Once upon a time...

In the bustling city of New Zenith, where skyscrapers touched the clouds and the hum of ambition filled the air, lived a man named Alex Turner. Alex was a seasoned sales leader at NexaCorp, a company known for its innovative solutions but struggling in a rapidly changing and highly competitive market.

Alex had always believed in the old adage: “The more people the more success.” For years, he built his sales teams by recruiting more and more people, each one adding to the machine that churned out revenue. But things were changing, and fast. The year was 2024, and the world was no longer the same. Economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and an ever-looming threat of a recession cast a shadow over the once-thriving industry. Companies across the city, including NexaCorp, were tightening their budgets, cutting headcount, and pausing new projects. The once bustling offices were now filled with whispers of layoffs and fears of the unknown.

The real challenge came not just from the outside world but from within. NexaCorp's CEO, Andrew Stone, was a man of numbers. He believed that success could be driven by squeezing every last drop of effort out of the existing team. "Push harder, work longer, and victory will be ours!" he declared in his Quarterly Business Reviews, his eyes scanning the room, daring anyone to speak up, but silence was his only answer.

Andrew saw people as numbers on a spreadsheet, assets to be utilized, rather than human beings with limits. He insisted on doubling down on activity - more customer meetings, more proposals, more activity. “There’s always more we can do to win,” he would say, ignoring the growing signs of burnout among the staff. His relentless drive was pushing the team to breaking point, and Alex could see it.

As the days went on, Alex found himself at a crossroads. He could continue down Andrew’s path, pushing his team harder, or he could forge a new way forward—a path that would require courage and creativity but might just save the company and his people from spiralling into failure.

One night, as Alex stared at the city lights from his office, the solution came to him like a beacon in the fog. His top performers didn’t work harder, they worked smarter. It wasn’t about how many deals they chased or the time they put in; it was about how they did what they did to uncover more opportunities and convert more sales. He remembered the wisdom of his mentor, who once said, “It’s not about the number of swings, but the precision of the strike.”

The next morning, Alex presented his plan to Andrew. "What if," he began, his voice steady and confident, "What if we focused on increasing our effectiveness rather than workload? Instead of potentially burning out our team, what if we help them convert more opportunities? I propose we invest in smarter training that addresses the capability gap between our average and top performers."

Andrew was sceptical. "Training? In this climate? We can’t afford to pull our people off the floor and it’s not going to look good me requesting tens of thousands of dollars for training after the quarter we just had!”

"But what if we don’t have to?" Alex countered. "There’s a way to do this without losing time and spending big money. I’m not talking about one-size-fits-all programs. What we need is precise, targeted learning—short, powerful sessions. And if we target only the skills my people need it will require a fraction of the time and cost.”

After a long silence, Andrew agreed to give it a try. And so, the battle for success began—not in activity sheets, but in the sales team's capability.

Alex threw himself into the task of sharpening his team's capabilities. He devised a new, cutting-edge development program that was as innovative as it was effective. Drawing on the expertise of specialists who had studied best practices in sales for roles similar to those at NexaCorp, Alex introduced a platform that offered precise assessments of his team members. This platform didn't just evaluate their current performance; it benchmarked their approaches against industry best practices, identifying critical gaps. To address these gaps, the platform created individualized learning paths for each team member, based on their needs.

What was truly innovative was the way the system profiled the thinking of his team members and made them aware of activity that was not a preference for them and so required extra focus. This addressed the stumbling block of getting his team to be willing to step outside of their comfort zone and break some of the bad habits holding them back.

But Alex knew that giving his team the awareness and tools to improve wasn't enough. He tackled one of the most persistent challenges in sales management—coaching. The managers, who had often shied away from providing feedback, were equipped with the skills to observe their teams closely and provide constructive, actionable insights. They learned to recognize and reinforce what their people did well and guide them on how to refine their approaches.

As the weeks passed, the change was palpable. The team wasn’t just surviving—they were thriving. Deals that once seemed out of reach were now within grasp. Morale improved, and with it, productivity. The whispers of burnout turned into murmurs of excitement as the team began to see the results of their smarter approach.

Andrew, who had been so focused on numbers, began to see the value of this new approach. NexaCorp wasn’t just keeping pace; it was pulling ahead of competitors who were still stuck in the old mindset that more activity equals better results.

In the end, Alex’s gamble paid off. The company hit its targets, the team remained strong, and Andrew learned that success wasn’t just about pushing harder—it was about working smarter. Alex had not only saved the company but had also safeguarded the future of his team, proving that in the battle for success, the right strategy can turn the tide.

And as the city of New Zenith continued to thrive, Alex knew that he had done more than just win a battle—he had set a new course for a brighter, smarter future.

A message to sales leaders

As you look ahead to the challenges and opportunities in your own sales organization, ask yourself—are you pushing your team to do more, or are you empowering them to do better?

Agree? Disagree?

How are you preparing your team for the challenges ahead? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

#SalesLeadership #SalesTraining #SmarterSelling #TargetedLearning #SalesCoaching #CorporateLearning #LeadershipDevelopment #SalesSuccess