STOP the Insanity!

My wife often reminds me that Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.??Most businesses in my opinion, and in particular their sales people, live in a constant state of insanity.?In 2023, let's stop the insanity of doing the same things we did last year and make some changes to increase sales and productivity.?

To begin, let's start with some blanket statements about sales people. (Google the phrases and see how often they are cited in case studies)

"64% of salespeople, who fail, do so because they are in the wrong job, not because they cannot sell."?????

"91% of customers say they will give referrals, only 11% of salespeople ask for them." If you don't ask, you don't get!

"In many companies, 20% of the sales force delivers 80% of the revenue." I really hate the excuse of the 80/20 rule. Why is it still acceptable to sales leaders that 80% of their team are failures?

"Only 60% of sales reps made quota in 2022." Why is 40% failure accepted OR, is that your quota is unattainable? Companies far too often "FEED" the best leads to their closers over compensating to quota attainment for themselves.

"48% of sales calls end without an attempt to close the sale, and the national sales closing rate is 27%."?

The way I see it, there are three main areas that need insanity improvement.?They are recruiting, sales performance, and training.

The core of the insanity problem resides in how often companies recruit and hire bad salespeople.?Now before you start to rip me apart in a comment, think about it and see if I make sense.?If over half of sales people are in the wrong job, doesn't that start with recruiting??A great sales person will tell a career recruiter exactly what they want to hear just to get the job.?It will be one of the best interviews they have ever had.?However, at the end of the day, that sales person might not be the right fit for the company or that specific job.???

Sales production is the next area of insanity in need of change.?If just over half of sales people make quota (and half don't), shouldn't you do whatever is necessary to improve this percentage rather than just agreeing that "it's just the way it is."?Since only 11% of salespeople ask for referrals, an easy way to improve quota is to set up a referral process. You should create a referral sheet and have every sales person ask for three referrals from every customer.?Think about how this will affect your sales pipeline and quota.?Additionally, break down your sales forecast into daily achievable goals and monitor these goals for accountability.?Every sales person needs to know what they need to accomplish every day to achieve their monthly/yearly goals.

Lastly, training is something that is often overlooked due to a lack of understanding of what is needed on an individual basis.?Since I am very much into KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid), I'll make this easy.?If less than half of sales people attempt to close the sale, then there is a great need for mentorship/training in this one sales tactic.?Anyone that has been in sales for any length of time knows that sales is more about rejection than acceptance.?Get your sales people accustomed to the fact that a large portion of their job is to get told no.?Ask for the sale and get the no, so that you can move on and get to the yes!?It's a numbers game.

To stop the insanity, companies need to interview better, hold sales people accountable, and train them where they need help.?The solution to the problem isn't always easy or quick, but it begins with management and sales people changing their habits.?Stop doing the same things over and over expecting a different result.