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In a previous article, we talked about leading as an effective change agent. Now, let’s talk about another key role you play as a leader, and that is the role of sales agent.

Now, you may say, “I own the business,” or “I am the CEO. Sales is no longer my role. I have a team who does that.”

And while it is true that you may have an active sales team and active sales automation funnels, it is also true that you can never abdicate the role of being a sales agent.

Sales are critical to income.

You know this formula innately: No Sales > No Income > No Business.

You cannot hand off your sales success to the team without also playing an active role in opportunities and outcomes.

As a leader, your vantage point for sales is invaluable. You know the full scope of the company and you also keep a finger on the pulse of customers, the industry, and your competitors. Your sales team may not have this perspective.

Thus, it is important that you be an integral part of the sales in your company and that you lead and communicate with your sales team.

One mistake growing entrepreneurs make is to quickly want to hand off the sales arm of their business.

• “I wrote a book and created the program. I just want people to sell it for me.”
• “I just need someone to make connections for me on LinkedIn and sell my services there for me.”
• “I spent years in sales. Now, I just want to create content and let someone else sell it for me.”

Here’s the thing that is missing in that equation: you, as the leader of a business, are the strategic connector.

In a small business, they are connected to you as a person and to your story. In a larger business, you are the strategic partnership creator. Either way, you play this important role in sales, and it cannot be delegated.

Some leaders may say, “But I’m not good at sales.”

This is especially true for introverted leaders, where typical salesmanship can be a challenge.

But consider that sales is serving. It is not a matter of pushing someone into purchasing something you want them to have. It is a matter of serving them with what you have to offer. This perspective translates all the way to the bottom line.

How can you leverage your strengths to be an effective sales agent?

D-wired Leaders – Tap into your natural strengths of getting people to take swift, decisive action. You are a natural closer. You don’t need long sales funnels and lengthy sales page; in fact, they annoy you. You can set strategic goals, engage your team, and get results. Your key role in sales is to lead your team strategically toward goals and outcomes. It is also to be the person in front, identifying the issues and leading the charge toward a product or program that resolves those issues for your customers and clients.

I-wired Leaders – Connecting with people is your superpower. As a leader, you may not be making cold calls, but you should always be using your superpower of connection to draw in new clients, customers, and strategic partnerships. If you stay on the front end of connections and ensure you have a strong team for follow-up, you can build and grow a company with relative ease.

S-wired Leaders – As an introverted leader, you will be the first to say you are not good at sales. But you are good at serving. Your superpower is connecting with the needs of others and finding a way to serve those needs. Your goal is not to ask, “How can our company sell you a product or program?” but “How can our company meet your needs and serve you well?”

C-wired Leaders – Your superpowers for sales are quality and dependability. Your best method for sales is to create the highest quality product or program possible and then to deliver it with the highest degree of dependability. Your work speaks for itself. You will want to engage with those who can help you make strong connections for sales opportunities, but you will always lead sales with quality and dependability. Once your brand is well-established, this will be your calling card.

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!