Hayley George

Sales is not a dirty word. It is the lifeblood of every business, from the Start Up to the Global Brand. Sales is really about finding a solution to a problem or fulfilling an ambition or a need. I am evangelical about being a sales leader, but sometimes wonder how I ended up doing it. Like most people I fell into sales as a stopgap and considered myself to be biding my time until my "dream" job came along. I hadn't studied The Art of Selling or taken any exams in Pipeline Management or Negotiation Skills. When I was eight years old and my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I didn't answer "Business Development Manager"- I wanted to be a lion tamer. But, twelve years later I found myself in my first sales role. Building a sales team is simple; but just recruiting and managing sales procedures alone won't get you a GREAT sales team. Yes, you need process, diligence and data-based decisions, but a great sales team is born from a vision, not from a spreadsheet. Engaging your sales team with that vision, delivering and reinforcing the concept that despite different roles, we are all pulling in the same direction- coaching and leading from the front- this is what will get you to (and beyond!) that sales target, each and every time. It's a simple equation- create a great environment in which people can thrive and flourish and the results will follow. Analytical skills, concept thinking, problem solving, creativity, the ability to win hearts and minds- all used to develop sales strategies, build sales teams, make things happen and get results. Sometimes those lion taming skills also come in very handy.