Let’s get right to the point: Sales is a very generic term with a very bad reputation.
Everyone needs sales. Today, every business is obsessed with sales. And, business owners are pushing their people to go get more sales. That is just what we need today–more pushy salespeople! Think about it. Isn’t that what people hate, detest, and despise about salespeople? Why are businesses feeding the monster that they dislike the most?
Very simple. Most businesses really do not understand what effective sales really is. They send their people off to sales school to be trained to be better sales professionals. After all, a good training program is all anyone needs to learn how to sell, right? Sales results are measured by revenue–isn’t that really the only yardstick? The prevailing logic is that a great sales person is measured solely by the number of deals closed and the size of the sales dollars generated. Then, the best sales people get promoted to manager. That manager becomes the big ‘boss’ of the sales team and directs them to perform just like the manager did when they were in the field. More deals and more dollars. Keep feeding the ugly beast. If only Herb Tarlek were here to see his dream come true. The result, an endless and very ugly cycle of desperate, aggressive, pushy and annoying salespeople.
You want to know what sales is? Sales is the ability to deliver a product or a service to a business or individual that solves a problem or fulfills a need. Look at this definition closely, very closely. There is nothing in here that describes a pushy, buy something from me now, mindset. Want more sales? Start focusing on learning about, understanding, comprehending, and solving your potential clients’ business issues. Business people today are NOT looking to meet more salespeople. They do not have time for them. They ARE looking to find resources that are committed to helping them solve their business challenges. Stop sending salespeople to sales school for the typical sales training methodology focused on closing deals. Find a professional that understands how to build relationships, engage in a consultative learning conversation that solves problems, and has the ability to coach and teach the sales team to stop “selling” and start “solving.”