What does a sales consultant actually do? Founder: “Wait, I have to do stuff too?”

You’ve hired a sales consultant! Congrats! You can sit back, relax, and watch the revenue pour in. No, you can’t, of course I’m kidding. Now how do you make the best use of the time you have together? They should be providing a framework work for each part of your sales organization’s pie. In order for the pie to be baked to perfection you need to participate too.

WHAT THE CONSULTANT IS GOING TO DO?

1. Build a Sales Playbook

They should build a sales playbook designed to support the growth of your business. This is everything from ICP/Target market identification, cold calling scripts, training, cadences, tech stacks, operations, down to compensation plans and more. This is what you’re paying them for. Your consultant should be using their expertise to build a comprehensive sales playbook that is strong enough to be used immediately and flexible enough to grow with your company over time. Their thoroughness will be the key to successful growth.

2. Spend time coaching you and your team

Spending time with your sales leaders and sales team will be crucial to implementing your new sales playbook. They will ask for your time and to have the opportunity to teach your team their methods. They are teachers, and they should be teaching, not just telling you what to do, rather coaching you on how to accomplish it. When they ask for time with your team, give it to them. Don’t lock them in a tower and only let them out because it’s your weekly follow-up time.

3. Provide feedback

They will provide feedback quickly and consistently as you work with your team to change how things are done. One of the best parts about a life of sales experiences is the ability to see things on a macro level. If you’ve hired the right person, they will be able to see blind spots that you’re too close to catch. Feedback from all parties involved will be discussed and incorporated into your playbook. This is a dynamic process that will mold to your organization.

Treat consultants like you do your therapist. You pay them to provide insights and actionable items to help you grow. They don’t just give you all the answers, rather they help you discover the answers yourself. Don’t treat them like your best friend giving you advice that you never follow. You chose to hire them because of a pivotal moment in your business, you have to be open to their point of view, process, and suggestions about developing your sales organization.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO?

1. Listen

It’s hard, we all know it is. We all love to hear ourselves talk more than we want to take in what someone else is sharing. The years of battle-tested experience your consultant has acquired has prepared them for the journey you’re about to take you on. You need you to listen to what they’re saying. This involves leaving your ego outside, and bringing in your open mind. Your consultant is going to probe, challenge, illuminate, and suggest things. None of what they say means you’re a crappy leader. Be able to separate when you need to self-reflect and when someone is simply making candid observations.

2. Participate

Your consultant isn’t your new employee, don’t treat them like one. This wasn’t a “hire someone so you don’t have to worry about it” situation. This was a we need help in this moment, and we need someone to show us the way. Show.us.the.way. Not – do it for us. That means you have to walk down the path they laid out. Participation is active, and it’s you choosing to engage in the process being laid out before you. During the time with your consultant dive in head first and do everything you can.

3. Be Decisive

Decisiveness is the ability to make decisions quickly and efficiently. Your consultant is working to change processes or put in place brand new ones. The WORST thing you could do is stall on implementing them. It’s not The Cheesecake Factory with a menu of 10 billions things you’re trying to pick from. Its simple change that need speedy execution. The clock is ticking and everyone wants results, for that to happen you need to take the lead and do it.

4. Include them

In order for your playbook to work your consultant has to have a clue about the company’s growth strategy. The best thing you can do is keep them up to date with what the C-Suite plans or expectations are for revenue growth. If you choose to share only bits and pieces to share, they’re essentially working with one arm tied behind their back. There’s a good chance it could even implode and you’ll be pissed that “they didn’t help.” Actually, you need to allow them access to everything you can share, so they can go to work for you knowing the full picture.

I hope these past few weeks have helped provide some context about how you find a sales consultant and how you work with one after you’ve hired them. They’re just people who happened to have a great sales career because they learned how to solve tricky problems as they went along. Their goal is to share that acquired wisdom, within the scope of their experience, to help your organization avoid the pitfalls they’ve already navigated. For the relationship to be successful, you need to ensure your participation with an open mind.

Good luck out there!

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