A CRO’s Perspective: Fostering Adaptable and Resilient Sales Teams

Best practices for sales enablement are evolving at an extraordinary pace. CLN analysts spoke with Jim Lawrence, Chief Revenue and Experience Officer at Partners Federal Credit Union, a sponsor of the Walt Disney Company, to evaluate how CROs can guide their sales departments in keeping pace with change and remaining adaptable. 

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:

The Evolving Technology of Communication

“Adjusting communication tactics to technological patterns is crucial”, Lawrence said. As technology changes, so does the process through which sales are conducted. Lawrence explained, “Evolving technology is always going to be at the forefront of sales enablement. If you go back 50 years, deals were closed with a handshake. After that, we moved to faxes and then to email. Now, we’re moving to text. Who knows what the next method will be? People are going to constantly have to adapt.”

Connectivity is Key

Sales leaders know that the most essential component of the sales process is developing and nurturing relationships with prospects and clients. Effectively building these connections is the most important skill for sales representatives who want to ensure their expertise remains future-focused, Lawrence said: “You need to be able to build that rapport and ask conversational yet deliberate questions that align with how the conversation is tracking, but also educate the prospect on what they should consider improving with their overall financial situation.”

Invest in Leadership Skills for Sales Managers

Sales managers play a significant role in fostering adaptability by guiding their teams to remain flexible during challenging times. They should continuously observe patterns and identify the formulas that lead to success, Lawrence said. They should also be able “to identify the activities that their team members are doing or not doing, and then ascertain how effective those activities are in order to dictate where they spend their time.” Furthermore, sales leaders should understand the individuals on their team, paying attention to what motivates them and their communication styles.

CLN’s inaugural Chief Revenue Officer Exchange will bring together CROs to focus on key topics, including fostering adaptability within sales teams. Join us from November 16-18 in Miami, FL, to share ideas, network, and pave the way forward with top sales executives.