Sometimes it can feel like meeting your sales targets and maintaining culture run in opposition. No matter what industry you’re in, if you run a business, being profitable is #1.
You also don’t want to let that tarnish your culture, whether you have a vibrant one or are working to build it.
But before you go ahead and hire a sales coach or bring in a motivational speaker (both of which can help), it’s important to be honest with yourself about leadership.
Are you giving off confusing energy? Have you invested time and resources into leadership training? Are you clear on your culture or are you expecting your team to just ‘get it’ instinctually?
Culture, like brands, are living ever-changing parts of a business.
As a CEO and active real estate sales consultant (at Nitschke), I have dual responsibilities to lead the team and bring in sales. A huge unlock for us has been EOS, which I’ve spoken about before and has become our foundational ‘operating system’. When systems and structures are dialled in, it frees up a lot of time and headspace.
This is my first piece of advice for aspiring CEOs – find (or design) a system that works for you, and build upon it as you grow.
Here are some components to balance sales and culture:
- Set a big vision and values for your business (this is your north star and frame of reference for every decision). Review it every quarter as a team and make sure it becomes the language of your team.
- Give feedback to your team in real-time, within 24 hours (this will create steady momentum)
- Document obstacles and opportunities in a dedicated ‘Issues List’ for everyone to add to (solve in real time and free up headspace)
- Create performance plans for your team (double down on your current employees, even if you want to attract new talent)
- Be available to your team as a business coach mentor. This will make their work so much more than just a job.
- Establish a formal leadership team (if you haven’t already) and meet every week for 90 minutes, with a dedicated time for the financials.
There’s a lot more you can do to balance financial stability and a thriving culture, but more on that later. Find more business coaching and mentoring advice that you can apply to your field in my free weekly email, Leadership Letters.
I share insights on business, leadership and personal development, documenting my journey building an industry-defining company. The good, bad, the opportunities and epiphanies.
I hope to see you in there.