| Since 1990 I have focused on the three primary | | | | Once performers have experienced the benefits |
| barriers which affect the performance of | | | | of practice and structure and of eventually the |
| salespeople: | | | | release of talent and personality it becomes a |
| 1. Low confidence and self image | | | | natural follow on to reach for constant |
| 2. A low sense of personal responsibility for their | | | | improvement. Were it that easy. There is a |
| performance, and | | | | missing element. |
| 3. A low acceptance level of the need to practise | | | | The way in which the salesperson feels about the |
| selling skills | | | | job they do has a major impact on their |
| In all top performers, and in sales team this might | | | | effectiveness, but that's not the whole story. |
| represent only between 15-20% of the population, | | | | Whenever I ask senior managers what the |
| these barriers have been overcome, or at the | | | | reason is for one team performing well and one |
| very least compensated for. | | | | not so well, the answer is inevitably the difference |
| Where many people make the mistake is in | | | | is the manager. My own experience, and research |
| assuming that they can solve their overall sales | | | | over the last ten years bears this out. |
| force performance needs by employing people | | | | All sales managers are drawn from the population |
| with the opposite of these characteristics. | | | | of salespeople and therefore bring with them the |
| These people only represent some 15-20% of | | | | same baggage they acquired in their sales role. |
| the population anyway and the stark fact is that | | | | Although many want to treat their old peer group |
| merely because people are successful elsewhere, | | | | in a different way few have been shown any |
| this does not guarantee that they will be | | | | other example other than the status quo of - |
| successful with you. The reason for this is that | | | | 'there are those that lead and those that follow'. |
| your management style may not be conducive to | | | | Indeed most sales managers take up their new |
| a) creating and b) retaining high performers. | | | | positions without any instruction, formal or |
| 80-85% of salespeople appear unable to | | | | informal. They then adopt the behaviours their |
| overcome these barriers, but simply identifying | | | | past managers have taught them, perpetuating |
| what those barriers are is only part of the | | | | the status quo. There's an analogy with |
| solution. In addition, if you do manage to employ | | | | parenthood. Where did we all learn to be parents? |
| the other 15-20%, without addressing the main | | | | From our own parents. There is no other |
| influencing factors on performance you can also | | | | profession where you are allowed to practice on |
| adversely affect top performers. | | | | a live audience other than as a salesperson or a |
| Most salespeople, whilst enjoying the perceived | | | | sales manager. Although the title manager |
| freedom and benefits of selling exhibit internal | | | | provides some internal satisfaction regarding |
| conflicts which can dramatically affect their self | | | | professionalism, the practise of sales management |
| image, thus reducing their confidence. This in turn | | | | is rarely professional. |
| is transmitted to customers, bringing about a | | | | Insofar as personal responsibility is concerned all |
| self-fulfilling prophecy of low performance. The | | | | sales managers believe that they are responsible |
| beliefs which produce this are:-a) no-one chooses | | | | for the success of their teams. Whilst they are |
| selling as a first career choice. Most people drift | | | | certainly accountable no-one can be responsible |
| into sales either because they can't think of | | | | for the performance of another person. It's a |
| anything else to do or due to low educational | | | | difficult and complicated lesson to learn but it |
| achievement, circumstances or lack of | | | | represents the foundation stone of professional |
| opportunity, and thus other career choices | | | | performance coaching.The major influence on |
| become unobtainable. In professions such as | | | | sales success is provided by the behaviour of |
| sports, music, dancing, and acting, the great mass | | | | sales managers, not salespeople. In common with |
| of people in them make early conscious decisions | | | | other professional groups, changing the manager |
| about wanting to be in that profession. They | | | | changes group performance for better or worse. |
| understand what they must do in order to stand | | | | Yet in most cases of poor sales performance the |
| any chance of becoming successful.b) This | | | | first casualty is usually the salesperson. |
| apparent lack of understanding of the mechanics | | | | Messages about self-worth, preferred career |
| of professionalism leads people to focus on such | | | | paths, and the nature of authority start early. We |
| professions as law, medicine, and finance as | | | | quickly learn that we generally have to do as we |
| desirable yet unattainable professional status. The | | | | are told, that people in authority have the upper |
| fallback position for all salespeople is that | | | | hand, and that the term professional is applied to |
| becoming a sales manager does not require any | | | | white collar work excluding sales. In addition, the |
| high academic achievement, and promotion to | | | | lessons about being personally responsible for |
| management is almost always based on sales | | | | decisions and success begin too late to have any |
| achievement. In this way many salespeople are | | | | effect. |
| able to produce short-term performance levels in | | | | By the time most people begin their first job the |
| order to retire into management. The goal is to | | | | way in which they relate to authority has become |
| become a manager, which is seen to be a | | | | embedded. Unlearning these patterns of behaviour |
| professional position. For many salespeople | | | | requires a significant effort both on the part of |
| promotion is a reward and most fail in their first | | | | the employee and especially the manager. |
| management role.c) Salespeople and customers | | | | Remember managers have themselves been |
| have the same feelings about selling, in that the | | | | subject to the same history. By the time they |
| process is focussed on benefits to the person | | | | arrive in a management role they have convinced |
| selling, not the person being sold to, and that part | | | | themselves that their position of authority now |
| of sales technique is to persuade people to buy | | | | bestows upon them the responsibility to change |
| something they really do not need. Although many | | | | others. Whereas as Arguris rightly said in 1962 - |
