RollerCoaster
Sales Performance

The Stock Market

plunged on both Friday and Monday
The Stock Market

made gains on Tuesday and Thursday
The Stock Market

and they were sandwiched around another loss on Wednesday
The Stock Market

It's the Proverbial Roller Coaster
and that sounds very similar to Sales Performance

doesn't it?

We know why the market goes up and down

We know why the market goes up and down - in hindsight

We know why the market goes up and down - in hindsight
{ but we can
never predict when

Do we know why
Sales and down?
bounces up
Performance

Here are my
Primary Reasons
for
Inconsistent
Sales Performance1

1.
Inconsistent Sales Management

Sales Managers that don't hold their salespeople accountable to
metrics that drive revenue on a daily basis, and who don't coach their
salespeople every day can be heard singing, "I'd rather be lucky..."

2.
Lack of Focus

Many Salespeople are easily distracted and have
difficulty remaining focused on the job at hand,
especially when the job at hand involves more than
just selling.
Those who tend to be event driven may work for
days on a single opportunity and those who are
task oriented may fail to get traction on enough
meaningful opportunities.

3.
Lack of Motivation

Many Salespeople are simply not
motivated enough to go to battle
each and every day. It's bad enough
that they must face off against
prospects who don't want to talk
with them, an economy with an
identify crisis and competitors that
don't play fair.

But they also must fight their
own demons - those fears and
self-limiting beliefs that play such
a big part in the behaviors that
lead to their less than record-
setting outcomes.

4.
Lack of Skills

As per the recent survey*,
74% of all salespeople are
overwhelmingly mediocre, and as such,
they succeed because they are lucky, not
because they effectively follow and
execute the sales process.
Unfortunately, luck is as
consistent as the stock market.
* Skill Survey @ Objective Management Group 2011

5.
Lack of Commitment

Most Salespeople stop short of asking the question that will lead
to success. As a matter of fact, they probably stop about 17
questions short of that outcome.

In other words, they have the opportunities, but take the path of
least resistance, passively hoping that things will go their way, even
if they weren't champions for their own cause.

6.
Rejection

By the way salespeople use it, you would think that technology
had removed rejection from selling.

Instead, technology simply provides a way for salespeople to avoid
rejection as they resort to email and LinkedIn to avoid being
rejected over the phone.

Ironically,
technology
simply makes it
easier for
prospects to
avoid and
reject
salespeople.

7.
Pipeline

The pipeline should be the single
most accurate predictor of future
revenue, and it can be!

Unfortunately, despite the available technology that makes this so
easy, salespeople and their managers just do not manage the pipeline
to the degree that it is always stuffed with enough quality
opportunities.

8.
Precedent

When salespeople have been
allowed to perform inconsistently
in the past …

it sets precedent that
inconsistency is OK now and
in the future.

9.
Ambivalence

Who really cares when salespeople don't
consistently hit their numbers?

I can tell you this; if the
salespeople don't care, and their
managers don't care …

… there won't be any urgency to fix anything because
nobody thinks anything is broken.

10.
Sales Culture

Sales are created and supported by
everyone in the organization. It is a
common misconception that the people
who do all the selling are the only sales
people.

Professionals lead the effort, internal
and external customer contacts impact
sales results at all levels

(And my personal favorite)

11.
When your Boss is an Ass%#$@

i mean
Hari
Sadoo
11.
When your Boss is an Ass%#$@

He Interrupts
He Yells for no Rime and Reasons
He Ignores
He Passes the buck
He disrespects
He Justifies his Mistakes
He Gives no Freedom

Trust me

RollerCoaster
Sales Performance
will keep happening

Long Live Sales

Long Live Professionals)
(And the wonderful Sales
Sales

Thank You
Credits-DAVE KURLAN

abhishek.shah@live.com