“When you have a general interest in the work that you do on a day-to-day basis, you naturally want to seek out new information that drives that excitement. And I think that’s exactly what I do.” Introducing Sade Hatcher, Enterprise Advertising Manager based in the UK, who sat down with CEO Chantel George of Sistas in Sales to chat about infusing creativity and authenticity into building relationships in sales and the importance the role of listening and information seeking plays in being an effective seller and client partner.
Tailoring the Client Approach
The conversation opens with Chantel and Sade connecting over their shared love of jazz, and we’ll soon find out how music plays a unique role in Sade’s approach to sales. Sade emphasizes the significance of tailoring the sales approach to individual clients. She underscores the importance of building relationships, understanding client needs, and asking the right questions to establish a true partnership. By delving into discovery questions, Sade expresses how other sales professionals can uncover critical insights to drive campaign success.
Sade shares an example of how adaptability once led her to a successful client acquisition. She adds, “I inherited a client some time ago, and while everything looked great on paper, I realized there was a huge misalignment after I actually met with the client.” By actively listening and absorbing information, she aligned Taboola’s offerings with the client’s objectives, resulting in a tailored solution that met their needs. Sade walks the listeners through the importance of discovery questions, learning about the clients’ key focus metrics, and understanding what success looks like from their perspective.
How Cultivating Inclusivity Contributes to Taboola’s Culture
When discussing diversity and inclusion, the host, Chantel, asks Sade about how she contributes to a culture that’s inclusive and respectful of the current culture. Sade emphasizes the power of knowledge sharing and active participation in Taboola’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). By educating colleagues about cultural celebrations and historical events through her involvement with ERG, Taboola InCulture, Sade fosters an inclusive environment that values diversity, knowledge sharing, and respect. “Being that person that’s able to communicate and share key insights into a celebration or the history of the topic is an important ingredient to build on the inclusive environment amongst the team.”
Staying Ahead of The Curve
As the conversation shifts from company culture to being a strategic client partner, Sade sheds light on her approach to staying updated with industry trends and technological advancements to better support clients and drive and create successful campaigns for them. By maintaining a genuine interest in her work and actively seeking out new information, she ensures that she brings value to client conversations. “It could be anything from browsing LinkedIn, joining forums, or going to events and talking to people.”
“Taboola has a lot of internal product updates, and really understanding the backend of why these products are being developed and their impact helps build a 360 approach to how you deliver yourself and value to clients.”
Infusing Creativity to Personalize Interactions
Drawing inspiration from her love for music, Sade shares a creative example of how she approaches client interactions. She shares how her mom was a big fan of singer Sade in the 80s (hence her name), and so she has leaned into that connection by adding her favorite Sade song into her signature when emailing a new prospect or client. “It’s a great conversation starter when meeting new clients and naturally opens up the conversation.” Sade adds, “Having met someone recently on a video call, they said they were a massive Sade fan. We swapped favorite songs, and while on the call, a Sade song came on the radio – there was a level of synchronization!”
Closing Thoughts
Sade ends the interview by emphasizing the importance of creativity and authenticity in sales. She encourages listeners to be true to themselves, as that can help spark a genuine interest in someone else and drive meaningful engagement with clients. Listen here for the full video interview, and stay connected with @Sistas in Sales and @Taboola on social media for the next video featuring other women in sales at Taboola.
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