Preparing for a leadership role isn’t as straightforward as reading a series of self-help books, and some of the most valuable lessons come from direct experience leading a team or a project. Learning from those who have tried and made mistakes, but also those who have tried and succeeded, can give new leaders first-hand insight into what works and what doesn’t.
For Steve Narish, senior regional director at Crexi, it is the genuine connections with fellow employees and team members that make for the strongest opportunities for good leadership.
“Building fruitful relationships is what it’s all about,” he said.
What does this look like in practice? Setting attainable goals, remaining trustworthy and empathetic, and instilling confidence in his team allows Narish to lead from a position of support. Given that the sales and account management world can be, as Narish says, “rife with rejection,” it is particularly critical for those leaders to provide their teams with as much encouragement, autonomy, and appreciation as possible.
Knowing from the outset which attributes and characteristics make for a successful leader can help junior employees build the right skills and aim for their highest professional goals. Narish shared details about his career path, how he prepared for leadership, and the characteristics that got him to where he is today.
What is your career background, and how did it prepare you for a leadership role?
My 10-year career has spanned a variety of sales and account management roles. After college, I bounced around between recruitment, financial services, and insurance; however, the bulk of my time has been primarily in the commercial real estate (CRE) tech space. I’ve spent the last six years at Crexi, where I have finally found my home. I started as an individual producer bringing CRE brokers to the site; as our team grew, I moved into management and most recently stepped into the role of senior regional director. Watching Crexi grow from its early stages to now almost 200 employees strong, I’ve gained a deep understanding of our business and how to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment. This experience enables me to better understand the day-to-day objectives of a salesperson, such as setting attainable goals, time management, discipline, preparation and overcoming adversity in a profession rife with rejection. In addition to my longevity at the company, successfully selling our product and being a consistent top producer has instilled confidence in the team for those coaching moments.
Building fruitful relationships is what it’s all about.”
What are the most valuable sales leadership attributes and characteristics?
In my eyes, being trustworthy and empathetic, understanding your audience and challenging them, communicating effectively, and leading by example are most important. That starts with really getting to know your team. A mentor once told me, “As a leader, you work for your salespeople, they don’t work for you.” That has always resonated with me and I try to be mindful of this every day. I’m very proud of the culture at Crexi, and I can truly say I love going to work every day.
We all believe in our vision and believe in each other. Autonomy is a major factor in motivation — I think our employees appreciate how much freedom they have, as well as our chemistry, collaboration and desire to grow. Everyone at Crexi is committed to improving every day, from the top-down, which also means providing the necessary tools and leadership for individual career growth and development. Lastly, accountability and leading by example are imperative to me. Our sales leaders are experienced sellers from both CRE and SaaS backgrounds, and are not afraid to get their hands dirty with lead-by-example attitudes.
Give an example of those sales leadership skills in action. What’s a recent example of how they helped you or a colleague solve an issue?
One of our best performers who is full of positivity and determination recently went into a minor slump, which threw off her game momentarily. I noticed she wasn’t her normal self and could sense she was a little defeated, so I stepped in to figure out what was going on. Knowing she’s very sound, focused and resilient, I knew it wouldn’t take much for her to get back on track. After listening to one of her calls, I was able to identify two areas of improvement — brevity, and softening the close. Salespeople can tend to get long-winded and oversell when things aren’t going their way, which was the case here.
We hopped on the next pitch together and I took the lead to give her a chance to hear a different approach. I checked another call a few days later and it was great to hear how she applied the feedback. Needless to say, she was back to being a shining star in no time. One of my favorite parts about Crexi is the collaborative environment. It feels great to know someone is always there to help and pick you up, especially with sales being an up and down roller coaster ride.
