Ben is normally one of the team\u2019s top producers. As he navigates the uncharted waters of today\u2019s selling landscape, he has reacted less-favorably than many others on the sales team. While Ben has put opportunities in the pipeline over the past month, he keeps getting, and taking, put-offs from those same prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Terri, his manager, has been trying to coach Ben to close the kind of business that others on the team are now closing. Terri\u2019s last coaching conversation with Ben sounded like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben: I\u2019m trying my best to get these deals closed, but everyone keeps pushing dates back; \u201ccall me next week, call me next month, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Terri: I understand that Ben, many of our team are hearing that now, but that\u2019s why we\u2019re salespeople, we have to get those deals over the finish line. Have you tried setting better up-front agreements at the end of your proposal presentation calls, to agree on when the prospects can or will make a decision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben: I\u2019ve thought about it, but what if I do that and they think I\u2019m pushy? Now what? Now I not only lose this deal, but future business. I feel like I\u2019m getting pushed internally to push our prospective customers to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In case you missed where this coaching opportunity went off track, it was when Terri went in to \u201ctechnique\u201d coaching-mode with Ben. Often times as sales coaches, our immediate response to any salesperson\u2019s challenge is to coach them to do THIS technique, or SAY this to the customer. Unfortunately, technique is only one component of a salesperson\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s take a look at the other two. While Technique is important, so is Attitude and Behavior. Think of those three things as three points of a triangle. When a salesperson is having success, they are firing on all three of those cylinders. However, when one fails, it puts success in jeopardy. We\u2019d like to suggest, counterintuitively, that weak technique is almost always the least of your worries with your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much more commonly, we see the salesperson\u2019s behavior or attitude break down. Behavior is simply taking action (and a lot of it). Attitude is the sales person\u2019s belief system. What are their beliefs about themselves, the company and the products and services they are selling? And these days, their beliefs about the marketplace (the economy, competition, public health etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a sales leader, be on the lookout for the words \u201cwhat if\u201d from your salespeople. It can be a sure sign that the next thing out of their mouth will be head trash. Become an excellent head trash removal sales manager and your team will sell a LOT more, in trying times and in good times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the simplest of terms, salespeople either have supportive beliefs or non-supportive beliefs. Supportive beliefs help the salesperson fight through \u201chead trash.\u201d Head trash is defined as any belief that I hold, that I do not question as to whether or not it\u2019s true, that might be getting in the way of me taking action (BEHAVIOR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the example above, Ben has not used the up-front agreement TECHNIQUE, but has already decided that if he does (BEHAVIOR), he will lose business. You can see, it is Ben\u2019s belief system (ATTITUDE) that is getting in the way of him even trying the technique. Terri can coach him on it forever and he still won\u2019t use it, at least, not wholeheartedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a sales leader, there\u2019s a simple way to help the salesperson check their beliefs when they are potentially getting in the way (head trash). When Ben said there could be negative consequences from using the technique that Terri suggested, she could have asked Ben the following question, in a nurturing manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBen, kind of a difficult question. Are you concerned about the up-front agreement technique not working because you\u2019ve tried it and had negative results from using it? Or because you haven\u2019t tried, but are concerned it won\u2019t work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will shine the light where it needs to be shined, on Ben\u2019s beliefs and attitude. Now, Terri can coach Ben on reshaping that belief, which is simple (not easy). Once Ben disciplines himself to use the technique and sees success with it, the old non-supportive belief will evaporate like a bad dream. Our salespeople\u2019s beliefs are getting in their way EVERYDAY. It\u2019s our job to help them spot them and test their validity and \u201csupportiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a sales leader, be on the lookout for the words \u201cwhat if\u201d from your salespeople. It can be a sure sign that the next thing out of their mouth will be head trash. Become an excellent head trash removal sales manager and your team will sell a LOT more, in trying times and in good times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n