Help My Salespeople Sell - Please!
Posted by Frank Belzer on Tue, Jun 21, 2011 @ 05:29 AM
You may not have said those words out loud, you might not have requested help but chances are if you are a CEO, VP of Sales or a Sales Manager you have felt this way a few times. If you are a sales person then no doubt you have had occasions when you left a meeting feeling that what happens next is “out of your hands” or simply "hoping" that things go in the right direction.
Why all the wishful thinking?
We all know that wishing something would close is hardly the same as knowing or taking action to make sure it closes but as we analyze companies we consistently uncover an awful lot of hoping, wishing, fantasizing and editorializing when it comes to the pipeline. We know better but we still gravitate to the comfort of maybe.
Japanese Master Swordsmen like Miyamoto Musashi living in the 17th century would hardly leave anything up to chance or hope. After all his head was on the line – literally. One of the really interesting methods that he taught his students had to do with how they held their sword, Samurai had two swords a short and a long one – so if held at the right angle the enemy could not tell which was in your hand and a simple miscalculation would be all it took to end the duel. Do you or your sales people keep the prospect guessing or are they predictable and just like everyone else?
He was also a master of psyching out his opponent and playing on his own turf and terms. Who controls your process - them or you?
He believed in arduous and continuous training to get better, do you reflect that spirit? Simply put, nothing was left to chance. NOTHING!
Unlike a master Samurai most of the sales people we assess are not careful or thoughtful. The prospect can see them coming a mile away and knows what to expect. Within seconds the prospect has control of the process and they are leaving the call going “oh oh - I hope they liked me” or something to that effect. Not a desired outcome.
In todays economy the consumer is more informed and educated and the resistance they will deliver is stronger and more articulate. Unfortunately only a small percentage of the sales force can handle and overcome that resistance. The duel is lost by the majority far too often.
If you would like to know exactly how much help your people need try THIS
