assessment

Sales Managers often don’t recognize the excuses but they are aware of the reasons why performance or results fail to meet expectations. In some cases, those very managers are the ones providing the ‘reasons’ for this month’s numbers. Reasons are essentially rationalizations and therefore, one in the same with excuses, and until we recognize that, excuses will continue to mount.

Today I was asked the difference between sales coaching and mentoring salespeople and I think this is a great topic that all sales managers, from field level up through the executive team must understand. This is only my opinion and I feel very strongly about this. Ask someone else and they might tell you that coaching and mentoring are the same.

92% of all candidates will have fewer than 23% of the attributes in the closer skill set and 36% of all candidates will have fewer than 53% of the attributes of the hunter skill set.

In the last 5 years he had hired 20 salespeople and 18 of them failed. It makes you wonder what would have happened if he believed in assessments and training.

They both share the same belief in the importance of a consultative approach to selling, have a sales process, and not being order takers. They both have capable sales management. They both pay well, above the industry norm. PM turned over only 2 of 16 salespeople last year while GP turned over 5 of 12. Why such a difference?

It’s quite interesting to learn that a company is considering a change to the manner in which they compensate their salespeople. This typically occurs when a company has already discovered a flaw and management is hoping that a modification, usually in the form of more commissions and less salary, will motivate their sales force to find some new business.

“I know my body. I know what’s right and what’s not. I don’t need blood work or X-Rays. I just need to know why I’m always lethargic and have constant headaches. Can’t you just see me and check out my head?”

Evaluating part of a sales organization may in fact reveal something about the specific people we look at but it is never representative of the sales force as an entity.

The executive team of a company whose sales force we recently evaluated wanted to ‘retool’ the sales force. Their salespeople were comfortable selling into one of the three markets on which they needed a presence, but not the other two markets. The executive team wanted to know whether it was easier to hire new salespeople or to develop the existing salespeople.

So what are the challenges a company will face when management decides to create a more proactive sales culture?