Last week, I spoke with Will Sears and Jonathan Lieman at Echota in Boone, NC.  I was intrigued by Echota’s 2009 sales – 48 closes in the past 12 months – and wanted to learn more about how they did it.  

 So I called Will and Jonathan to talk about Echota’s sales success in the hopes of also capturing a testimonial about Focus3’s positive impact over the three years it has been in use there. This recent conversation left me pondering the characteristics of a great salesperson.  Operative word being GREAT – not just good.   

 I’m curious – have you ever noticed that the best, long-term successful salespeople are genuinely nice? That they relate well to others and quickly put people at ease.  I’ve known a few good ones who managed to get by on their looks and fast-talking, but truly great salespeople rely on other attributes.

 One thing I’ve learned is that you have to understand your customer before offering a solution.  And how can you really understand what your customer wants – who they are, their goals, desires, needs – without listening.  Really listening.  And how can one listen while doing all that fast-talking? 

 Have you noticed that great salespeople are humble, too?  Usually unassuming and with quiet confidence, the brightest and best don’t need a cheerleading squad.  Their validation comes from helping customers. 

 This is what I saw in Jonathan at Echota.  Polite, considerate, helpful and definitely humble.  Oh – and very successful at his job.  Jonathan is Echota’s top-performing agent, but he wasn’t the one to tell me so. He also hesitated when I asked about specific performance, because he didn’t want be viewed as boastful.  Jonathan didn’t throw a bunch of glitzy jargon my way.  He told it straight, “Focus3 helps me maintain integrity. It ensures I follow through on promises made to customers and prospects.  Professionalism can be an issue in our industry and I need to call (people) when I said I would.” 

 Jonathan went on to describe how Focus3 alerts Echota to leads that are still viable but haven’t been contacted recently; ensuring things don’t slip through the cracks.  He said, “Focus3 is easy to use and helps us do our job without getting in our way. Management gets the information they need.  Focus3 gives us a level of sophistication we didn’t previously have.”

 I think what hit home for me after talking with Jonathan and others at Echota is that software doesn’t make a team successful.  Top-notch salespeople invest in themselves, continuously learning and initiating self-improvement.  Sure, a great team uses software to improve business – but Focus3 didn’t make Echota successful.  Focus3 was brought in because they had big goals, a growing team and needed a system that offered continuity in customer communication: maintaining their high standard of professionalism while increasing sales activity and operating lean.  

 Is Focus3 the flashiest system in existence?  Nope.  And I don’t think flash is necessary.  What is?  A high-performing team, a robust yet simple system, and of course, a great product.  All of which are evident at Echota.

 On that note, let me know how you made your 2009 great, or have geared up for 2010.  I’d love to hear from you.

Kim

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