A sales mentor can be one of the most valuable resources a growing sales representative has. Thriving in the competitive sales landscape requires professionals to be constantly committed to learning, growth, and evolution. While business leaders can provide training which assists staff members in achieving success, a mentor can provide more personalized guidance.
Sales mentorship can be an excellent way for businesses to boost the performance of their teams, by nurturing useful relationships. Not only do the right mentorship programs improve sales, but they can also lead to higher levels of productivity and team motivation too.
What are Sales Mentors? An Introduction
A sales mentor is essentially a teacher with expertise and guidance to offer in the sales landscape. Unlike a standard teacher, they take a more informal approach to assisting their students, providing anecdotal guidance, support, and suggestions often on an ad-hoc basis.
Mentors can be any leader or professional in the sales landscape with more experience than their mentee. Additionally, mentees don’t necessarily need to be inexperienced. They may just need additional guidance and support with a specific part of the sales process.
In a sales mentor program, a mentor offers guidance and support for professionals hoping to reach specific goals and outcomes. This mutually-beneficial and trusting relationship allows mentors to develop their leadership skills, while mentees benefit from the wisdom of an experienced professional.
Benefits of Sales Mentoring
Sales mentoring can be an extremely lucrative and beneficial process for everyone involved. When business leaders leverage a sales mentor program in their workplace, they benefit from a more collaborative, cooperative team. Sales mentors get a new opportunity to lead people and develop crucial hard and soft skills that will benefit them throughout their career.
Sales mentees, on the other hand, get to learn from someone with more experience in specific areas. The right relationships can even improve sales and business outcomes. One study found sales mentees earned about 18% higher revenue on average than their peers.
Some of the primary benefits of sales mentorship include:
- Professional development: Both mentors and mentees can improve their skills through the mentorship process. Sales experts can strengthen their leadership abilities, while the employees they mentor learn new skills for selling.
- Specific advice: Unlike in a standard training environment, a sales mentor program allows two individuals in a professional environment to build a relationship. This allows the mentor to deliver more specific, personalized, and actionable advice.
- Improved productivity: Positive relationships, such as those between a sales mentor and mentee can improve engagement and motivation in the workplace. This can consequently lead to higher levels of job productivity and performance
Where Can Employees Find Sales Mentors?
Sales mentors can come in many different shapes and sizes. One of the most common ways for professionals to seek out mentorship is to speak to a leader in their business, such as a supervisor or manager. Some companies even create mentorship programs to help connect more experienced sellers to newcomers in the team.
However, mentors don’t necessarily have to be in the same business as the person they mentor. These individuals can be connected to entirely different brands, or working on consultants on their own. Some professionals have found excellent mentors by interacting with their social media network on LinkedIn and looking for influencers.
Professionals can also find mentors by connecting with professionals through industry events, professional associations, and online community forums. There are even bootcamps and online training environments which offer mentorship. Remember, you should always be looking for someone who has the experience and background required to help you achieve your goals.
Top Tips for Making the Most of Sales Mentorship
Sales mentoring can be an excellent way for businesses to motivate, engage, and transform their employees. However, it’s important for mentees to be just as invested in the mentorship experience as their teachers. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Set clear goals: Establish what you want to accomplish with your mentorship from the moment you start connecting with your business leader. Speak to your mentor about your short and long-term goals, and ask them if they feel like they can help you. Check in on your progress towards your goals regularly and ask what you could be doing to move faster.
- Ask questions: A good sales mentor doesn’t just tell you what to do, they can answer important questions about your business, industry, and target audience. They can also provide extra guidance on strategies and sales models, if you know the right questions to ask. It’s also worth asking for extra clarification if your mentor suggests something you don’t understand.
- Act on the advice given: If you really want to make the most of your mentorship strategy, then you need to be willing to listen to the advice and guidance your mentor offers. Even if they share negative feedback, don’t just ignore it. Remind yourself that they’re working to help you achieve your goals, and you should be appreciative of their time.
A sales mentor can help professionals at any stage of their selling career to achieve their goals and accomplish new things. Just make sure you know how to leverage the guidance and advice offered by your mentor correctly.
