Make Time for Sales`
Make Time for Sales`
88% of companies expect their people to prospect for new business.
Only 3% of all salespeople believe that it’s a productive exercise.
Is there any wonder small businesses have such a high rate of failure?
When you interview a sales person you undoubtedly made clear prospecting was an expectation. The candidate agreed, even volunteering a success story, convincing the interviewer they were on board.
However, when the standards of the job do not match an employee’s performance, a discrepancy exists. A manager should find the reason that discrepancy exists and decide if it is a problem worth fixing.
It reminded me of an earlier position where I was hired just to cold call and generate leads. Follow up was supposed to happen by a field salesperson but it didn’t. Customers began calling asking why no one followed up—they were interested!! The salespeople made excuses saying they had too much to do already. I did my job well—too well, our contract was terminated because they couldn’t (wouldn’t) follow up on all the leads generated. The manager chose this over holding his field salespeople accountable to do their job.
Why isn’t it a problem worth fixing?
Businesses do not fail because they do not have great products or services, they fail because of execution. The US Department of Commerce states that American industry has no problem with production - its main problem is distribution. Quality salespeople are the key to distribution.
Where is the break down?
Basic training textbooks state that one reason people resist learning/changing is because they don’t feel they can do it—so they do something else. Expectancy has the most influence on our behavior and self doubt is a nasty gremlin. We don’t waste our time doing things we don’t believe we can do. Goal setting and good daily actions will link you to demonstrating that the right outcomes are consistently achieved. And you must be clear of their connection to building that sales funnel. Inspect what you expect.
Fulfillment and empowerment are interesting buzz words today relating to the work environment. I did a quick search on Amazon and found titles as “Making Life Count”, “Take this Job and Love It”, “Pursuit of Passionate Purpose”. All could be great reads. We design inspiring purposes, and I wonder if it is to motivate us or to convince ourselves.
A famous MLM has a marketer quoted as saying she’s not selling cosmetics, but “making women beautiful”. Or “helping women achieve their dreams”. And so they are. That isn’t my point.
When you are working to your potential you are doing the right things. You aren’t fulfilled when you aren’t feeling productive, solving problems, and making it happen. You won’t be productive feeling the anxiety of procrastination. Stress comes from inertia. Its sister is dread. You live your life in dread and you aren’t fulfilled. You don’t know why but you’re sure it’s someone else’s fault. You can be very busy, but in sales—it’s all about the numbers—and you know it. It’s the only reason we are here. We were hired to do a job, and for that we expect to be paid well for it. We can’t settle for just getting by. Sooner or later your employer won’t. They may fire you, they may have to shut the doors. Either way you are out of a job, while ranting a litany of excuses about other people, the economy, the factory, labor or the product.
Management does not skid free. Attitude of the employee is often directly linked to the organization. Negative employee attitudes can indicate the salesperson questions the wisdom, sincerity or leadership of the organization. Punishment rarely motivates. It doesn’t motivate people to do things, only not to do things. The punisher is someone to be avoided. That is why your staff fakes an occasional call report. It’s rarely motivating to return with punishment more severe than the behaviors reinforcing properties. If an employee leaves or is someone you must terminate—a manager should access their role. Your goal is to have successful employees. And you have failed.
Trust me, if you don’t believe in your product and your company you should either get connected or leave. Peel the onion deeper than just saying “it doesn’t feel right”. Have an internal dialog about whether your complaints are reasons or simply excuses.
Sometimes an undesired behavior is rewarding—such as the joy of (temporarily) avoiding the negative. They don’t want to face the music and do the unpleasant. Good simple daily actions close the what is/should be gap. You know you should set aside the time to prospect, to follow up, to network.
I suggest doing what you “dread” the most first in the day. People resist this immediately. Just the definition of the word is dreadful.
