Ladies in gross sales have achieved nice issues for themselves and their organizations over the past decade. To have a good time Ladies in Gross sales Month, we’re speaking with some wonderful 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 on your staff, and the way it’s essential to at all times be recruiting new expertise.
Tune in now or maintain studying for a quick overview.
Ladies 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 just lately served as President/Chief Govt Officer of Cox Media Group, a job 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/Basic Supervisor for its Lengthy Island, NY radio station group earlier than working her manner up via the ranks.
Earlier than ascending to CEO, Kim additional expanded her abilities 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 belongings, 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 Individuals in Radio” and “Most Influential Ladies in Radio.” She additionally was named “Lady of Distinction” by the March of Dimes, “Humanitarian of the Yr” by the Muscular Dystrophy Affiliation, the “Trailblazer Award” by the Mentoring and Inspiring Ladies in Radio group (MIW), and was awarded the “Ladies Who Lead” honor by the Alliance for Ladies 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 seems at throughout the gross sales group, and even all the way down to the division degree, on a constant foundation to actually know when you’re on observe from an organizational standpoint.
Kim mentions that at iHeart, they use Salesforce, and there are tons of metrics to measure. Nonetheless, she actually focuses on itemizing actions and alternatives by salesperson. “You realize 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 e-mail that you have within the course of with a prospect or a consumer,” she explains. “Then a chance is an precise proposal or a pitch to the client. So, when you’ve acquired a superb variety of these two metrics going, then that is often fairly indicative of what is going on to return out of the opposite finish of the pipe.”
By way of metrics not on Salesforce, she mentions at all times 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 look at is progress from key accounts. “It is one factor to have a extremely huge buyer, however it’s good to see what number of issues you might be really promoting to this buyer,” she explains. “Are they merely shopping for broadcast? Are they shopping for simply digital? If in case you have somebody shopping for broadcast plus digital, that often is a reasonably good signal {that a} buyer is much less prone to churn. And often, 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 doesn’t suggest you want that.
Massive 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 wonderful gross sales supervisor, however when you’ve acquired a bunch of C-talent as sellers, it would not matter how nice the gross sales supervisor is.”
One actually good gross sales supervisor just isn’t going to be sufficient to offset actually common gross sales expertise. “I would slightly have actually good gross sales expertise,” Kim explains. “Typically you’ll be able to have an A that is was a C as a result of they acquired lazy, or they stopped working onerous, or they acquired 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 street.”
As Kim emphasizes, expertise will at all times – ALWAYS – be a very powerful Massive Rock. In a aggressive trade, it is in regards to the salespeople that may determine it out. “Are you able to go in? Are you able to get a superb dialog going with a buyer and discover out the place their ache factors are and the way we are able to resolve that?”
She additionally provides, “You need 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 when you’re recruiting for a frontrunner within the group, what are the issues that you are looking at – abilities, expertise, expertise, all of the above?
“For me, one of the vital necessary is a way of positivity. It is actually onerous proper now. It is at all times going to be onerous. I do not want you to inform me the 15 causes that that is actually onerous.”
Kim additionally provides that as a gross sales supervisor, having a business-thinking mindset is totally required since you make so many choices all day lengthy. “Some individuals don’t have a way of a superb deal versus a foul deal or the best way to eyeball one thing and see the profitability in it, or that this is not actually good, it is a $15,000 order, however it has $5,000 of onerous prices. Then we have now 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 onerous conversations. And being able to have loads of ongoing suggestions goes to get the most effective out of your individuals and also you, and typically it takes a reasonably 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.
