I find that I am consistently bombarded with questions from business owners as to why their salespeople are struggling to achieve the company sales goal. They say things like:
- “My salespeople are continuously busy and seem to be doing the right things, but the results of their efforts continuously fall short of the mark;”
- “My bottom line is shrinking and I find it difficult to forecast my sales;”
- “My salespeople have lackluster performance and are blaming prospects for the lack of results.”
My response is always the same, “How committed are your salespeople to success?” It’s time for the sales nation to step up its game and recognize that each salesperson is accountable to their own success, not for just showing up.
Surprisingly, a large amount of salespeople do not have the commitment it takes to be successful in their profession. Instead they have a commitment to busy work, whether it leads to success or not. Their activity consists of repetitive patterns that pass the time but rarely deliver high quality results.
On the other hand, smaller groups who display unconditional commitment to selling success typically outperform the rest of the sales force combined. If you analyzed the top producers, you would find that they share similar performance characteristics.
A good parallel are Olympic athletes. I am fascinated by the effort these young people expend throughout their life in pursuit of a gold medal. Most began with a dream before they were 10 years old. The dream drove them to set off on a quest for perfection. They rose early in the morning and built their life around a mission. When most their age were having fun, doing what children do, they were hard at work, mastering their sport. Each story involved a similar theme of total dedication to reach success: develop a plan, set goals, execute the plan daily, review progress, set higher goals, continue daily workouts, utilize a coach, etc. No one gets to that level of athletic excellence without total commitment.
It takes similar dedication to be a successful sales professional. What would happen if all salespeople mirrored the characteristics and attributes of Olympians? What if there were Gold Medals given out for superior sales performance? Who in your company would step up and take the challenge to win the gold? Sadly, too many salespeople are “hobbyists” who display conditional commitment rather the drive to master their craft.
We have tested thousands of salespeople and have made a study of the common traits all top performers share. Here are the top 10. Take a few minutes and analyze your sales team.
- Ambition & Drive: Do your salespeople set high-performance goals and relentlessly pursue them?
- Affiliation: Do your salespeople support your company goals and directives?
- Assertiveness: Do your salespeople take charge of their own success?
- Influencing: Do your salespeople present your products and services to buyers in a compelling fashion?
- Self Responsibility: Do your salespeople personally hold themselves accountable for success?
- Emotional Composure: Do your salespeople display poise and professionalism?
- Time Management: Do your salespeople use time effectively?
- Ego: Do your salespeople demonstrate confidence to you as well as their prospects?
- Initiative: Do your sales people take all the necessary actions without being told?
- Vitality: Do your salespeople work to keep their energy level and stamina high?
Victory requires each salesperson to bring their “A” game to the marketplace every day. Mediocrity will not be rewarded or tolerated by today’s savvy prospect.
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Karl Graf is recognized nationally as a business development expert. Based in Dallas TX, Karl specializes in executive sales consulting and sales productivity training.www.trustpointtx.sandler.com |
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