In today’s ever-evolving sales landscape, change is constant, but transformation is rare.
Sales leaders are asked to shift from product pushers to solution advisors, from managing territories to managing trust. Teams are navigating AI tools, CRM platforms, hybrid working, shifting buyer behaviour, and heightened performance expectations. Yet, many transformations stall before they start; why?
Because true transformation isn’t just about systems and strategy; it’s about people.
1. Change vs transformation: What’s the difference and why does it matter in sales?
Change can be reversed; transformation cannot. Think of a caterpillar: when it becomes a butterfly, it enters a cocoon, a state of organised chaos, and emerges as something entirely new. It doesn’t simply change; it transforms.
Salespeople are often asked to ‘change’: update your pitch, use this new tool, adopt this process, all while exceeding quota. However, unless we help them transform, they will likely revert to old habits under pressure.
As a sales leader, your role is to guide your team through that cocoon by recognising that change isn’t only structural, it’s personal.
2. Transactional vs transformational sales leadership: Which are you practicing?
Transactional leadership is based on command and control. It assumes ownership, limits creativity, and lacks inclusivity. Sometimes we need to TELL people what to do, and this leadership trait is typically within our comfort zone. After all, we’re supposed to be leading by telling, right? Not always!
Transformational leadership, on the other hand, is about developing people. It’s focused on their development, sense of purpose, and empowerment. This leadership style is harder to maintain on a constant basis. Typically, we live in the transactional arena about 76% of the time, but if we can find a blended balance and shift more often over to a transformational foundation, we will be able to build a more empowered team network, function, and successful outcome.
Ask yourself:
- Are you giving orders, or asking questions?
- Are you managing the pipeline, or developing the person?
Transactional leadership is directive in nature. It’s less emotive, with low ideation on the employee’s part and an assumed level of directional knowledge transfer from the leader to the employee. People who live exclusively in this leadership style often see low engagement, as well as less ownership and following.
Transformational leadership on the other hand is a system of “co-creation”. It’s inclusive in nature and these leaders are not afraid to be vulnerable. They use this as an inclusive strength and are conversational and emotive. Coaching is their main motivator to drive ideation and creativity, whilst also transferring ownership directly with the people who need it. Organisations that foster this leadership style as a core trait have higher engagement cultures.
3. Organisational change vs personal change: The missing piece in sales transformation
Organisational change tends to happen to people, not with them. It assumes compliance and rarely includes the lifecycle of change with the employees beyond the initial stakeholder change initiatives. In essence, once the change project is done, leadership moves on. But the people are not on the same timeline or pathway because they were not included.
Personal change is about how the individual experiences the shift. As the organisation dictates change, or even the customer within Account Management, Retail and or Frontline Sales dictates, that change can be imposed upon the sales member. The opposite is also true when the sales members’ sole focus is on their (transactional leadership) goals of making a sale. Salespeople can benefit with learning critical reflection of personal change and recognising that the very act of sales itself is a change to their customer. Customers don’t always want or need your product or service, so the very conversation you are introducing to them becomes a personal experience.
Think about that. How many times have you been sold to? How did that make you feel? Interruption of your day? Wasting your time? Now what if the salesperson owned the change they were introducing and included you in on the journey and solution? Would you be more willing to interact? Without supporting this level of change, transformation stalls. That’s where Scared So What® comes in.
The Scared So What® Framework: A practical toolkit for sales leaders and reps
Scared So What® was created in the sales master’s programme within the Consalia Sales Business School and Middlesex University. The research was based on Leading Sales Transformation. Within that understanding of the science and psychology of sales interactions and exchanges, a new way to manage change inclusively and in the moment was created to support individuals in understanding change for themselves, but also for others, primarily their customers.
The foundation of Personal Change Management was established and tested within global hospitality sales and has since proven to be not only impactful for sales transformation, but for all people to learn how to lead their own personal transformations from personal experiences.
SCARED Wheel model:
- Surprise: Am I surprised by this change? Positive, neutral, or negative?
- Conflict or champion: Which way am I leaning? Champion is great. Conflicted is uncertainty or not favouring.
- Actions: What can I do to generate or gain information? Leading you out of assumption.
- Receptive or rejective: How am I feeling about this change? Both are acceptable.
- Explore options: What else should I include?
- Decision: What decision can I make? Favourable? Unfavourable? Or am I confused or un-decided?
Time & Energy: The process of critically reflecting on your feelings is NOT linear. You have the ability to feel variable energies: positive, neutral, negative. The goal is to reflect over time and understand your feelings.
The SCARED Wheel of change is designed to put you in control. Through critical reflection, you are no longer living in fear, worry, stress, or anxiety. You’re generating thought and actions to empower change and make an informed decision rather than an assumption.
Once you’ve made a decision, next up is SO WHAT: What is your plan to execute the change in the way you want?
SO WHAT model:
- Strategy: What is my strategy or plan to execute this change for me or my customer?
- Options: What options could I include or consider?
- Way forward: Do I see a pathway forward that this plan will work?
- Hope or how: Pause for critical reflection. Hope is powerful; if you have it, you’ll put forth the energy. If you don’t, you won’t! Knowing how is also impactful.
- Actions: What will I do to execute the change in the way I need for it to be successful? Same for your customer?
- Take ownership: What tasks need to be achieved to be successful?
Why this matters to sales leaders now
Salespeople are on the front lines. It’s time to move from process-driven change to person-centred transformation. As a leader, you bridge the gap. Transformational leadership, paired with Personal Change Management can drive real growth.
Your sales team members, and most importantly YOU, have not been taught how they can manage personal change as it happens. Learning this skillset is the best opportunity to avoid all your change instances in bouncing backwards. Empowering and managing inclusive change propels you and your team into transforming a new pathway forward.
Join the Movement
Watch Dr Grant Van Ulbrich’s webinar to learn how to lead sales transformation through personal change.
Let’s stop forcing change ON people and start transforming WITH them.
Written by Dr. Grant Van Ulbrich, Founder of Scared So What® and ISP Founding Fellow
Dr. Grant Van Ulbrich is the founder and creator of Scared So What®, the world’s first Personal Change Management (PCM) model and technology. A globally recognised thought leader in sales transformation and personal change management, Grant blends academic research with real-world leadership expertise.
A U.S. Navy veteran turned global executive, Grant spent nearly 25 years leading commercial teams for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, navigating change across continents and cultures. He now helps organisations and individuals embrace transformation from the inside out.
His work has been featured in Forbes, MSN, and Entrepreneur, and his TEDx talk, How Can You Manage Personal Change?, is approaching 2 million views. Grant is also a Fellow at a major UK university, an award-winning author of Transforming Sales Management, and a certified executive coach.
With endorsements from The Oxford Review, CPD accreditation, and ITOL certification, Scared So What® is now helping companies and individuals globally to navigate change with clarity, courage, and ownership.
To learn more about the model, visit: www.scaredsowhat.com. To read about Dr. Grant, follow this link: www.drgrant.com.