, follow the steps, and piece-by-piece, the furniture is assembled. Just like when you’re building IKEA furniture, you need a plan (and patience). A well-defined sales process needs to be created before you can build the team to run it. A good process doesn’t just tick imaginary boxes and move leads through a funnel. It should be scalable to plan for future growth, stable, and easily replicable. Once your process is defined, note what the different parts of the process are and what or who you’ll need to run each step. More likely than not, you’ll need:
As you create this plan, keep in mind that no part of your funnel or process should be entirely reliant on one single person. When one (or several) steps of the process become the sole responsibility of one person, you end up with three things: a bottle neck, when the person inevitably falls behind, stalling the rest of the team; burn out as the one person tries to stay on top of their role; and a lot of liability. If that one person unexpectedly leaves, your entire process will be in jeopardy and your entire team will be in a very tight spot. One way to determine if any tasks rely too heavily on one person is to think about your current team. If any of those salespeople left today, how bad of a hit would it be? Would your business be able to recover, and how much time would it take? The right sales structure protects your team from unexpected departures, in addition to helping you find the right hires. Once you’ve set the intention for how your sales processes should run, you’ll understand how your existing team fits into it and where you have gaps. The best part? As you continue to grow, you’ll already have a roadmap to continue expanding the team. What Kind of Salesperson Do You Need? Your funnel is outlined, you know where your current personnel slot in, and you’ve identified your gaps. By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what selling personalities your team needs. Ask yourself:
The answers to these questions will help you craft your job description, or several job descriptions if you’re trying to fill several different kinds of gaps. Even better, there will already be a clearly defined set of responsibilities for each salesperson you do hire. Set Your Sales Team Up for Success. This may not need to be said, but just in case: even a good salesperson can’t be parked in front of a phone, told to sell, and be expected to achieve supreme success. It may be a common model in d-list telemarketing operations, but for most businesses, a chair, phone, and script won’t magically give you customers. Especially not long-term ones. Your sales team needs to be provided with a few things. Namely, resources, tools, and clear objectives. Before you start interviewing candidates, make sure you define a few important things internally. Think about what the hire will be doing on a day-to-day basis. Will they be finding new leads, building connections, or working with existing customers to grow their accounts? Next, determine what part of the funnel they will be responsible for. Do you expect the new hire to be the first point of contact for a new prospective customer, help reactivate stale leads, or be the one who closes the sale? Consider what resources are available to support their primary functions. Are they using tools, like a CRM to track progress and share information with the broader team? Is there somebody they can go to with questions? It’s also important to define who their manager will be. You’ll also want to make sure there is a clear roadmap for onboarding and training them, as well as who will be responsible each step of the way. Make sure you have a clearly defined compensation structure, including any factors that their compensation may be tied to. Note that most of the factors that influence their compensation should be within their control, rather than ones determined by external circumstances. Finally, make sure you, and they, know how their performance will be evaluated. “I already have a great process in place. I don’t need to come up with answers to all of these questions!” It’s an easy trap to fall into. Of course, if your process is as good as you think it is and all of the details are already in place, answering these questions will be a very quick exercise. An equally easy (and possibly more dangerous) trap is thinking you’ll figure it out as you go. You might, but it’ll take a lot of trial and error that doesn’t set any part of your team up for success in the short-term, which will make it even harder to identify what hires will be most beneficial for your team and how you’ll be able to evaluate if they’re the right fit. Get Guidance. If you’re first starting to build a dedicated sales organization or approaching the first big expansion, you may not be familiar with the ins and outs of sales and marketing organizations, how they run, or how they need to work together to be successful. You may have gotten by just fine “winging it”. Many groups do when their sales team consists of one or two people. But now that you’re building a larger team, you need structure. What you don’t need is to go about creating it blindly. Reading books, attending webinars, listening to podcasts featuring sales professionals, talking to experts, and working with a sales consultant are all great ways to assess what your team really needs to reach your growth goals and set yourself up for long-term success. Learn More A healthy relationship between sales and marketing is vital to an organization’s success. Dive deep into this effective strategy in our book Sales & Marketing Alignment. If you'd like more insights on how you can improve your sales leadership, contact us. |
Meet Me
Archives
October 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
We are headquartered in Colorado with domestic and international teammates and clients. Please use the contact form on this page to inquire about any of our books, podcasts appearances, speaking engagements and workshops, any of our offerings, or simply to connect.
|
|