Dread:
1 : to fear greatly 2 : to feel extreme reluctance to meet or face
intransitive senses : to be apprehensive or fearful
If you let the necessary things slide, you rehash them over and over in your mind and hold back from meaningful work. Maybe you’ll justify one reason after another to put off those calls until tomorrow, or next week. I hear many reasons for putting off those calls. I rarely meet a person who after making them doesn’t wonder why they fussed so much. They got that dread monkey off their back and replaced it with satisfaction.
Everyone agrees that being with a potential buyer is one of their best uses of your time. The discussion becomes over which is the best way to find a potential buyer? If you can get all your prospects streaming in the door, then you are probably not interested in this article. For the rest of us, there is real work to be done.
The main reason training alone does not work is because of resistance to change and failure to putt the action into the plan. Coaching with training adds accountability and gives you no place to hide. Of course you can always quit the class or fire the coach!! I prefer you choose to get used to stepping out of your comfort zone and enjoy the fulfillment it brings.
In the meantime, here is a list of the top reasons not to make that call.
Everyone is heading for vacation.
Its early, I’ll disturb the prospects coffee.
Its early, the prospect is returning “real” emails.
It’s too late in the day.
It’s too close to lunch.
It’s too close to closing.
They have a sign up prohibiting it.
I don’t have an appointment.
He/she doesn’t know me, my product.
It snowed and everyone is stressed about the traffic.
Its spring and everyone has spring fever.
Its summer and everyone is heading for vacation.
There is a big game tomorrow and everyone is taking a long weekend.
Their big trade show is coming up and everyone is focused on that.
They won’t return my call anyway.
They probably like their current supplier.
I’ll just get voice mail.
Does it really matter?
No one will know if I don’t make this one little call.
I’m tired today; I probably won’t sound my best so I shouldn’t call.
I need to research something a bit more.
I need to ask tech services before I call.
I think another person is working on this call.
I think they just purchased new.
Homework: Add to the list, email me your best. Then copy the compiled list and mail to your competitors—while you go out and make some calls!
Make Time for Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Carol Blaha's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
I subscribe to many ezines and I reviewed one from the Huthwaite group that claimed an interesting statistic:
88% of companies expect their people to prospect for new business.
Only 3% of all salespeople believe that it’s a productive exercise.
Is there any wonder small businesses have such a high rate of failure?
When you interview a sales person you undoubtedly made clear prospecting was an expectation. The candidate agreed, even volunteering a success story, convincing the interviewer they were on board.
However, when the standards of the job do not match an employee’s performance, a discrepancy exists. A manager should find the reason that discrepancy exists and decide if it is a problem worth fixing.
It reminded me of an earlier position where I was hired just to cold call and generate leads. Follow up was supposed to happen by a field salesperson but it didn’t. Customers began calling asking why no one followed up—they were interested!! The salespeople made excuses saying they had too much to do already. I did my job well—too well, our contract was terminated because they couldn’t (wouldn’t) follow up on all the leads generated. The manager chose this over holding his field salespeople accountable to do their job.
Why isn’t it a problem worth fixing?
Businesses do not fail because they do not have great products or services, they fail because of execution. The US Department of Commerce states that American industry has no problem with production - its main problem is distribution. Quality salespeople are the key to distribution.
Where is the break down?
Basic training textbooks state that one reason people resist learning/changing is because they don’t feel they can do it—so they do something else. Expectancy has the most influence on our behavior and self doubt is a nasty gremlin. We don’t waste our time doing things we don’t believe we can do. Goal setting and good daily actions will link you to demonstrating that the right outcomes are consistently achieved. And you must be clear of their connection to building that sales funnel. Inspect what you expect.
Fulfillment and empowerment are interesting buzz words today relating to the work environment. I did a quick search on Amazon and found titles as “Making Life Count”, “Take this Job and Love It”, “Pursuit of Passionate Purpose”. All could be great reads. We design inspiring purposes, and I wonder if it is to motivate us or to convince ourselves.
A famous MLM has a marketer quoted as saying she’s not selling cosmetics, but “making women beautiful”. Or “helping women achieve their dreams”. And so they are. That isn’t my point.
