by Anneli Thomson, Managing Director, July 2014
This is one of the David Sandler quotes that makes a lot of salespeople sit up and take stock of their career and life. It also has the effect of making a person’s backbone straighten up.
When working with salespeople we must understand what it is that motivates them to success. What is driving your salespeople? If they aren't making budget, what is holding them back?
This was something I had to consider when working with a client, let's call him Tom. As a young salesperson, Tom worked in a sales bullpen with five other salespeople. They didn’t have wonderful cubicles with intimate lighting and privacy barriers. It was a ten by twelve room with two windows and six desks and chairs. They saw and heard everything each other did. Over the three years in that environment Tom saw 17 different people occupy those seats.
Tom explained to me that they all had the same product to sell, and they all had the same opportunity. Some people excelled, developed a book of business, created amazingly loyal business relationships, and to this day continue to work diligently while creating a lifestyle that provides happiness for themselves, their families, and their friends. They developed the lifestyle they wanted through their efforts on the job.
Some made the necessary cold calls, took the rejections as part of the job, studied their competition, and developed a strategy to win. They believed in themselves and their product, and the opportunity the company provided, but they ultimately knew it was up to them.
They limited their own negative self-talk (head trash), and believed that their actions determined how they felt rather than letting how they felt determine their actions.
Then there were other salespeople who struggled. They let the rejection affect their next calls, they complained about the economy and the market place. They shifted blame to bad lead lists, evasive prospects and poor management.
These were the people who did not occupy their seat very long.
What pushes some salespeople to stay positive, and others to fall into the trap of negativity and blame?
Successful people know what they are worth, and know what they need to do to achieve it. They focus on their end goals - family goals, financial goals - and realise that the sales are simply a means to an end.
Do your people know how much they're worth?
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