Businesses are expected to change, but are you helping your sales team change with you? Here to help you tackle change head on is a leader who balances strategy with operational execution. Our guest this week is VP and Head of Strategy and Growth, Digital Infrastructure at Hitachi Vantara, Simon Ninan!

Simon shares the mic with Tim Harris to explore the ways leadership should be effectively enabling, and utilizing their sales teams. Simon dives into why innovation happens at the edge, the necessity of employing specialists and generalists, and how companies should look to grow with their customers.

Takeaways:

• Instead of selling on product alone, companies need to be focused on selling to a customer’s desired outcomes. By focusing on the desired outcomes, you create a long term partnership that is invested in your customer’s success.
• Change is inevitable for the growth of any company, but leadership needs to ensure that sales teams are kept up with that change. Transitioning sellers away from old products and habits is possible, but requires an intentional shift in their tactics.
• The rapid evolution of technology has resulted in a new kind of buyer, the biz tech buyer. This buyer values business outcomes and expects sellers to simplify complexity and address their core business issues.
• Building a sales force with athlete-like qualities, including discipline, versatility, and adaptability, is crucial for success. Investing in people who can connect the dots and evolve their skill sets is what separates thriving companies from the rest.
• Many companies restrict innovation to internal teams, yet innovation happens at the edge. By creating a system to allow salespeople to provide feedback, you are getting innovation that comes from direct customer interactions.
• Generative AI is transforming the way sales teams consult customers. While many buyers are curious about how a company may use AI in their products, many buyers are also wondering how AI can help evolve their business.
• To embrace what's next and drive future success, it is crucial to focus on anticipating customer needs and collaborating towards long-term goals. Salespeople should possess the skill of forward thinking and strategic planning.

Quote of the Show:

• “We're trying to make sure that culturally, but also in routine practice, our salespeople see themselves as seeders of innovation.” - Simon Ninan

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonninan/
• Website: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.html

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M