The 4 Leaders of Inside Sales

That title is a little misleading… we believe in balance, and that to create and run a successful inside sales function within a business having the correct leadership is key. There’s not a ‘one size fits all’ type model, but there are important attributes to have active within your leadership team. Like many models, the deeper you drill down the more detailed it can become.

To introduce this model we’ve split leadership into 4 styles. The prevalence of each style within your leadership depends on your business, and objectives. However as we mentioned, we believe in balance where possible. 

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Balance doesn’t have to be 4 people who each fit solely into one style, nor does it mean that any individual needs to wear 4 hats. Having a good balance would simply be having the necessary type(s) of leadership active, at the times that they need to be. At times only 1 will be required, and for more complex situations, all 4 may be required.  How you choose to achieve having these skills and resources available within your leadership team needs to be done on an individual basis. 

The key for all 4

Effective communication is the essence of leadership within the inside sales community (and likely many others). The purpose of great communication is to share information that is understood by both parties. How this information is shared then comes down to our communication styles, and can be used to influence, inspire and comfort people in order to achieve great results. Leadership communication skills are crucial, and they provide the glue that binds the styles and attributes of successful leadership in inside sales.  

Leadership Attributes in Inside Sales 

Courageous Leader 

• Sets high expectations for themselves and the organisation  
• Holds themselves and others accountable  
• Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility 
• Robustly challenges the status quo
• Provides direct, constructive and sometimes tough feedback tactfully but effectively 
• Displays maturity to handle stress associated with professional challenges and those specific to the role
• Accepts the responsibility of being a leader 

Inclusive Leader 

• Advocates the importance of diversity and inclusion
• Leverages diversity and inclusion externally, in the market and with customers 
• Values the uniqueness of each person within the organisation  
• Understands the power that cultural differences bring to the organisation  
• Creates an environment that reflects fairness and respect for everyone and their contribution
• Enables people from all backgrounds to work together effectively
• Continuously drives and manages changes that make the organization more inclusive and diverse. 

Ethical Leader 

• Demonstrates unquestionable integrity in customer relationships   
• Adheres to business practice guidelines and company values 
• Reinforces ethical behaviour by recognising appropriate behaviour in others 
• Shows consistency and trustworthiness in ethical behaviour
• Listens to others attentively, valuing their contributions
• Expresses facts transparently, no matter how unpopular they may be
• Has zero tolerance for ethical violations with the organisation  

Learning Leader 

• Reflects on past experiences to find new solutions 
• Gains and applies learnings from mistakes and failures 
• A quick learner who rapidly grasps new ideas and concepts 
• Believes that skills can be developed through hard work and dedication.
• Challenges themselves to take up complex tasks and stretches to achieve more.
• Constantly tries to learn, in order to become a better leader
• Often reads and researches new information in order to improve the business and the support the workforce.

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