UpGrid to function productively, your sales results WILL come to a screeching halt.
2) There's something wrong with your marketplace.
Regardless of whether the challenge is increased competition, a depressed economy, seasonal slumps, a community crisis or any one of countless factors impacting your marketplace there is STILL abundant opportunity for businesses to thrive IF the sales representatives understand that this is an issue of tension management. In these situations, the productive tension your prospects and customers had previously experienced is subordinated by the unproductive tension they’re experiencing about the current state of the marketplace. If your sales representatives don't know how to reduce that unproductive tension and increase productive tension regarding your products or services, no one will be buying or selling anything.
3) There's something wrong with your industry.
As was the case with the marketplace, problems with your entire industry present a similar challenge and require the same approach in remedying the situation. Technology? Legislation? Scandal? War? These situations are just a fraction of the things that can and will happen — and all of them have a detrimental impact on everyone's level of productive tension. To combat the chaos and stop your business from becoming part of the collateral damage, your sales representatives must master the art of tension management.
4) There's something wrong with your sales representatives.
If there's something wrong with your sales representatives, then one or both of two things is true: they CAN'T sell and/or they WON'T sell.
If the problem is one of ABILITY, you need to take a serious look at four things: knowledge, sales skills, professional experience and support resources. Do they need to understand more about your products and services and the needs within the marketplace? Are the sales skills they've been taught truly effective or have they abandoned the training they received? Do they lack experience in dealing with the client situations they encounter? Do they have access to the support they need to do what they're expected to do?
If the problem is one of WILLINGNESS, you need to identify the source of their resistance. Is the problem a lack of desire? Are emotions of anger and fear stopping them? Is there an effective accountability system in place?
5) There's something wrong with your sales managers.
As was the case with your sales representatives, if there's something wrong with your sales managers, then one or both of two things is true: they CAN'T manage and/or they WON'T manage.
More often than not, the problem here is one of ability. The vast majority of sales managers have never received any formal training in management, so they lack skills. That in turn makes the sales representatives question the value of their manager, so respect is compromised.
The worst of all scenarios, though is the sales manager who WON'T do what they were hired to do — and while the prognosis is poor, you must still identify the source of their resistance in order to prevent the same scenario from happening again. Is it a matter of burnout? Unrealistic expectations? A lack of support? Or have they lost faith in their upper team?
What's the remedy?
Once you've identified why your sales representatives aren't selling more, the answer will be a combination of sales and leadership skills training. No matter what challenges a company faces, skills training is the cornerstone of the solution. The only thing that will fix a bad economy is SALES and the only thing that will prevent another bad economy is LEADSERSHIP.
Article Source: http://www.articleblender.com
T. Falcon Napier has helped thousands of salespeople build, manage and grow successful businesses. To receive more great articles on sales and leadership or to learn more about his MasterStream® Method go to www.MasterStream.com.
Here are some more management articles...
