Blaming the circumstances rather than taking responsibility is a dead-end response to a tough sales challenge.
I'm often asked why it is that salespeople fail.
The answer is, they don’t ‘fail’.
They do, however, fail to be their best. They fail to do their best. They fail to think their best. And they fail to take the best actions to help them succeed.
There are symptoms that allow either a sales leader or the salesperson to recognise that failure is on its way. Most salespeople blame circumstances rather than take responsibility. Blame is its own form of failure. But that’s a story for another day.
I want to talk about the salesperson who’s out there every day, who’s trying to make his or her quota, who’s trying to achieve their sales plan or hit the numbers that were arbitrarily given to him or her by the boss.
Added to that, most salespeople are both inadequately trained and inadequately supported, and most are generally half-prepared. They prepare in terms of themselves, but very little in terms of the customer.
If you’re reading this and thinking it does not apply to you because you prepare, hit your quota, and are doing pretty well for yourself … my response would be to set you a challenge. After reading this list, self-evaluate your present circumstance related to each symptom – it might give you some insight that can lead to additional income.
Even if you’re hitting your numbers, even if you believe you’re well prepared, here are 11.5 symptoms of why most salespeople hit a wall, and can’t climb above it.
Symptom 1. Your inability to set an initial appointment with the real decision maker.
Symptom 2. Beyond price, your inability to uncover the real buying motive of the customer.
Symptom 3. Believing that competition forces price reduction.
Symptom 4. Shallow relationships that force both proposals and bidding.
Symptom 5. Poor social media participation that results in low or no personal branding and low or no personal reputation.
Symptom 6. Poor follow-up after the initial meeting or initial sales meeting.
Symptom 7. Long sales cycle based on presentations to low-level decision makers.
Symptom 8. Prospects going dark or disappearing after the first sales presentation.
Symptom 9. Prospects not returning your phone calls.
Symptom 10. Blaming inside circumstances for the loss of a customer.
Symptom 11. Blaming customers and prospects for the loss of a sale.
Symptom 11.5. Failure to take responsibility for the circumstances you create.
I find it most interesting that, when salespeople face one of these 11.5 situations, they rarely (if ever) take responsibility for creating them. If customers are not returning your calls, there has to be a pretty good reason. Rather than blame the customer, why not find out the real reason the customer isn’t returning your call. The answer to that will get all your calls returned.
If you are continually fighting price, it’s obvious you haven’t proven value. It’s obvious that the customer perceives little or no difference between you and a competitive product.
Salespeople in general, probably including you, need to take more control of the selling situation, by creating definitive next steps. If you give a proposal, and you don’t have a firm appointment at a given time to reconnect, then you will chase that prospect and almost seem desperate to get a next meeting.
Here are a few things you can do that will help your prospective customers decide to buy.
1. Prepare in terms of them, not just you. The customer must perceive that there is a value in doing business with you, rather than your competition. Customers only want to know how they win. Focus on ownership, and focus on outcome after purchase as you’re making your presentation. Too many salespeople focus on what it ‘is’ rather than what it ‘does’ after the customer takes possession.
2. Prove it, don’t just say it. It amazes me how many salespeople do not use testimonials. Video proof of everything you claim so that a prospective customer can feel comfort can eliminate the feeling of risk and justify value over price – all based on the words of other customers.
2.5 Be there after the sale to prove your worth and earn a referral. The biggest lost opportunity in any relationship is the absence of the salesperson after the sale has taken place. Help the customer get started. Help the customer understand and take advantage of ‘best use’. Transfer your wisdom, transfer your experience, transfer all your help, and the result will be an earned referral.
Stop worrying about failing, and start offering value …
• at your highest and best level;
• with your highest and best effort;
• with your highest and best preparation; and
• with the emotional passion that becomes transferable to a point where the customer will buy from you.
This represents harder work than you’re used to, but it sure beats losing the sale.
Jeffrey Gitomer is an American author, professional speaker and business trainer, who writes and lectures internationally on sales, customer loyalty and personal development.
