Case Study – Roger, Sales Executive
Summary: Roger was on the search for a more rewarding career which matched his work values and ethics. When the opportunity arose, there were unexpected mental barriers and blocks that suddenly appeared in his way.
Roger had been clear that he wanted a career change for the past 12 months. The decision was complex because he held a excellent position in a well-established company and he was respected by his peers and team, yet there were a number of aspects in his current role that he found frustrating and unfulfilling.
Knowing that any change would have to be a dramatic improvement as well as match many of Roger’s work needs, values and the very high standards that he had set himself over the years, it would have to be an exceptional role that would tempt him to leave his current one.
When the ideal new role appeared, Roger took his time and did due diligence to the various aspects of the role, the company and the directors he would be accountable to, in order to ensure that on the various levels of matters that were important to him, the package, that is the people, culture, expectations, etc., would match his needs and standards.
Roger was unable to feel the confidence and assuredness that he expected to feel, knowing his skill, knowledge, background and his suitability for the role.
The final stage was a day of meetings where they would thrash out all matters pertaining to the role, including, budgets, staffing, deadlines, requirements, standards, commitments, expectations, targets and so on.
Roger used the coaching session before this meeting to re-focus on the facts about his position and status, his skills and abilities and how he could apply his natural talent to managing this meeting and all the matters he wished to address and resolve in that time.
Roger focused on using his skills and resources as a highly successful sales person to address the directors in the meeting as if they were his top and most challenging clients. Knowing that his success rate in that situation was always over 90%, this gave him the confidence and assuredness he needed to manage the meeting in the best possible way.
Roger used the following four points from the coaching session as key reminders prior to the meeting:
- Prepare your proposal and go in with your offer, your expectations and deliverables.
- Treat the offering like a client visit - focus on the ‘value’.
- Create an open dialogue to get more ‘buy in’ and understanding from the ‘client’ (the directors) of what the purpose of the meeting is about and keep focused on this.
- Focus on how it would feel to walk out of there having won the call! Replay that winning feeling again and again, until you walk into that meeting with the expectation of winning them over, of winning the deal.
Rogers interview was a great success, he was offered the position and is making a great success of it.
“The brief but effective work I did with ECL gave me clarity and confidence to secure the position that previously I did not feel confident in fulfilling”. Roger, Sales Director.
