Girls in gross sales have achieved nice issues for themselves and their organizations during the last decade. To rejoice Girls in Gross sales Month, we’re speaking with some superb girls gross sales leaders who share their distinctive insights, from providing recommendation for gross sales managers, new or extra expertise to discussing the anticipated panorama of gross sales and years forward relating to bettering gross sales efficiency.
On this episode of Bettering Gross sales Efficiency, Kim Guthrie, Division President for iHeart Media, Florida, joins host Matt Sunshine and co-host Stephanie Downs to debate the significance of forming developmental relationships with shoppers, the significance of constructing belief, being a sustaining useful resource in your group, and the way it’s essential to all the time be recruiting new expertise.
Tune in now or maintain studying for a quick overview.
Girls in Gross sales – Kim Guthrie
Because the Florida Division President for the iHeartMedia Markets Group, Kim Guthrie oversees the operations of the Florida Division for iHeartMedia.
Kim has over three many years of expertise within the trade. She most not too long ago served as President/Chief Govt Officer of Cox Media Group, a task she ascended to in late 2016. She was instrumental within the evolution and progress of CMG since she first joined the corporate in 1998 as VP/Normal Supervisor for its Lengthy Island, NY radio station group earlier than working her approach up by way of the ranks.
Earlier than ascending to CEO, Kim additional expanded her expertise by serving as Govt Vice President of CMG’s Nationwide Advert Platforms, the place she oversaw the nation’s greatest tv rep agency. As CEO of CMG, she had full oversight of the corporate, together with almost 100 broadcast TV and radio stations, dozens of digital property, and newspapers. She began her profession within the Midwest, the place she labored as a tv information reporter and anchor for a number of ABC associates.
Kim was awarded the 2020 Management Award by the Broadcasters Basis of America and is a multi-year honoree of Radio Ink Journal’s “Most Highly effective Folks in Radio” and “Most Influential Girls in Radio.” She additionally was named “Lady of Distinction” by the March of Dimes, “Humanitarian of the 12 months” by the Muscular Dystrophy Affiliation, the “Trailblazer Award” by the Mentoring and Inspiring Girls in Radio group (MIW), and was awarded the “Girls Who Lead” honor by the Alliance for Girls in Media (AWM).
Key Efficiency Indicators to Watch in Gross sales
Stephanie begins the dialog by asking Kim to call just a few KPIs that she appears at throughout the gross sales group, and even right down to the division stage, on a constant foundation to actually know if you happen to’re on observe from an organizational standpoint.
Kim mentions that at iHeart, they use Salesforce, and there are tons of metrics to measure. Nevertheless, she actually focuses on itemizing actions and alternatives by salesperson. “You recognize what’s within the pipeline, and if the actions are down or the alternatives are down. So exercise is technically like a gathering or an electronic mail that you have within the course of with a prospect or a shopper,” she explains. “Then a chance is an precise proposal or a pitch to the shopper. So, if you happen to’ve obtained a very good variety of these two metrics going, then that is normally fairly indicative of what is going on to come back out of the opposite finish of the pipe.”
When it comes to metrics not on Salesforce, she mentions all the time taking a look at new enterprise. “Attrition is one thing that sadly occurs in gross sales it doesn’t matter what you are promoting, however in media for certain. Are you bringing in new enterprise to make up for the attrition?”
One other metric Kim likes to observe is progress from key accounts. “It is one factor to have a extremely massive buyer, nevertheless it’s good to see what number of issues you’re truly promoting to this buyer,” she explains. “Are they merely shopping for broadcast? Are they shopping for simply digital? When you’ve got somebody shopping for broadcast plus digital, that normally is a reasonably good signal {that a} buyer is much less prone to churn. And normally, it is as a result of they’re getting higher outcomes once they use the piece.”
As Kim factors out, whereas there are one million issues you’ll be able to measure, it does not imply you want that.
Huge Rocks for Gross sales Managers
What are gross sales managers’ greatest rocks or their highest priorities day in and day trip?
Kim responds, “I like that expertise x supervisor = productiveness. So, you’ll be able to have a extremely superb gross sales supervisor, however if you happen to’ve obtained a bunch of C-talent as sellers, it would not matter how nice the gross sales supervisor is.”
One actually good gross sales supervisor is just not going to be sufficient to offset actually common gross sales expertise. “I might relatively have actually good gross sales expertise,” Kim explains. “Typically you’ll be able to have an A that is changed into a C as a result of they obtained lazy, or they stopped working arduous, or they obtained some very nice accounts, and so they’re all buzzing alongside. After which perhaps they overlook to maintain planting the seeds for brand new enterprise down the highway.”
As Kim emphasizes, expertise will all the time – ALWAYS – be crucial Huge Rock. In a aggressive trade, it is concerning the salespeople that may determine it out. “Are you able to go in? Are you able to get a very good dialog going with a buyer and discover out the place their ache factors are and the way we will remedy that?”
She additionally provides, “It’s important to retract, however you even have to draw nice expertise, recruit them, after which maintain them motivated as soon as they’re right here.”
Qualities of a Nice Gross sales Chief
Stephanie asks Kim if you happen to’re recruiting for a frontrunner within the group, what are the issues that you are looking at – expertise, expertise, expertise, all of the above?
“For me, probably the most necessary is a way of positivity. It is actually arduous proper now. It is all the time going to be arduous. I do not want you to inform me the 15 causes that that is actually arduous.”
Kim additionally provides that as a gross sales supervisor, having a business-thinking mindset is completely required since you make so many selections all day lengthy. “Some individuals don’t have a way of a very good deal versus a nasty deal or find out how to eyeball one thing and see the profitability in it, or that this is not actually good, it is a $15,000 order, nevertheless it has $5,000 of arduous prices. Then we now have to fee the individual.”
“I additionally love braveness as a trait in individuals. How do you maintain individuals accountable? It is the braveness to have these arduous conversations. And being able to have a whole lot of ongoing suggestions goes to get one of the best out of your individuals and also you, and generally it takes a fairly large dose of braveness to have that.”
To listen to extra about how the gross sales trade has modified and what to anticipate sooner or later, tune in to not hear the remainder of the dialog.
