Roller Coaster Sales Performance

The Stock Market

The Stock Market plunged on both Friday and Monday

The Stock Market made gains on Tuesday and Thursday

The Stock Market and they were sandwiched around another loss on Wednesday

and that sounds very similar to Sales Performance It's the Proverbial Roller Coaster

doesn't it?

We know why the market goes up and down

We know why the market goes up and down - in hindsight

We know why the market goes up and down - in hindsight but we can never predict when {

Do we know why bounces up and down? Sales Performance

Here are my for Primary Reasons

Sales Performance1 Inconsistent

1. Inconsistent Sales Management

Sales Managers that don't hold their salespeople accountable to metrics that drive revenue on a daily basis, and who don't coach their salespeople every day can be heard singing, "I'd rather be lucky..."

2. Lack of Focus

Many Salespeople are easily distracted and have difficulty remaining focused on the job at hand, especially when the job at hand involves more than just selling. Those who tend to be event driven may work for days on a single opportunity and those who are task oriented may fail to get traction on enough meaningful opportunities.

3. Lack of Motivation

Many Salespeople are simply not motivated enough to go to battle each and every day. It's bad enough that they must face off against prospects who don't want to talk with them, an economy with an identify crisis and competitors that don't play fair.

But they also must fight their own demons - those fears and self-limiting beliefs that play such a big part in the behaviors that lead to their less than record-setting outcomes.

4. Lack of Skills

As per the recent survey*, 74% of all salespeople are overwhelmingly mediocre, and as such, they succeed because they are lucky, not because they effectively follow and execute the sales process. Unfortunately, luck is as consistent as the stock market.

* Skill Survey @ Objective Management Group 2011

5. Lack of Commitment

Most Salespeople stop short of asking the question that will lead to success. As a matter of fact, they probably stop about 17 questions short of that outcome.

In other words, they have the opportunities, but take the path of least resistance, passively hoping that things will go their way, even if they weren't champions for their own cause.

6. Rejection

By the way salespeople use it, you would think that technology had removed rejection from selling.

Instead, technology simply provides a way for salespeople to avoid rejection as they resort to email and LinkedIn to avoid being rejected over the phone.

Ironically, technology simply makes it easier for prospects to avoid and reject salespeople.

7. Pipeline

The pipeline should be the single most accurate predictor of future revenue, and it can be!

Unfortunately, despite the available technology that makes this so easy, salespeople and their managers just do not manage the pipeline

to the degree that it is always stuffed with enough quality opportunities.

8. Precedent

When salespeople have been allowed to perform inconsistently

in the past …

it sets precedent that inconsistency is OK now and

in the future.

9. Ambivalence

Who really cares when salespeople don't consistently hit their numbers?

I can tell you this; if the salespeople don't care, and their

managers don't care …

… there won't be any urgency to fix anything because nobody thinks anything is broken.

10. Sales Culture

Sales are created and supported by everyone in the organization. It is a

common misconception that the people who do all the selling are the only sales

people.

Professionals lead the effort, internal and external customer contacts impact

sales results at all levels

(And my personal favorite)

11. When your Boss is an Ass%#$@

11. When your Boss is an Ass%#$@

i mean Hari

Sadoo

He Interrupts

He disrespects

He Yells for no Rime and Reasons

He Justifies his Mistakes

He Ignores

He Gives no Freedom

He Passes the buck

Trust me

Roller Coaster Sales Performance

will keep happening

Long Live Sales

Long Live Sales (And the wonderful Sales Professionals)

Thank You

Credits -DAVE KURLAN

abhishek.shah@live.com