In the ever-evolving business landscape, sales leadership demands more than just hitting targets—it’s about inspiring teams, building strong connections, and adapting to new challenges. During a recent AMA session, Aparna Kapoor, Vice President of Sales at HDFC Life, shared her invaluable experience from over 21 years in leadership roles across media and insurance industries. With a proven track record in strategic planning and team-building, Aparna offered practical insights on what it truly takes to lead, empower, and drive teams toward exceptional results.
Lesson 1: Leadership is Earned, Not Inherited
There are three critical aspects on which a leader should focus upon:
- Reflective Listening: We all have heard as a leader, you need to be a great listener. But you know what happens when someone approaches you? In your mind, you’re already thinking of how you’ll react. Reflective listening is about reiterating what the person has said, like, ‘Oh, did you mean this?’ It’s about truly listening and showing that you understand.
- Assertive Communication: Assertive is not aggressive. It’s about saying, ‘I understand what you’re saying, but maybe we can do it this way.’ It’s about putting across your point while respecting others.
- Individualized Management: Every person in your team will not be the same. Train them differently, have different benchmarks, and give them better coaching based on their strengths.
Lesson 2: Success is Collaborative
Sales leadership is not a solitary journey. Just like when you are trekking a group, a true leader ensures that every team member reaches the summit. Even the slowest person is guided and supported. Leadership is about collaboration and lifting others up, not going alone.
At the end of the day, irrespective of what you’re selling, it’s about people. Understanding people and building connections is really important for a leader because relationships are the foundation of success.
Lesson 3: Adhere to the Principles That Drive Success
Aparna shared four guiding principles that have shaped her leadership journey:
- Abundant Mindset: Have a vision of what you want to do. It might be aggressive, but do you believe in it? Surround yourself with people who share that belief.
- Embrace Failure: The cycle of success is test, fail, learn. Failures are not the end but opportunities to refine and grow. People often fail more than succeed, and that’s okay.
- Empathy in Action: Understand your team’s challenges and work with them. As a leader, you must walk the path with them.
- Infinite Vision: Instead of asking, ‘When will I reach my goal?’ Focus on, ‘How far can I go?’ Leadership is a continuous journey.
Lesson 4: Resilience During Adversity
Reflecting on the COVID-19 crisis, Aparna recounted how her team adapted to uncertainty, during COVID, business was just not happening. They focused on proactive strategies and maintained morale. They went all out with proactive briefs and stayed engaged with clients, even if they couldn’t act immediately. She also emphasized: When managing people, ensure they don’t see the stress you’re under. As a leader, you must act as their shield.
Lesson 5: Maintain The Human Touch in Sales
Despite advancements in technology, Aparna underscored the irreplaceable value of human connection in sales. She said, Salespeople are critical and cannot be replaced by bots. Human interaction is essential, especially when addressing unique customer needs. Bots may answer basic questions, but they can’t build trust or empathize with clients.
Advice for Aspiring Leaders
For those looking to step into leadership roles, Aparna offered practical advice:
- Trust Your Instincts: I often finish interviews in five minutes. There’s something about trusting your gut that structured interviews can’t capture.
- Invest in Your Team: People are your greatest asset. Support them, coach them, and recognize their potential.
- Stay Resilient: Failure is not the end; it’s part of the journey. Keep learning and moving forward.
Watch the whole session here.