Flat Sales Problem?

One of the fact is anyone can sell when everyone is buying the product, but when there’s competition and the economy tightens, the amateurs start crying and the professionals continue to prosper. I heard many times managers say that their sales are flat, I respond: 

“There is no such thing as flat sales, either you’re growing or you’re dying.” 

Think about it. How can sales be flat? 

The sole purpose of the sales organization is to grow revenue - Not to steadily maintain it or to hedge it so that it doesn’t have volatile swings. The purpose of sales is purely GROWTH. So when a sales department is not increasing business, it is dying. 

Most of the time, CEO and managers welcome the new hires and give motivational speeches, provide case studies, and research showing how the company is strategically positioned to grow and then Salespeople are escorted to their desk, given a script and instructions on how to log into their computers, use their phone, access email and enter notes into their CRM. They are reassured that they can ask any questions. But the underlying message is, “figure it out for yourself”. 

I may be exaggerating just a bit, but there is no question that sales onboarding at most companies is brushed over, skipped, or totally ignored. 

Companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce have been vocal about the link between profits and their training programs. In fact studies found that 62% of companies report over 50% higher time-to-productivity ratios for new employees after they bolstered their onboarding program and Accenture found that for every $1 spent on training, there was a return of $3.53.

You may ask, If it is so effective and the results so staggering, then:

why don't more companies have training initiative?

It is simple, there are many myths and deep cemented beliefs about salespeople that get in the way. Here are a few:

• If I hire talented salespeople, I don't need to train or coach them; they will figure it out.

• A talented sales person can learn and become profitable within a few months.

• Salespeople are mostly driven by money. If I pay them enough and promise high commissions, they will hit and surpass quota.

The most damaging myth is that if salespeople are good, they should hit quota within six months. Interestingly, research shows that the first six months of a sales rep’s employment won’t indicate long-term sales performance. Basically, there is no way of telling who will be successful and when the salespeople don’t start selling immediately, they are usually written off as inept. But the problem isn’t ability; it's that there are skills and knowledge gaps that haven't been addressed. 

To the others hands $20 billion is spent every year on sales training. But according to Deloitte, 26% of salespeople don't hit quota. Some statistics state that 40% of salespeople don’t continually hit quota. 

It is important to understand that there is a small window of opportunity to build a powerful sales organization. On average, salespeople stay in their current position for about 23 months. It takes 8 to 10 months for a salesperson to become profitable (only 58% ever hit quota). In essence, you have (not considering those who quit) around 12 months to train and refine your team. 

So you may ask then:

What is it that makes some sales people better than others?

Sure, having the right personal skills and experience are important, but being able to consistently convert leads, close deals and perform among the top sales people in your company (or area) requires more than skill and experience.

Over the last few decades, a wealth of scientific research has emerged about how the human brain makes choices and which factors can influence what we say and do, including what we buy. Best of all, this scientific knowledge is readily available and can be used to help you become a top performer. Don’t worry. You don’t need a degree in physics or chemistry to combine science and sales. All you need is to be willing to adapt your current sales process and start using the new approach that the top sales performers are using today.

This new approach is called Science-Based Selling.

What is science-based selling?

Science-based selling is as a sales technique that includes social psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics. While most b2b sales best practices focus on the sales people themselves, science-based selling focuses on the most important part of any sales process, the Buyer.

But let’s be clear about this: We’re NOT talking about mind tricks here. We’re talking about applying decades of research into your sales process to help you increase sales.

For example, scientific studies have identified eight main sales approach categories, including storytellers, focusers, narrators, aggressors, and socializers. However, a study of 800 salespeople found that the remaining three were the most successful – Closers, Consultants and Experts. The study found that experts were naturally gifted in all areas of selling, while consultants tended to focus on listening to their buyers and solving problems, while closers were smooth-talkers in converting the biggest leads.

What they found was that only 37% of salespeople were deemed effective in the long run and these three types of salespeople – closers, consultants, and experts – were among the most successful.

But Why?

As humans, we enjoy talking with people that ask insightful questions that help us open up and share details about ourselves. Talking about ourselves is linked to pleasure, and that it improved not just our self-perception, but also our perception of the person we are talking to. This is why experts and consultants are perceived as trustworthy, respected and friendly – because they tend to ask questions that you wouldn’t normally answer to others.

Conclusion

Competition is strong in the sales industry, so you need every chance to succeed. The good news is that many salespeople still relying on outdated methods and techniques for how to increase sales. What sales techniques work for you?

Let us know, Schedule a discussion with our expert and we’ll show you how to boost your sales.

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