To win consistently sales reps must have a plan. It must be a solid strategy which gives them 'THE' edge, the 'IT' factor over their competition; continually driving sales opportunities through the pipeline all the way to the finish line.
Spending my career in an extremely laggard, slow in adapting to change and highly traditional sales channel, is challenging all by itself. I chose to be different. I thrived in it, I embraced it and personally challenged myself hence my article 3 Things I Learned As A Major Account Copier Rep On The Streets Of Los Angeles.
I’ve been part of countless conversations with sales leaders and managers over the years, trying to understand how to motivate sales reps to do more than the bare minimum they have grown accustomed to doing. This reminds of the 5 Things Top Sales Reps Do And Why Most Just Shoot Themselves With Complacency Bullets.
THE PROBLEM IS GETTING BIGGER BY THE MOMENT
Inside the vast majority of sales teams, sits so much opportunity. The opportunity to blow right past sales targets, crushing the competition while taking no prisoners. However; the opposite is wreaking havoc within sales teams. Sales leaders are becoming silently frustrated by the actions brewing and festering inside their sales teams. So much potential, so much opportunity – stalled and squandered.
On the flipside, many of these frustrated leaders also fit the description of average and complacent as they mirror the behaviors bestowed upon them by their sales team. An entire different issue for another time and day.
Time to open Pandora's Box. You can no longer sweep these actions under the sales rug and pretend they don't exist. What may have seemed small or innocent throughout the years has now turned out to be detrimental to sales growth with far-reaching negative consequences within your sales department.
THE REAL STORY INSIDE MOST SALES TEAMS
Your sales reps didn't start off their career saying “I just want to be good enough.” Most worked their asses off as they progressed through their sales journey.
Sports athletes don’t come out of rookie training camp with the attitude of... I’m shooting for average – average skills, average income and average performance.
They also didn't start out with the goal of hanging on, doing enough just to 'get by', or 'figuring out' how to survive until they could inherit another sales reps accounts.
Well, at least not in the beginning, correct?
They learned that mindset. They learned that behavior. They learned to settle. Whose fault is that?
I am positive the mind can be convinced of almost anything especially if it is being told the same story over and over again.
So here lies the question...
Are you really happy with average results from your sales team or have you just convinced yourself that’s the case?
Spend any amount of time in sales and one feels the pressure. The pressure from within organizational structure, pressure from clients and pressure from competition. I am a firm believer pressure is self-induced and has been brewing for years within the sales world.
Most have succumbed to one simple word... COMPLACENCY
3 SIGNS OF COMPLACENCY IN YOUR SALES TEAMS
As Alfred A. Montapert said:
“Do not confuse motion and progress.
A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.”
If you aren't worried about the problems nor the signs … why should your sales team be worried?
A BELOW AVERAGE LINKEDIN PROFILE
I dare you... Look at each and every one of your sales reps LinkedIn profiles. Do any of them provide a clear path for visitors (your prospects or clients), sharing why they are the credible experts they so adamantly believe they are?
Your honest impression of what you just saw is the exact same thing your clients and future clients think... absolutely nothing! Zero, zip, zilch! Your thought process has been affected by spending 30 seconds spanning crappy LinkedIn profiles.
With the buying journey virtually starting out as an online search or visit to a website, my question to you is... How much business are your sales reps potentially missing out on because their LinkedIn profiles have a broken window?
Check out this article from Google "89% of B2B transactions begin online", according to Google research.
Your sales reps come to work wearing business attire then why on earth do they look like this online?
Most have succumbed to one simple word... COMPLACENCY
Would you decide to do business with any one of your sales reps based solely upon viewing their LinkedIn profile? First impressions do matter, correct? I thought you would agree.
What are you doing to replace the complacent mindset?
BELOW AVERAGE NEW BUSINESS GROWTH
Has their complacency led to resting on the past fruits of their labor?
Sure, your sales reps must proactively manage their current account base. I do think it is fair to state that 100% of your client base isn't going to turn over in a given year. They must take into consideration deals getting pushed or even worse losing an account.
Take notice and think about this one...
If anyone of your sales reps lost one of their top 5 accounts, how would they get to their budget numbers?
Sales reps always must be on the look-out for new opportunities. You never know what may happen. This means ALWAYS BE PROSPECTING!
Losing sucks and so does a complacent mindset towards business growth. A healthy relationship funnel combined with a healthy sales funnel sure takes the sting away.
Here’s the deal, nobody on your team got to where they're at by being average. So why now allow them to sit back, cruising through sales life each month? Where's the hustle? Where's drive? Remember back to the beginning of the journey, everybody worked their asses off.
What would you do in 2018 if your sales team had no current clients to sell to? How well would all of them succeed? Scary proposition, huh?
Building their credibility online, learning how to digitally prospect and leveraging their network are great places to start.
BELOW AVERAGE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN CURRENT ACCOUNTS
If I had a dollar for every time I heard sales reps utter these words, "I have great relationships inside my accounts. Don't worry about it I own this account they aren't going anywhere," I would be a freaking millionaire. Then KABOOM the account is pulled right out from underneath their complacent little noses.
How many people do your sales reps truly know inside every single one of their accounts? Of course, we want to stay close to key decision makers but what about the influencers, stakeholders, department heads, lower level management or even gatekeepers?
The more you know the more you grow. One never knows who knows somebody who knows somebody. Your network is your net worth! Failure to spend the time to truly build effective relationships is a long term recipe for disaster.
Quite often, relationships are too shallow and narrow. Contracts are signed, solutions are implemented, end users are trained but few relationships are developed outside of the day-to-day contacts. These are highly risky operations. What happens if the only contact leaves the company? You’re sales reps are left with no advocate and no additional relationships. Plain and simple: complacency is putting your organization at risk of losing their most precious asset, your clients.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BUSTING ASS
Sales is a numbers game with any industry. If your sales team is not consistently hitting budget numbers, there's a clear reason as to why. Be extremely honest with yourself. Find the weaknesses and work like never before to improve them. Find the strengths and make them even stronger.
Unfortunately, there are way too many sales reps looking for opportunities, just to get money and not really commit to doing the work, or to make a difference, to add value to their employers and to those they serve. The just don’t want to work. The truth is, hard work is a prerequisite to a true success. Your commitment and hard work is what sets you apart.
Commitment is what will catapult ones career. Squash complacent behavior!
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way!
In 2016, I was recognized by ENX Magazine as, “The Difference Maker,” as someone who is making a difference inside the B2B office technology sector. I am passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image.
You can find more advanced training material inside the Social Sales Academy website.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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