Transforming interactions in sales and marketing. | Kelly Wright | 376

Is it possible to transform the world of sales through thought leadership? And if we could, how would we change and improve sales culture? While many industries and positions change and evolve at high speed, the world of sales is often seen as foundational. Companies educate their salespeople about their product or service, and send them to sell as many units as possible. That's the way the game is played, right? But what if things could be different? Our guest today is Kelly Wright, Founder of Culture Driven Sales, an organization on a mission to help companies create exceptional cultures. Kelly helps orgs drive sales by bringing all levels of the company together around a unified purpose, creating a healthier, more aligned culture. She is also the President and COO of Gong, a company that analyses customer-facing interactions to deliver the insights needed to close more deals. We start our conversation by discussing how thought leadership and sales connect. Kelly shares her experiences, noting that many salespeople don't realize how powerful thought leadership can be in selling and what a game-changer it can be! The competitive market no longer wants vendors who are just "going through the motions." They want a partner that will challenge them, help them keep up with modernization, and work with them to create a better environment for sales. Kelly is on a mission to transform the sales world. When companies spend more time educating salespeople on the why as well as the what (knowing the product, but also how it helps their clients), they can create a true partnership between sales and customer. Through storytelling, salespeople can connect with their customers, creating a unified mission and vision that can spur success and create growth for both sides. If you want to transform the sales culture in your company this is the episode for you! Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leadership creates, persuades, and "sells" a vision of the future. Many thought leaders have a gut feeling about how things work, but choices need to be based on research and data. Your thought leadership is not for everyone. Don't spend time on people who aren't interested in learning more about your core insights.