The Superpower of Executive Engagement

by Steve Jensen

5 min read

Great sales leaders engage differently. They don’t rely on spreadsheets or “armchair quarterbacking.” The most effective sales leaders are actively involved:

• They know each member of their team, and more importantly, they know what drives each individual.
• They understand the individual aspirations of each team member and help build individual plans to get there.
• They know how to do the job and won’t ask anyone on the team to do something they can’t—and won’t—do themselves.
• They prioritize their time to continue to build personal relationships with the individuals on the team, rather than just when it is convenient.
• They believe in the mission of the company and lead by example. They are first in and last out, and their work ethic sets the tone for the entire organization.
• They are people the team is willing to fight for.

That level of engagement is earned…never asked for. The great leaders don’t demand that kind of loyalty. This is given by each team member because the leader is so authentic in their commitment to the mission, the team, and the individuals. These leaders understand the balance of the now and the future. They don’t trade their future for the necessity of the moment. This is perhaps one of the greatest challenges and hallmarks of great leaders. Great leaders aren’t hiding behind dashboards and call reports. Great leaders are in the game playing a role that helps the members of the team execute with confidence. “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.”

4 things stand out about how great leaders are engaged:

1. Belief in the Mission: If you believe…you have a good chance of your team believing…and that passion is contagious…that passion is irresistible.
2. Servant Leaders: Are you talking about the rep’s world and only their world? Make it your business to know every single rep personally. This is a point you cannot afford to miss: you can’t serve them if you don’t know them. Period.
3. Innovate. Engaged leaders don’t stand pat. You don’t want to be the last to change. Don’t adapt only when you’re behind. What are you doing to make sure your reps stay in front?
4. Leading by Example: Great leaders set the example for work ethic, culture, and every part of what’s expected for the rep. Don’t forget just how powerful example really is

What the Experts Say About Executive Engagement

“Now, I understand why you are fighting so hard. Now, I understand why I need to work so hard to help you succeed.” That’s a difficult thing to do. What’s difficult is, for sales leaders, is to step outside of their own world and realize that it’s not all about them and their number and barking orders at people.” —Scott Leese.

“A great leader should have a Servant Leadership style. ‘I am here to serve you and to create an environment for you to be successful and grow professionally, and make some good money and have fun” —Justin Hyatt of Workfront

“It’s even more challenging for me to actually get to personally know every individual in my organization. So I’m sitting face-to-face with every ADR on our team to get to know something about them, because when then hit those rough patches or aren’t hitting their numbers, but we see the numbers and we know that we can make a two-degree change and they are right back on the path. Unless I know them, we are going to have a hell of a time making those adjustments —Ralph Barsi of Tray.io.

Rebecca Croucher, VP of Sales and North American Sales Operations at ManpowerGroup, breaks it down into two activities:

“Be an encourager. Rebecca’s team of 8 sales reps consists of senior-level salespeople — each with a different personality. Some still need this encouragement: ‘Hey, you are really good. Believe in yourself.’ They have talent, and all they need is a boost of self-esteem,” Rebecca said. She pointed out that knowing someone believes in you can turn you around really quickly. When you make hiring decisions, look for traits you can encourage.”

“Be a supporter. While encouragement usually means verbal affirmation, support can take different actions, including learning about someone’s optimal environment.” Rebecca will dive into a rep’s history to figure out why someone who has the potential for success isn’t showing it yet. “When someone has those good, time-tested sales skills, then you can definitely figure out the best position to put them in and what needs to change,” she said. (Sales Enablement Podcast #170 How Good Leaders Embrace Challenges)

Carla Moore, former Vice President, POS Strategy and Education at HBO, drove this point home further when she discussed what she has seen from her most successful Sales Managers:

“They are coaching their salespeople and are hands-on by being fully engaged in helping their reps refine and develop their craft because they are on the front lines with them and not stuck in offices. They inspire their teams and give them what they need to succeed as they work towards goal achievement.”

Her focus on the inspiration element in the second half of that statement is often the missing piece in many sales-driven cultures. While it is important to identify the areas of improvement needed by the people on your sales teams, they also need to commit to the improvement goals in order to generate the internal motivation required to effectively correct those mistakes. (The Importance of Engagement and Consistency for Sales Leaders.)

Building Blocks

Executive Engagement is just one of the building blocks of a high-growth sales team.  Xvoyant offers a free ebook that examines all of the elements of a strong coaching program. You can find it here: The Building Blocks of 1:1 Coaching.

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Steve Jensen is VP of Marketing at Xvoyant