When you are working to your potential you are doing the right things. You aren’t fulfilled when you aren’t feeling productive, solving problems, and making it happen. You won’t be productive feeling the anxiety of procrastination. Stress comes from inertia. Its sister is dread. You live your life in dread and you aren’t fulfilled. You don’t know why but you’re sure it’s someone else’s fault. You can be very busy, but in sales—it’s all about the numbers—and you know it. It’s the only reason we are here. We were hired to do a job, and for that we expect to be paid well for it. We can’t settle for just getting by. Sooner or later your employer won’t. They may fire you, they may have to shut the doors. Either way you are out of a job, while ranting a litany of excuses about other people, the economy, the factory, labor or the product.
Management does not skid free. Attitude of the employee is often directly linked to the organization. Negative employee attitudes can indicate the salesperson questions the wisdom, sincerity or leadership of the organization. Punishment rarely motivates. It doesn’t motivate people to do things, only not to do things. The punisher is someone to be avoided. That is why your staff fakes an occasional call report. It’s rarely motivating to return with punishment more severe than the behaviors reinforcing properties. If an employee leaves or is someone you must terminate—a manager should access their role. Your goal is to have successful employees. And you have failed.
Trust me, if you don’t believe in your product and your company you should either get connected or leave. Peel the onion deeper than just saying “it doesn’t feel right”. Have an internal dialog about whether your complaints are reasons or simply excuses.
Sometimes an undesired behavior is rewarding—such as the joy of (temporarily) avoiding the negative. They don’t want to face the music and do the unpleasant. Good simple daily actions close the what is/should be gap. You know you should set aside the time to prospect, to follow up, to network.
I suggest doing what you “dread” the most first in the day. People resist this immediately. Just the definition of the word is dreadful.
Dread:
1 : to fear greatly 2 : to feel extreme reluctance to meet or face
intransitive senses : to be apprehensive or fearful
If you let the necessary things slide, you rehash them over and over in your mind and hold back from meaningful work. Maybe you’ll justify one reason after another to put off those calls until tomorrow, or next week. I hear many reasons for putting off those calls. I rarely meet a person who after making them doesn’t wonder why they fussed so much. They got that dread monkey off their back and replaced it with satisfaction.
Everyone agrees that being with a potential buyer is one of their best uses of your time. The discussion becomes over which is the best way to find a potential buyer? If you can get all your prospects streaming in the door, then you are probably not interested in this article. For the rest of us, there is real work to be done.
The main reason training alone does not work is because of resistance to change and failure to putt the action into the plan. Coaching with training adds accountability and gives you no place to hide. Of course you can always quit the class or fire the coach!! I prefer you choose to get used to stepping out of your comfort zone and enjoy the fulfillment it brings.
In the meantime, here is a list of the top reasons not to make that call.
Everyone is heading for vacation.
Its early, I’ll disturb the prospects coffee.
Its early, the prospect is returning “real” emails.
It’s too late in the day.
It’s too close to lunch.
It’s too close to closing.
They have a sign up prohibiting it.
I don’t have an appointment.
He/she doesn’t know me, my product.
It snowed and everyone is stressed about the traffic.
Its spring and everyone has spring fever.
Its summer and everyone is heading for vacation.
There is a big game tomorrow and everyone is taking a long weekend.
Their big trade show is coming up and everyone is focused on that.
They won’t return my call anyway.
They probably like their current supplier.
I’ll just get voice mail.
Does it really matter?
No one will know if I don’t make this one little call.
I’m tired today; I probably won’t sound my best so I shouldn’t call.
I need to research something a bit more.
I need to ask tech services before I call.
I think another person is working on this call.
I think they just purchased new.
Homework: Add to the list, email me your best. Then copy the compiled list and mail to your competitors—while you go out and make some calls!
Make Time for Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Carol Blaha's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Carol's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Conversations of Leadership Relational Software Ideal Client Self-Employment Guide Quadruple Your Business |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Productivity Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
 |
The Top 10 ProBlogger Posts
Best Posts for Bloggers | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
