All the boxes were checked: good manners, personable, impressive resume, professional work history, and pretty solid. A couple of short terms were layoffs due to bad luck or bad career choices that dictated a quick turnaround. No one would expect someone to stay in a job if they were miserable.
It all started well. The impatient beaver arrived just in time for the first day of work. He seemed to enjoy learning and asked a lot of good questions. He seemed to get along with everyone in the dining room, quickly trying to make friends with co-workers and was always the first to line up to celebrate someone’s birthday. What a boy!
A few weeks ago when the first red flag reared its ugly head. Sales calls were low. Was there something you didn’t understand? What can we do to help? Do you need more training? Are you starting slowly? He assured us that we would soon see results like never before. Well, we can wait if this stellar artist just needs a little more time.
Calls improved a bit but now we have a problem with appointments. The appointments booked were ripe fruit and tire tricks that other competitors really didn’t want to spend time on. But Johnny did. He spent a lot of time on these “red herrings”. He took a few better ones that came from ads and marketing, but he could never finish. Was it the presentation? Our product was strong and other representatives were very successful. Why couldn’t Johnny sell?
Before long, it was determined that Johnny would not be successful in our endeavor, and sadly, he had to leave. He was very confused why they let him go and didn’t understand why we couldn’t give him more time. Johnny said it was starting to get hot.
We’ve all seen people like that and there are many reasons why certain people are unsuccessful in sales. It rarely has to do with product, territory, price, or other common excuses these people make when they have a hard time closing deals. It may be best to review some of the basics when selecting talent and understand why some sales reps close more sales than others.
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When selecting talent, read between the lines of the resume. Although bad luck and bad decisions come into play from time to time and bad things happen to even the best, it is a bit unusual for a person to have 2 or 3 career setbacks. Be wary of this no matter how polished and professional the individual may appear.
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There are many great actors who play the role of “star sales representative.” Many of this type simply want to slide in without putting any real effort into the work. They usually talk a lot and sound pretty good, but there is little substance behind the words. They often walk around the office talking to coworkers rather than on the phone with potential clients. They are not doing their job and distracting others from doing theirs.
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Then there are those who are making calls and getting appointments but are having a hard time finishing the deal. They will sell from time to time, but they should close a lot more based on the volume they bring through the pipeline. Chances are they haven’t bothered to learn enough about what the potential customer’s pain points are. They are busy illustrating all the whistles and bells of their product instead of listening to what the potential customer needs. Poor listening skills are a disservice to sales.
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The most important aspect of any type of sale is relationship building. This key component will make the difference between a mediocre sales rep and one who is highly successful. This guy never gives up. Even if a potential customer doesn’t have an immediate need, call every now and then and strike up conversations, finding out a little more about the person you’re dealing with. It is important to know the person so that you can establish how they prefer to work, what products they are currently using, and what it would take to get their business done. People buy from people they know and trust. This is one of the oldest lines when it comes to sales. If a potential customer has spoken to a sales rep multiple times and feels they know and like them, they’ve won a good part of the battle.
Obviously a great sales rep has a mix of talents as outlined above. They know your product, enjoy meeting people, develop long-term relationships, and understand pain points and how to address them. The chances of making a call to someone who is immediately ready to buy are slim. Your best prospects are the ones you meet over time. That’s why they call it “pipe.”
Someday prospects may be ready to buy and you will be fully prepared to help them with their needs. If you are not a buyer, they may recommend it to a colleague or friend. If nothing happens, you may have gained some knowledge about the industry or some other information that may be valuable. However, be careful not to spend too much time on potential customers who do not have the right profile for what you are offering. This does not make sense to them or to you.
Communication through multiple media is very important. Talking to people on the phone or in person is imperative if you want to be in sales. Other means of communication, such as email, text messages, and social media, are additional ways to stay in touch. Electronic communication is a great thing, but you will never get to know someone without a conversation. You are selling to people. People have emotions, preferences, ideas, and feelings. We can’t lose sight of that.
