Top 10 Differences Between Sales Winners and Losers
Top 10 Differences Between Sales Winners and Losers
What is it about some players, teams, salespeople, and companies that cause them to win while others don't? I have probably not written about this subject as often as I have written about tactics, strategy and motivation so I'll give it some attention this week. I'd like to discuss the ten biggest differences between sales winners or over achievers and sales losers or under achievers.
1. Over achievers choose to do the things they don't want to do. This point was originally made, using slightly different words, back in the 1950's by Albert Gray. I originally posted about this in January of 2007.
2. Expectations - Over achievers expect to win and under achievers expect to fall short. Expectations are even more important than goals. While goals provide long-term motivation, expectations set the bar for each and every sales conversation and meeting, as well as for the behaviors we might expect from ourselves, colleagues, prospects and customers.
3. Reaction to Adversity - Nobody is exempted from having to deal with adversity. The difference is that over achievers see a challenge where under achievers see obstacles. When it comes to challenges, over achievers embrace, even get excited about them. Under achievers become overwhelmed with challenges, and steer clear of obstacles.
4. Resilience. When over achievers lose a battle (a single conversation in the sales process), they simply strategize as to how their next call will achieve the desired result. When under achievers lose a battle they often sulk, give up, start from scratch with a new prospect, or worse, do nothing.
5. Emotions. When over achievers fail to get the desired result they don't panic, miss a beat or become upset, Instead, they stay in the moment and simply make their next move. When under achievers fail to get the desired result they panic, become emotionally involved and lose their objectivity.
6. Strategy - Over achievers have the ability to develop a sound strategy for the accounts they wish to pursue or grow. Under achievers often fail to spend the time strategizing at all. A good strategy is required for effective execution and if you don't have a strategy, execution is a hope, not a reality.
7. Process - Over achievers don't always consciously follow a process but they have one, even when they're not aware of it. Under achievers are often selling by the seat of their pants and it shows!
8. Tactics - Over achievers have an endless arsenal of tactics (questions, selling points, stories, analogies, examples, etc.) while under achievers often have little more to work with than features and benefits that they regurgitate when they run into trouble.
9. Self-Improvement - Over achievers over achieve because they are relentless in their pursuit of improvement while under achievers don't see the value of books, videos, webinars, newsletters, blogs, training and coaching.
10. Passion - Over achievers are usually passionate about what they do while under achievers often can't wait for the day to end.
Go back and rate yourself ion a 1-5 scale n all ten categories, using the following scale:
1- Poor
2-Needs Significant Improvement
3-Room for Improvement
4-Needs Fine Tuning
5-No Need for Improvement
How do you rate in these five areas?
Any surprises?
Any lessons?
Any changes going forward?
Tell me about them.
Top 10 Differences Between Sales Winners and Losers - To learn more about this author, visit Dave Kurlan's Website.
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In this article I'll focus on the players - Red Sox - who, during 2004, 2007 and so far this post-season, seem to find a way to win.
What is it about some players, teams, salespeople, and companies that cause them to win while others don't? I have probably not written about this subject as often as I have written about tactics, strategy and motivation so I'll give it some attention this week. I'd like to discuss the ten biggest differences between sales winners or over achievers and sales losers or under achievers.
1. Over achievers choose to do the things they don't want to do. This point was originally made, using slightly different words, back in the 1950's by Albert Gray. I originally posted about this in January of 2007.
2. Expectations - Over achievers expect to win and under achievers expect to fall short. Expectations are even more important than goals. While goals provide long-term motivation, expectations set the bar for each and every sales conversation and meeting, as well as for the behaviors we might expect from ourselves, colleagues, prospects and customers.
3. Reaction to Adversity - Nobody is exempted from having to deal with adversity. The difference is that over achievers see a challenge where under achievers see obstacles. When it comes to challenges, over achievers embrace, even get excited about them. Under achievers become overwhelmed with challenges, and steer clear of obstacles.
4. Resilience. When over achievers lose a battle (a single conversation in the sales process), they simply strategize as to how their next call will achieve the desired result. When under achievers lose a battle they often sulk, give up, start from scratch with a new prospect, or worse, do nothing.
5. Emotions. When over achievers fail to get the desired result they don't panic, miss a beat or become upset, Instead, they stay in the moment and simply make their next move. When under achievers fail to get the desired result they panic, become emotionally involved and lose their objectivity.
6. Strategy - Over achievers have the ability to develop a sound strategy for the accounts they wish to pursue or grow. Under achievers often fail to spend the time strategizing at all. A good strategy is required for effective execution and if you don't have a strategy, execution is a hope, not a reality.
7. Process - Over achievers don't always consciously follow a process but they have one, even when they're not aware of it. Under achievers are often selling by the seat of their pants and it shows!
8. Tactics - Over achievers have an endless arsenal of tactics (questions, selling points, stories, analogies, examples, etc.) while under achievers often have little more to work with than features and benefits that they regurgitate when they run into trouble.
9. Self-Improvement - Over achievers over achieve because they are relentless in their pursuit of improvement while under achievers don't see the value of books, videos, webinars, newsletters, blogs, training and coaching.
10. Passion - Over achievers are usually passionate about what they do while under achievers often can't wait for the day to end.
Go back and rate yourself ion a 1-5 scale n all ten categories, using the following scale:
1- Poor
2-Needs Significant Improvement
3-Room for Improvement
4-Needs Fine Tuning
5-No Need for Improvement
How do you rate in these five areas?
Any surprises?
Any lessons?
Any changes going forward?
Tell me about them.
Top 10 Differences Between Sales Winners and Losers - To learn more about this author, visit Dave Kurlan's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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