Do You Know What Your Salespeople Are Doing?
Do you know what your salespeople are doing? You better. In fact, you had best have exceptional tracking and monitoring controls and systems in place and you had best be examining them constantly. Check and hold your sales force accountable. If you don’t, you will not get the results you could potentially be enjoying.
I know, your salespeople are committed, loyal and work as hard as possible getting the best results they can, all the time…right? NO! It just ain’t so, unless you have a system, a clear-cut program outlining exactly what your expectations, goals and objectives are and are tracking the implementation of their efforts to deliver your goals and objectives. Even then, you must monitor these results and hold them accountable for successfully accomplishing the program. The results will be automatic. Then, you will get the most possible out of your sales force, not because they are lazy and inept, but because it is the nature of a salesperson to make excuses. Sometimes they are good ones, but excuses are still excuses and mean that your salespeople are not following the program.
Salespeople have a disease, a malady, a genetic imperfection that is impossible for them to control. It’s called “believing their own excuses for procrastination”.
“I have worked hard enough today.”
“It’s too late to call.”
“I can’t make calls on Fridays or Mondays, it’s not a good time. Everyone is focused on other matters.”
“It’s summer… everyone is on vacation.”
“That account is too small to call.”
“I will call them tomorrow.”
“I am too busy doing paperwork.”
And on and on go the excuses for not doing what they should be doing…
They’re focusing on good older accounts, presumably supporting the account.
They’re preparing… for something.
They’re “busy” doing nothing. Busy doing busy work, like spending hours filling out expense reports.
They’re focusing on problems that they cannot solve and should not even be thinking about.
They’re hanging out.
They’re not feeling well.
The point is, salespeople face rejection most of the time. Even the best are affected by it. It takes superhuman skill to be able to confront rejection all the time and to remain focused and on schedule, without making excuses to slow down or for respite from the battlefront… again. Do not ever believe a salesperson’s answer for what are they doing… they have a disease and cannot help themselves.
Tracking, monitoring and controlling their efforts brings out their best. Leaving them to do it themselves is a failing exercise. It requires systems, accountability, monitoring and constant communication to support your salespeople, helping them to be their best and be on their game as much as possible.
