That’s the philosophy of Tony McGinn OAM, who says sales and business development are mission-critical for any business.

The Victorian Chamber is joining forces with the McGinn Partnership on The Art of Sales: A Masterclass in Performance, a comprehensive training program run by Mr McGinn designed to help business leaders understand issues with accountability and productivity within their sales processes and how they can improve them.

Mr McGinn founded his media and entertainment business at age 22, which grew to operate three businesses with 150 staff over 33 years of his leadership. After selling the business in 2016, he launched The McGinn Partnership to work with other experts to transform sales performance for SMEs and mid-market companies.

The Performance Protocol

Mr McGinn says all businesses deserve a ‘Performance Protocol’ to protect them and realise their sales potential – that is, embedding the right processes for the organisation, not just an individual. This way, sales staff can effectively focus on the best opportunities for the business.

“The Performance Protocol is a series of objectives that, when combined in sequence, make up the ‘super objective’. Most salespeople approach an opportunity with the super objective foremost in their mind – and that is the sale and their desired commercial outcome.

“The Protocol slows the process down and allows the salesperson to control the engagement and work through the objectives to discover quickly and without ambiguity, whether there is a sales potential. It protects both parties and dramatically enhances sales productivity and transparency.”

Mr McGinn says the course delivers a complete toolkit for selling – the commerce, psychology and performing art of sales – and how to balance all three to become more productive.

“[It teaches] how to become an empathetic sales or business development person who differentiates themselves from the ‘typical salesperson’ in the market and earns the right to become the prospective customer’s ‘trusted adviser’.”

Tristan Zhou, CEO of Simmons Lumber, said the program not only met but surpassed his expectations.

“This Program encapsulates the wisdom of seasoned sales professionals, offering a transparent process that everyone can follow. It instils confidence in our sales representatives, assuring them that following the correct process and with the right input will lead them to the expected output.

“The Protocol has now evolved into our shared language within the sales team. To fully take advantage of this program, we have scheduled bi-weekly “Seller, Prospect and Observer (SPO) Skills Practicing” sessions with each division. This approach has fostered a lasting shift in the mindset of our business, marking a significant and enduring improvement.”

Register today

Set your team up for success and give them the guidance they need to help you succeed.

The Art of Sales: A Masterclass in Performance is a one-day masterclass held in-person on 16 Apr 2024.

This workshop is suitable for anyone who is interested in growing their business and setting up guidelines and protocols around sales processes.

Tailored on-site training at your office is also available. Contact us to find out more.

More information and registration is available on our training page.