Dave Kurlan is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales development expert.
I recently paid a visit to the men's restroom (more comfortable in that one) where I saw Steve, our building maintenance man, on the floor repairing the sensor that automatically turns the water on and off. About 90 minutes later (right on schedule), I was back and shocked to see Steve still down there on the floor. I asked what was taking so long and he said, "Well it works just fine when it's not connected to the faucet but when I reconnect it the darn thing stays broken!"
Just like salespeople!
If your salespeople are going through any kind of up-to-date sales training or coaching, then they know they're supposed to ask questions and resist presenting company or product features and benefits. In the classroom they get it. In the classroom they can do it. In a coaching session it works. But as soon as you plug them in to a real sales call, by phone or in person, they revert to being obsolete.
Just like the faucet, it will work in time. The key is, as with Steve, you can't give up. You must keep plugging away, reinforcing the new thoughts, questions, behaviors and expectations until they become natural. In most companies, the training and coaching just isn't frequent enough, comprehensive enough or effective enough. Then, when it doesn't seem like it's working, it's much easier to quit, revert and be comfortable again. Comfort Never Equates to Sales Success but Sales Success Does Create Comfort. It requires Discomfort to Gain Success in Sales.
