Successful sales people can get away with murder. Average sales people can only wish they could kill the many ‘problems’ that afflict their selling. This is the difference between successful and average sales people. Average sales people are bogged down with average sales people problems. Successful sales people are bogged down with too many sales. Average sales people problems include complaining about the administrative work they must do that ‘limits’ their selling time. “You are telling us to get two client meetings a day and yet we have office meetings to attend, reports to do, accounts to open in the system, prepare sales action plans,…” on and on.
Average sales people have average sales people problems
Now then. Good sales people don’t have this problem. There’s one I know whose boss regularly pleads with to do reports. As for the other mediocre sales people, the boss just glares at or ignores when they so much as mumble a grumble. He knows they will do their reports. As for this stellar seller, he is known to grudgingly respond to the manager with, “Argh! Ask Rehema to do it. Or get a sales administrator.” Many, many times Rehema does it. And the boss looks the other way and is even considering a sales administrator. You see, he knows on which side his (and the businesses’) bread is buttered, and it’s not in administration work. It’s in sales bagged. And he will compromise when necessary not to frustrate but keep alive the goose that lays his golden eggs. These are the attributes of a top sales person.
Stellar sellers are more equal than average ones
In addition, the qualities of a good sales person make the problems of the average sales person important, but not urgent. This is because, top performing sale people are also managed differently. For instance, the successful sales person will ask for a personal cab while the rest of the average sales people in his team are bundled into one van to be ferried around in the name of saving transport costs. And while the rest of the soldiers mumble and grumble about time wasted travelling in the van and meetings are considered to look into this, for the general, the cab is authorised stat. One of the most successful sales techniques used by these top sales performers, whether in retail or corporate, is having increased face time with the buyer. They are clear on which side their bread is buttered and manage their time accordingly.
How to manage a top sales performers
Now then. The daily routine of successful sales people is dynamic. Where average sales people mumble and grumble about having to report to the office at 8 and leave at 5, successful sales people inform the boss that they will be away that week as will be reporting straight to their chosen market and back home. The boss nods in agreement. He knows that it wasn’t permission that was being sought, just information being shared as a matter of courtesy. He also knows that the goose will lay more golden eggs. This is how to manage a successful sales team or sales person. You see, average sales people are managed by processes, successful sales people are managed on results.
Check out our short courses and other services here. If you would like to have your sales team sell more, we can help. In order for us to do so we propose a free consultation meeting or a call. If in agreement please complete the form below and we will get in touch after receiving your details, none of which will be public. Thank you.
Views – 503