| sales training theorists talk about creating an | | | | ..."No-one can develop anyone apart from himself. |
| environment in which customers are encouraged | | | | The door to development is unlocked from the |
| to buy rather than having to be sold to, the way | | | | inside." |
| in which salespeople are trained and managed | | | | Yet even understanding the sales process will not |
| rarely allows this to happen. Once again, the top | | | | result in sales success. The key to unlocking |
| 15-20% do create this environment, mostly | | | | potential is the coach. |
| unconsciously, but instead of focusing on how | | | | Professionals understand and welcome the |
| they do this, too many organisations simply | | | | involvement of the coach because they recognise |
| believe that finding and employing these top | | | | that they will not achieve their potential within the |
| performers will solve all of their problems. We can | | | | intervention of a coach. |
| all too easily recount stories of instances where | | | | Whenever top performers are asked to |
| service provided by an organisation falls far sort | | | | comment on their success inevitably they refer |
| of the customer mission statements contained in | | | | to the coach. |
| their advertising. | | | | The answer to sales success and the releasing of |
| True professionalism comes from a process of | | | | potential of both salespeople and sales managers |
| accepting the rules within which the professional | | | | does not lie in easy solutions. Other professionals |
| can perform. | | | | know that the answer lies within, and in hard |
| In order to release talent and ability that people | | | | work. Most top salespeople will always cite 'hard |
| have to be able to learn and perform the basics, | | | | work' as one of the primary reasons for their |
| mostly through repetition and skill drilling. There's a | | | | success. Hard work is however interpreted by |
| saying that amateurs practise until they get it | | | | sales managers as 'see more people', and 'selling is |
| right, however professionals practise until they | | | | a numbers game'. It's not. Most top salespeople |
| never get it wrong. | | | | actually see less customers and spend less time |
| Most professionals have tools that they use and | | | | at work that their unsuccessful and average |
| they also understand that the way in which those | | | | performing colleagues. If 'seeing more people' was |
| tools are used requires compliance to basic rules. | | | | the answer then how is that the problem of low |
| For example, a javelin thrower knows that they | | | | performance amongst the majority of salespeople |
| cannot cross the line when running up to throw | | | | has yet to be solved? |
| the javelin. They know that the javelin has to be | | | | Having worked with a number of professionals in |
| thrown point first. An actor knows that they | | | | other disciplines it has become clear that the |
| have to use a stage prop in a certain way at a | | | | solution to performance improvement lies within a |
| certain time, and they know that they have to | | | | professional approach to skills improvement |
| stick to the script. A dancer uses a certain type | | | | through the intervention of a professional coach. |
| of footwear specific to a particular dance style. | | | | The difference between a successful salesperson |
| They accept that they have to perform a | | | | and an unsuccessful salesperson lies in the way in |
| number of steps in a certain sequence. A guitarist | | | | which the salesperson communicates with and |
| knows that they have to strike the strings of a | | | | behaves towards the customer. The difference |
| guitar in a particular fashion and hold the strings on | | | | between a successful sales manager and an |
| the fret board in a certain way in order to comply | | | | unsuccessful sales manager lies in the way in |
| with the music - which they follow. | | | | which the manager communicates with and |
| These rules, which ensure consistency, and | | | | behaves towards the salesperson. |
| through consistency professionalism, are | | | | The focus and foundation stone of sales |
| understood and accepted by professionals. They | | | | improvement is the establishment, understanding, |
| are neither understood nor accepted by | | | | and implementation of personal responsibilities. |
| salespeople or sales managers primarily because | | | | The simplicity of this philosophy belies the hard |
| consistency brings with the responsibility of | | | | work required by everyone involved to implement |
| inflexibility. | | | | it, and the potential of all those involved in sales to |
| You might have heard McEnroe complain about | | | | improve themselves. |
| the ball being in or out, but not of the necessity | | | | It begins with setting the agenda and reviewing |
| to serve over the net. Nigel Kennedy may have | | | | the journey towards excellence thus far. |
| complained about always playing 'dead guys stuff' | | | | The key is goal-setting. Are the aims and |
| but he doesn't change the music or miss pieces | | | | objectives of the performer in line with those of |
| out. When Michael Flatley disagreed with the rigid | | | | the coach and the organisation? |
| nature of Riverdance he had to set up his own | | | | The third stage is about understanding whose |
| company. There may be modern versions of | | | | actions have brought about the current results - |
| Shakespeare productions, but they keep the | | | | this is where the focus moves strongly into |
| original words. | | | | personal responsibility. The fourth stage is about |
| In following the rules, and adhering to the way | | | | taking that responsibility for making things happen, |
| basic training has moved them to competence, | | | | for making improvements, and for contracting |
| and the coach towards excellence, professionals | | | | with the coach to work on an improvement plan. |
| have no issue with compliance, repetition, and | | | | The final stage is about analysing the results and |
| constant practice of the same skills. They | | | | making new plans for the next stage of |
| understand that it is through this process that | | | | improvement. |
| they can release their talent and personality. | | | | It is a process that works in the fields of sports, |
| Too many salespeople, and many sales managers | | | | music, acting, and dance. It works in sales. Selling |
| believe that selling is about personality and | | | | is not an academic process, it is a physical skill, |
| therefore seek to employ or become the perfect | | | | and as such we can learn from these other |
| salesperson without understanding how talent and | | | | professions about professionalism, personal |
| personality is released. | | | | responsibility and achievement. |