When sales are sluggish or inconsistent, the mood within your company can quickly become negative, and this cloud of negativity only makes achieving your business goals more challenging. Even the world’s best sales leaders have found themselves on the receiving end of weak excuses for a salesperson’s poor performance.
“My sales are down because I’m not getting enough leads…”
“No one in my territory is buying…”
“I could sell more, but our prices are set too high…”
“We don’t have a brochure/flyer/etc. on this product.”
If you’re tired of hearing excuses like this from your sales team, you are not alone. There are three keys to transforming excuse-wielding sales reps into insightful, highly motivated sales experts.
First, learn to anticipate the excuses they tend to offer. Second, understand why salespeople are so likely to point the finger at someone else for their sales shortcomings. And third, train your sales reps to take responsibility for their results and focus on the variables they are able to control. Below is a look at each of these points and some specific steps you can take to eliminate excuses and other tales of woe from your sales force.
What are some common excuses for poor sales performance?
Excuses given by underperforming salespeople usually share one common thread: blame. In many cases, market conditions are blamed for missed sales targets or sluggish sales. But other underperforming salespeople blame an internal department for failing to give them the support they need to close more sales. Excuses for poor performance often mention the following:
- A lack of market demand
- Insufficient advertising
- Subpar product quality
- Prices that are “set too high”
- Loss of sales to a competitor with a “better” product
- Poorly designed marketing materials
- An undesirable sales territory
What causes salespeople to point the finger at other departments?
Finger pointing often arises out of frustration. Some salespeople can become highly defensive when asked to explain their poor performance. Others may worry their job or reputation is at stake and lay blame on anyone else except themselves. In reality, finger pointing is typically caused by a combination of two types of factors:
1) External variables beyond the salesperson’s control
External variables are those factors that may impact sales results, but are beyond the salesperson’s direct control. They often relate to another area of your organization or to an unpredictable event that affects everyone in your industry. Here are some examples of external variables:
- Poor market conditions, including recessions and unemployment
- Marketing campaigns or lack thereof
- Product development strategies
- Catalogs and branded product specifications prepared by the Marketing department
- Pre-set pricing structures established by management
- Introduction of a new CRM
- Catastrophic events, such as a pandemic or weather disaster
2) Internal variables the salesperson fails to control
Internal variables are those factors that salespeople can control but often fail to focus on. They may include skills that can be sharpened or the voluntary completion of tasks that are linked to closed sales. Some examples include the following:
- Presentation skills
- Customer interactions
- Efficient use of time
- Customer follow up
- Outbound phone calls or messages to new prospects
- Closing strategy
- Developing a proactive approach to selling
How can you encourage salespeople to take responsibility for their sales results?
As a CEO or Sales VP, your livelihood hinges on the performance of your sales team. And it is up to you to provide the leadership and tools necessary for sales representatives to do their jobs. A big part of your role as a leader is to encourage your team to focus on the factors they can control. Here are three specific steps you can take to achieve this goal:
1) Set a positive example for your sales staff
The path to a stronger, more motivated sales force begins with your leadership. By exhibiting the type of behavior you expect from your sales staff, you set a positive example and hold yourself accountable for the same behaviors you hope your team will develop. Here are some ways you can serve as a positive role model for your team:
- Never criticize or blame another department in front of your team
- Take responsibility for your mistakes and failures
- Offer specific behaviors and strategies your team can follow to boost results
- Always be on time for meetings and customer calls
2) Train your team to focus on things they can control
Salespeople who regularly blame their failures on external factors are less likely to enjoy sales success because they expend all their energy complaining about variables beyond their control. You can help put an end to this counterproductive tendency by helping your team remain focused on variables they can control. For instance, you can:
- Help sales reps sharpen their presentation skills
- Show your team how to set follow-up reminders in your CRM
- Provide time management training to your sales staff
3) Explore legitimate problems
Sometimes, excuses that involve blame have legitimate roots. For example, if sales for your new product line are way behind your sales forecast, there is likely one or more problems that need to be addressed. So if four members of your sales team tell you that your marketing materials are not highlighting a product’s key selling points, then it may be a good idea to meet with your Marketing Director to review your current content.
What is the key to consistent sales performance?
Consistent sales results are vital to your cash flow and industry reputation. By following the steps above, you can boost motivation within your sales force and encourage salespeople to own their results. But the single best way to achieve consistent sales results is to seek the guidance of a strategic marketing expert. With the help of an experienced marketing consultant, you can develop a powerful plan that will help put an end to the excuses above.
We invite you to contact us at Brand Syntax to discover why software firms across America turn to us for help creating a long-term marketing strategy for their brand and products. We look forward to helping you develop award-winning marketing campaigns that will drive results and excite your most talented salespeople.
