So, if you have been reading my last two posts and you were the owner or the manager, you were probably wondering why all of the blame falls on you. Well, you would be right to feel that way, but I was not done my list of why salespeople fail. First I concentrated on the external reasons, now I am going to talk about salespeople themselves.
I remember reviewing a client with one of my salespeople and I asked why they could not close the deal. What do you think I got as reasons ? The economy, the competition, our company, our management, our pricing, the client’s timing, the weather, the government, etc…. Did you notice what was missing – the salesperson! Rarely has a salesperson looked me in the eye and said that it was something they did or did not do. Generally, salespeople believe that they did nothing wrong!
The most successful salespeople that I have met constantly review each client visit and try to see what they did wrong or where they could have improved. Too often, a salesperson believes that they did everything right so it had to be someone or something else that caused the loss. It would be refreshing for a salesperson to look into a mirror and say “where did I go wrong?” So, one of the main reasons they fail, is they do not reflect on what they did right or wrong, how they could improve and what to do better next time.
This takes a lot of soul searching and honesty. This is not easy and can be humbling. However, it is one of the main keys for future success. Not sure how to reflect? Sit down with a trusted colleague or even your manager (that’s what they are there for!) who could really help you drill down. Put aside your ego during the conversation and be completely open and honest. Guess what? Sales will go up if you do this!
David Solomon MBCG 