– John Glennon is the owner of Insight Sales Consulting Inc, an authorized Sandler Training Licensee. He can be reached at jglennon@sandler.com, toll free at 1-866-645-2047 or visit www.glennon.sandler.com. Copyright 2013 Sandler Training and Insight Sales Consulting Inc. All rights reserved.
SALES – Most salespeople want a brighter tomorrow. They want more opportunity, more customers, more business, and of course, more commission. Fortunately, there are numerous things they can do to ensure a brighter tomorrow.
So, why aren’t they doing them?
Why do so many salespeople waste their time making excuses about today rather than invest their time doing something to ensure a more prosperous tomorrow? Perhaps, it’s easier to complain about the current state of the economy and the resulting impact it’s had on the marketplace than it is to actually get out and do something.
Some salespeople are quick to point out that there are fewer opportunities to develop and fewer resources available for attracting new customers. “No one is buying now,” and “No one will take my calls,” they claim.
They complain about the cutthroat competition with which they have to contend and being “squeezed” by current customers. The list of excuses and complaints is almost endless. They yearn for things to change…to get back to “normal.”
If you’re not happy with your current situation, certainly, you can blame the state of the economy. Heck, you can even blame the weather, if you like. But that won’t change anything. If you want tomorrow to be brighter than today, things must change…that’s true.
But, the change must start with you. You must put away your fears, your doubts, and your confusion. You must reach down and grab hold of whatever motivation and self-confidence you have and DO SOMETHING. There are plenty of opportunities…if you have the will to do what needs to be done.
As their manager what are you doing?
Do you have daily, weekly, or monthly meetings that set definite expectations? Are you guiding their thoughts and behaviours? Does everyone have a “Cookbook” that directs their behaviour based on their stats and previous performance? Does their “Pay Time” reflect your expectations? In short, are you setting the standards and holding your people accountable?
Salespeople can prospect for new customers. You’d be surprised how few salespeople actually make prospecting calls. They talk about them, but they rarely make them. I can guarantee, “You’ll never have to stand in line to make a cold call.”
Are you assigning networking, developing relationships with associations, and working a plan for strategic alliances? As sales manager, do you need to have greater involvement to ensure your team will be successful?