Brooke Harper5 years ago
April 02 2017
Exactly! I love reading your posts. Keep it up.
ReplyToday, new sales people have access to a ton of training, documented case studies, and information on best sales practices. Yet, I’m still seeing new sales people make the same bad mistakes as their predecessors.
You see, there was a time – long, long ago – when an effective sales person was defined as one that was good at schmoozing, was likable, took clients out to expensive dinners, and closed lots of deals. But these practices went only so far. Since then, especially with the major advances in technology, buyers have become much more sophisticated. The sales profession clearly had to adjust accordingly.
Back in the olden days, management could spot good sales people by how they dressed and carried themselves, or how aggressive yet likable they were. They were “trained” by others who also knew how to schmooze, were likable… you get the drill. Sure, they closed a lot of deals, but their profit margin per deal was very low or non-existent.
In those days of the dinosaurs, a “well-trained” sales person would go into a client’s office and a) read (upside down) anything that was on their desk, or b) comment about how much he liked golf/fishing/etc. if the client had pictures around showing them participating in these sports. Ugh. I don’t miss those days, and it’s almost painful walking down this particular memory lane.
But in these enlightened days, so much is provided to new sales people. There’s a ton of training, best practices and role-playing exercises available on account planning, objection handling, dealing with procurement, meeting planning, social selling, and engaging executives. Honestly, almost every area of sales is now either documented in numerous books or covered in some type of web-based workshop or classroom training.
So, why are so many new sales people still acting as if those dinosaurs still are flying? It’s disheartening to see bad habits in new sales people who are still:
Recently, I met with a new sales person who had had the amazing opportunity to participate in months of onboarding and training. This included lots of communication and sharing with experienced, successful sales people to ensure the newbies started out on the right path. But, when I asked to discuss a deal in his pipeline, he had no clear reason why it was there in the first place. All he knew was that someone – not a key stakeholder – agreed to meet with him. Say what?
Pivot to another new sales person who had the exact same training. This person did research to get some understanding of what the customer was trying to accomplish. He worked hard to identify the key stakeholders to meet with and signed up for a conference where one of those key C-level stakeholders was presenting. He connected with the key C-level stakeholder on social networks and prepared, in advance, a brief yet impactful statement to introduce himself at the conference. And guess what – this new sales person got on the key C-level stakeholder’s calendar for 60 minutes to delve into the key stakeholder’s goals and priorities! Again, “say what?” But in a positive vein this time.
So, for all of you new sales people out there, understand that the key to success is to use everything that is available to you. And then align yourself where your customers need you most. Be relevant. Be credible. And, don’t waste your time on deals that will never ever close. Learn from the mistakes of the old-timers and go out there and help your customers reach their business goals. It’s a whole lot easier than pushing that big boulder up that hill. Experienced and new sales people: I’ve love to hear about your own experiences!
March 29 2017
Thank you Brooke for your insights. Agree they both had optimism but one was a wish and a prayer and the other had been researched and planned. I have seen too many sales people get an in and waste tons of their time and their precious resources time where the "in" either has no purchasing power, is just kicking tires..... But, you get that!
ReplyMarch 27 2017
Very insightful post, Janice. I could say that those two new reps in those two scenarios both possess same attribute: OPTIMISM. They are optimistic that they got a “yes” and not a rejection, that no matter who opened the door, they got an “in.” Perhaps, they thought that they could work it out and close a sale. But, often, sales hit dead-ends when you are dealing with the wrong person.
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Janice Mars5 years ago
April 03 2017
Thanks Brooke! Appreciate your kind comments. I plan on continuing to share my views and keep learning from others.
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