Smart sales hunters and managers know how to create a positive sales culture at their business. The ones who leave culture to chance lose opportunities, sales, and employees. In this slideshow, you'll learn why culture is more important than strategy, how to assess the state of your business culture, and 5 steps you can take to create a positive biz-dev culture at your business.

2. Create a Team of Hungry Sales Hunters:
A 5-Point Checklist to an Assertive Sales Culture

3. Fact:
Your business has a culture.

4. Your prospects see it.

5. Your clients see it.

6. Your employees and
colleagues see it.

7. “Culture eats strategy
for breakfast.”
Peter Drucker
Management consultant, educator, and author

8. Question:
What do you think your business
culture is?
Is it….

9. A “survival of the fittest” culture?

10. A precise, results-based culture?

11. A disciplinarian culture?

12. An “anything goes” culture?

13. Hint:
A business development
culture is not...

14. “I want to sell more stuff!”

15. Answer:
A business development
culture is...

16. ...a commitment to actively
seeking out new clients.

17. ...a functioning sales regime with dedicated
staff and specific sales processes.

18. ...a belief in sales as a profession that
should be practiced, refined, and improved.

19. Question:
What can you do to create a
positive sales culture at your
business?

20. Answer:
Follow this 5-point
checklist...

21. 1. Sales as a Profession

22. Do you view sales as a
profession or a job?

23. How do you think other
people view sales?

24. Do you consider your employees a
cost or an investment?

25. Do your superiors and colleagues
consider you a cost or an investment?

26. Discussion
What’s the difference between a
profession and a job? What’s the
difference between a cost and an
investment?

27. 2. Define Your Target

28. To create a positive
sales culture...
...determine which
prospects to target.

29. Who are your current clients?

30. What are their demographic and
psychographic characteristics?

31. Do a few of those current clients account for
a disproportionate part of your income?

32. Wise Guys Tip
Your clients are former prospects
who decided to buy from you. Use
your current client list as a blueprint
for your prospecting activities.

33. 3. Make a Plan

34. To create a positive sales culture...
...develop a strategy and a process
for pursuing prospects and turning
them into clients.

35. What are your sales channels?

36. How did you acquire your
current clients?

37. Wise Guys Tip
Understand how you excel at
generating business (cold calling,
email marketing, referrals), and
replicate those strategies.

38. 4. Assemble the
Right Team

39. To create a positive
sales culture...
...put the right people in
the right roles, and help
them execute.

40. Who is responsible for new business
development?

41. How much business is generated
from new clients vs. current clients?

42. Does your commission rate vary for
new clients vs. repeat business?

43. Wise Guys Tip
Make sure you, your colleagues, and your
employees all understand your business goals.
Reward your team members (e.g., salary,
bonuses, commissions) when they contribute
to achieving those goals.

44. 5. Practice, Refine,
Improve, and Repeat

45. To create a positive sales culture...
...work continuously to improve
your strategies, processes, and
execution.

46. Do you hold regular sales meetings?

47. Do you or your team members attend
sales training?

48. Do you role play?

49. Do you use biz-dev
tools or software?

50. Wise Guys Tip
Commit to role playing. It requires no additional
investment, it leads to tangible improvement, and
the more you do it, the more comfortable your
team will be with the format.

51. Fact (again):
Your business has a culture.

52. Do you want to leave
your business culture
up to chance?

53. Or do you want to create the sales culture
you want and need by committing to:
● define your target market
● focus on your biz-dev strengths
● create clear roles for your team
● improve your process through education,
communication, and support
● reinforce that sales isn’t just a job—it’s a
profession

54. Create a Team of Hungry Sales Hunters:
A 5-Point Checklist to an Assertive Sales Culture

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