There are levels to the sales game. Some SDRs are happy to barely scrape by with quota — and they often even miss that mark. Some AEs can’t get their close rates past 15-20%, when they know full well their colleagues are consistently converting 50% of appointments.
Those cold callers and closers hitting 40-50% are doing fine. They found their groove and put in the work necessary to be successful. But “successful” is a relative term. They might bring home low six-figures in commission and be “rich” according to today’s standards. But we would all agree that today’s standards are set so pathetically low. There’s room for improvement for these guys, too.
Now, level up from there and you’ve got the salesperson closing deals left and right. It seems he or she really could sell sand to the Sahara. You know these guys. You’ve probably overheard their calls. They are landing deals at a rate of 70% or more… quarter after quarter.
What gives? They obviously know the sales-pro secrets like mastering tonality in sales, how to nail the first 30 seconds of a call, which KPIs to track, and identifying buying signals. But they typically have one more trick up their sleeve.
What’s the trick? They’ve branded themselves as a thought-leader in their field. Plain and simple. And today I’m going to share the why, how, and what next on this topic. So let’s dive in.
Why You Must Become A Thought Leader
Why create a personal brand for yourself as a thought leader? Because nobody can take that away from you. That’s why. If one platform goes the way of the dinosaur, you can easily transition to another platform and take your tribe with you. If you leave your company abruptly, you’ll be swooped up in a heartbeat by a competitor. And most importantly, you’ll become a man or woman of great character who isn’t afraid of doing hard things. (Conditioning yourself to do hard things consistently is the key to success, by the way. Take that to the bank.)
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OK – that’s all well and good. But let’s get down to the practical daily benefits. When you become a thought-leader, you really do become a trusted advisor. I know that’s a buzz-word in sales, but when your prospect sees you as someone they can trust to advise them to success, they will do whatever it takes to buy what you’re selling.
They will even call YOU. That’s right — let’s say you work in logistics, and you position yourself as a logistics expert to the outside world (specifically your ideal buyer). Guess who’s going to discover you, consume your content, and eventually reach out to you? You guess it… your buyer.
The power of trust is strong on this one. Before they ever reach out, they already trust you. They are hot prospects — or at least very warm — and convert at 90% or higher. This also means your sales cycle is dramatically shortened. And all because you were consistent to show up on your YouTube channel and LinkedIn for a few years, publish helpful content on a professional blog, Facebook and Instagram, and maybe even lead some workshops here and there.
How to Become a Thought Leader
I just hinted at it. The number one way to become an authority thought-leader in your field is to put yourself out there. The world is digital, so 90% of your communications with your “tribe” will be digital. With that in mind, below are the arenas to play in. If you can’t do them all, then I recommend just choosing a few and dominating those.
- Podcasting
- Social media (Facebook groups, Instagram)
- Personal/professional website or blog
- Business professional social platforms (LinkedIn)
- Guest-posting for big media names like Forbes
And what kind of content will you create? Just think about all of the pain points that your buyers deal with on a daily basis, and create content that solves for that! For instance, let’s take the logistics example a bit further. If you’re in sales in the logistics space, you can create content on:
- The impact of emerging tech and AI in logistics
- Geopolitical supply-chain disruptions
- Sustainability and cutting costs in logistics
- Omni-channel fulfillment as a strategy
- Compliance updates and best practices
- The future of logistics
- And on and on
Just don’t get too busy building up your digital presence and forget about the real physical world around you. There are plenty of offline opportunities — like speaking at industry events, conferences, and workshops — that will help to solidify you as the go-to expert in your field. Not to mention you can (and should) record these engagements so you also have the digital component to promote.
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Now maybe you’re not a solopreneur or entrepreneur. Maybe you work in sales for a company. Still, you must become a thought leader. And you never even have to mention your current employer if you choose not to. Your buyers will Google your name, see the depth of expertise you’ve shared over the months and years, be impressed by the whole library of content and videos you have to your name, and they will get in touch.
I can’t emphasize enough how authority and thought leadership is the new currency. I’ve gotten some of my best clients this way. And you can too.
So What Next?
There is a mindset shift that needs to take place. First off, you have to commit to making it happen. Do one small thing today toward this goal. Then tomorrow show up, and the next day, and every day. Second, start acting as-if you’re already a sought-out expert. This will give you the confidence needed to perform at a high level.
And finally, don’t focus on short-term gains. You might not get any followers or build an audience in the first few months. It might take a year or more to really get momentum behind you. But you have to build the foundation by showing up anyway. Long-term, sustainable success is the name of the game here. So be disciplined to play the long game in your sales career.
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And so what if you don’t have an audience at first? There’s this parable I always go back to about a shepherd and his flock. Track with me here as we wrap up…
Imagine you are a shepherd and you go out to feed your sheep. You are expecting to feed 50 sheep that day, but when you arrive at the feeding spot, only two sheep show up. Will you not feed those two sheep? Of course you will feed those two sheep! They came hungry and needed the sustenance that you brought.
In the same way, if you only get 5 podcast downloads, 20 YouTube views, or 6 LinkedIn likes, those matter! Each and every one of those is a real person. The moral of the story is this: be faithful to feed the few, and one day you will be entrusted to feed an entire flock.
And with that — it’s time to get out there and transform yourself into a thought leader. You have what it takes. You’ve got this.
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso