“Disciplining” an under-performing sales rep was much easier years ago when people were actually held accountable for their actions (or inactions). These days, our culture does not deal very much in right and wrong. Instead, we spend our time in the grey, rationalizing pretty much everything, talking about others’ perceptions and writing things off to personal choice and perspective.

In the “old days,” (I cannot believe I actually just typed that) I almost never had to discipline or fire. Reps would typically come to me, tell me they weren’t hitting their goals and what they were going to do about it, and ask for the help they needed. After that, if they continued to miss their goals, they would pack up their belongings and submit a letter of resignation.

Today if you address a rep’s poor performance or attitude, you are met with a “how dare you” or a “that’s just your point of view” or “you’ve got to be kidding me” comment. This fascinates me because, in my opinion, sales is the easiest profession in which to work in black and white rather than grey. Reps either hit their numbers or not. One can’t “kind of” achieve quota; you either do or do not.

So, how did we get here? Is here where we intended to be? Is here the right “here”?

My Explanation

Generations X and Y were raised by baby boomers who enjoyed successful careers and generated tremendous wealth. So much so that Gen X and Gen Y – generally speaking – didn’t have to try to figure out a way to get to college, pay for college, do well in college, struggle to find a job, and struggle to compete for fewer jobs. And they could demand higher salaries, too. Things typically came easier to them than they did for their parents. This translated into a culture of expectation that prior generations did not experience. Therefore, they view themselves as “deserving” of what they have, rather than humbled and grateful.

* Disclaimer – I’m part of the Gen X age group.

In addition, the same people that created this within their kids often did the same within their companies. As owners and managers, they made the path much easier by removing expectations or judgments. Anything that could be viewed as judgmental – like a quota number, activity number or expectation of any kind – was eliminated. After all, someone might fail, damaging their sense of self.

Now we are left with statistics like these:

• More people on social programs than ever before in our nation’s history;
• Almost as many people not paying taxes as paying them;
• The old 80/20 rule, in which 20% of the people generated more of everything than the other 80%, is more like the 95/5 rule today.

In other words, what’s playing out in our culture also is playing out in corporate America.

So, what does this have to do with how to discipline a sales rep? Absolutely everything!

Sales as Culture

Why did my reps, in the “old days,” come to me proactively to tell me that they were not hitting their objectives? Why did they have a plan to rectify it, a timeline to complete it, and coaching and training requests? Because they knew what was expected of them.

I clearly communicated, in black and white terms, how I was evaluating their performance. I also communicated to them that it was their responsibility to come to me for help, not my responsibility to figure out where they needed help and foist it upon them. We had mutually respected roles, clear communication and crystal clear expectations. Nothing was grey, “perspective,” or “point of view.” It was a single view. Everybody on the team either contributed to the goals or they took themselves out. I did not need to take them out myself.

How do we get back to the “old days?”

Actually, those old days are not so old. In 20-some years, I’ve only had to let two people go. The remaining reps either succeeded or stepped down on their own accord. The two I did fire were both in my first year of management, before I “figured it out.”

What did I figure out? The only proper way to discipline a sales rep (or anyone else for that matter) is to not discipline them. Clearly communicate your expectations with tremendous specificity, including performance metrics (activity and results). Report on and communicate the metrics continuously, keep your door open to provide help, and create a culture of accountability and self reliance. Reps will either perform or go somewhere else where they fit in better.

That, in my opinion, is how you do it. But I wonder if people actually want to go back to black and white, or if they would just rather continue to navigate the grey.

What do you think?

Brian

Annual results for most sales professionals are either made or broken by the so-called “huge sales.” How does one go about making the most of each opportunity for a huge sale?

Prepare.  Research the company you’re calling on. Research the contact you’re calling on. Try to uncover all the decision makers before your initial appointment. Know your competitive advantages, and how they compare against the current vendor. Know how your advantages and benefits can help your contact and her company reach their goals. Set objectives for each sales activity you conduct.

Execute. Whether you’re building trust and rapport, setting your agenda, presenting your company overview, conducting an analysis, presenting your solutions, closing for the sale, identifying next steps, or overcoming objections, use all of the information you gathered in your preparation and throughout the process. For example, customize your company overview to align with your contact’s values, mission and purpose. When conducting your analysis, target the specific advantages and benefits of your product or service that align with your contact’s buying criteria. This also can help to separate you from your competitors.

Analyze. Without analyzing your progress, you run the risk of having many issues arise. For example, you can get so far into your sales process that you can’t back up and meet with other decision makers. Or you can find yourself losing the sale because of a perception of you and your business that you never had a chance to overcome.

There are countless other techniques that can help win the “huge sales,” such as being the first one in and the last one out, setting the stage for your competitors to lose, finding and effectively working with a “coach” within your prospect, and truly understanding each decision maker’s needs and wants, to name just a few.

I’d be interested in hearing your tips and ideas on this topic.

Dan

“What’s the big secret and what are they trying to pull over on me?”

Isn’t that how you feel sometimes about the sales process?

Is it just me, or do the really bad sales people (you know who they are) always act as if they’re trying to pull something over on you? One can hardly walk into a major furniture retailer without being accosted. And heaven forbid you actually walk into a car dealership and close a deal without getting the “sales manager” to approve the transaction. What’s with all these shenanigans? Really, this is mostly about someone’s really bad idea of how they think sales works. They view sales as a win/lose scenario rather than a win/win scenario.

Simply put, sales is about asking someone what they want and giving it to them. That’s it! Sorry if you were expecting some terrific tome replete with fancy techniques and strategies. You see, people buy things (products or services) out of emotion. A good salesperson can cut through (note I DID NOT SAY “use” or “leverage”) the emotion, analyze the need and provide a solution.

Typically, people buy things to either increase pleasure or decrease pain.

So, as a salesperson you need to understand what is causing your customer pain (or understand their need for pleasure) and what will solve it. If you can do that, you will sell something, the prospect will buy something, and you both will be happy!

Simple isn’t it?

So, why do we make the sales process so complex?

Because we’re complex and we view everything through the prism of WIIFM (what’s in it for me). To the extent we cannot step outside of this prism and really see what is in it for our prospect, we resort to tricks and manipulation.

Don’t be this salesperson. Rise above it! Ask – and really listen for and care – what the person needs to increase pleasure or decrease pain, and then give it to them.

So, am I making this too easy?

Brian

Buzz words have a way of running their course. The term social networking probably takes some sort of prize as one of today’s most commonly used “buzz words.” But think about it for a moment. Networking, itself, is not a new phenomenon. For decades, professionals have been gathering to share business knowledge and contacts with one another. Groups like LBN and BNI have been meeting for over 25 years.

And even social networking is beginning to show some longevity. LinkedIn, widely considered the most professional networking site, is already eight years old. But even with so many years of history, the concept of social networking has been revitalized over the past few years with the emergence of Facebook and Twitter.

That said, now is a good time to ask yourself some key social networking questions.

LinkedIn

• Do you have an account? If so, is your profile complete, your job history accurate, and your LinkedIn activity consistent?
• Have you joined industry-specific groups? Are you participating in them, learning, and connecting with other professionals in your field or niche?
• Are you providing testimonials to the professionals in your network that deserve them?
• Are you receiving testimonials for the products and/or services you offer?
• Have you taken advantage of all the latest LinkedIn applications?

Facebook

• Do you have a personal account, enabling you to connect or reconnect with friends and colleagues?
• How often do you share relevant content in your industry with those in your network?
• Have you created a company page for your business? If so, are you actively engaging with others by using thought provoking questions?
• Do you help promote others in your network by sharing their content or relevant news?
• Have you set up cross-promotional opportunities by providing links to your blog, website, and other social networking profiles?

Twitter

• Have you set up an account and are you consistently active?
• Do you understand how to tweet, retweet, share content, and engage with others?
• Are you staying on top of your industry by consuming the content your network shares?
• Do you help promote others in your network by sharing their important news and content?
• Have you thought about what your goals are for spending time on this platform?

The Bottom Line

There’s no question that ever-increasing numbers of professionals are connecting through these popular sites. It’s one thing to follow someone or have them follow you. It’s another thing – a more compelling thing – to actually derive tangible benefits from those relationships. What does that mean? It means referrals are being shared and business is being transacted as a direct result of these efforts. Keep in mind, though, that this should be an end goal and not a starting point.

People do not engage in social networking so they can be bombarded by marketing and advertising efforts. These channels are best suited for conversations, idea sharing, and learning from industry experts. We’re creating our own experiences on social networks based on how we choose to spend time on them.

The numbers don’t lie. There wouldn’t be this many people continuing to become active on Facebook, or connecting with others via LinkedIn and Twitter, if there wasn’t some payoff.

What other tips can you add? Is there something that has prevented you from actively participating in social networking? We’re looking to create an environment where we can all share best practices. What can you bring to the table?

Dave