Have you ever closely examined why some people
are wildly successful at selling, meeting and exceeding every
goal placed in front of them, while others lack either the
self motivation or certain key skill sets to get them to their
next level of growth and performance? After all, they all have
the same product, the same tools, and the same compensation
structure. They’ve all been through the same sales management-training
program. In my experience of 25 years selling, building sales
organizations and leading and managing thousands of salespeople, the
answer has to do with the fact that virtually all sales’ organizations
are comprised of four different kinds of salespeople:
1. The Performers – The Top Producers
These high achieving sales executives are the best at bringing
in the numbers, but chances are that you spend a fair share
of your time cleaning up her messes. Seems like they’re
either sky-high or down in the dumps. When the performer is
down, they are out of their selling zone, and productivity
comes to a standstill. But when the performer is up, look out
world!
2. The Professional – Another Top Producer
This top producer is very consistent, a total team player,
even tempered, patient, and consistently bringing in the numbers.
Professionals are also part of the elite members on the sales
team, but they seem to be missing some opportunities that would
catapult them to super stardom if they made some slight changes
to their selling game. Instead, they stick to self-proven conservative
approaches.
3. The Caretaker – Stuck In A Major Comfort
These are the sales executives that are simply stuck in their
lackluster comfort zones -- giving you a solid month about
every third month, or giving you about seventy percent of what
they have all the time. They have the potential, but they’re
consistently mediocre. You just can’t get them to perform
the difficult tasks that it takes to produce at top levels
with any regularity. Worse yet, they’re passive aggressive.
You say to yourself, “If I could only wake them up, they’d
be right up there with the best.”
I was giving a speech on “Four People, Four Paths” to
a leading company in the California real estate industry where
I was emphasizing the importance of knowing exactly who you
are. While I was quoting my book The Four Kinds of
Sales People and explaining in detail the struggles
and breakthrough opportunities for each of the four kinds of
sales people, a woman in the audience yelled out, “Oh
my God, I’m a Caretaker!” The crowd laughed and
I congratulated her on her honesty and pointed out to her (and
others who were not so forthright) the tremendous opportunity
that existed if she made the conscious decision to change and
begin doing the difficult things that it takes to produce top
results on a consistent basis.
4. The Searcher – The One That Belongs In Any
Career But Sales
All sales leaders have made some bad hiring decisions that
result in sales reps that just don’t belong in sales.
They perceived a sales career to be easy and they were wrong.
Producing top sales is hard work. These misfits are consumed
with fear, and if truth be told, they honestly hate sales.
They have no real intention of making the necessary changes
to be successful. You’re better off helping them find
more fulfilling careers.
My point is that while the individual make-up of sales forces
may vary, there are always only four kinds. Management’s
goal is to get the best to keep getting better while building
a team with as many top producers as possible. That means management
must influence those that are “stuck” in their
comfort zone to break through to the next level. That means
management must perform the unenviable task of helping those
that don’t belong to find other career paths. In my experience,
management gets too preoccupied with these two challenges and
neglects the opportunity to get their top producers to reach
for their next level of achievement. They have more potential.
That’s why they’re the best. And can be even better.
If you want sales to improve, particularly in highly competitive
sales environments, then leaders must create a growth-oriented
atmosphere that thrives on constant improvement, regardless
of market conditions. By the way, that means leaders and managers
must also be striving to break through to their next level
as well. Sales is about creating and sustaining momentum, and
then creating even more of it. Consistently.
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