Is
common sense so common?
The French author and philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778) once said, “If you can make people believe absurdities, you can make them commit atrocities.”
Since there are a few absurdities the sales profession tends to believe, is it little wonder these same sales professionals commit “atrocities” and cost themselves and their companies money? Pretty strong language, yes? Stay with me.
For example, one atrocity the sales profession continues to perpetuate is its initial focus on selecting the right training program to fit its needs. This is an atrocity because a sales-training program will only be as effective as the coaching process used to achieve behavioral change.
The initial question should be: What is our measurement process to identify whether we achieve the behavioral change we are expecting in a sales training program? Who will own this responsibility? Will there be consequences for failure? What is our expected return on investment? How do we measure this ROI?
For several years, our Institute for Global Sales Leadership at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in Bloomington has been assembling scientific research studies conducted in the field of sales and sales management from all over the world. Some of these findings by leading world scholars run contrary to conventional wisdom. In other words, they turn out to be the opposite of what most people think is true about selling. We call these misconceptions “traps.”
However, in his day, Voltaire may have labeled them “absurdities,” due to the fact that well-intentioned sales trainers, authors and gurus made the sales profession believe them for the longest time. And, sure enough, over the decades the sales profession has committed “atrocities” by using them. The people who pass along these misconceptions do so with the best intentions—they truly believe them. Their audiences truly believe them. There is no ill intent on anyone’s part.
One of our biggest challenges at the Institute for Global Sales Leadership is to persuade senior managers in the world’s leading corporations that some of the information their sales forces and training departments think is true may not be quite so valid, and that misinformation is probably affecting revenue and profit.
Put another way, it is not what sales and marketing people don’t know that is most likely to significantly hurt their performance; it is what they think they know that turns out to be either a partial truth, mistaken belief or fallacy.
Here are just two of the more common examples of “traps”:
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You are more likely to be successful if you display enthusiasm for new products in your sales calls. This is a partial truth. Research has shown that salespeople who focus on their new products aren’t as effective as salespeople who focus on the customer’s needs. Top performers spend time asking smart questions to uncover and develop customer needs before introducing new products. They talk about their new products later in the sales cycle. |
Neil
Rackham, creator of SPIN Selling and author of “Rethinking the Sales
Force,” got it right when he said, “My research showed not that skepticism was better or enthusiasm bad; just that enthusiasm can make the seller focus on products, solutions and answers, rather than on customer problems, needs and issues.”
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You are unlikely to make a major account sale without an account champion, i.e., someone inside the account who wants you to make the sale and is willing to help. This champion is willing to provide you inside advice and help you navigate the political waters while simultaneously influencing others within his or her decision-hierarchy about the merits of your solution. |
Research shows that successful salespeople are able to cultivate account champions throughout the decision process. Furthermore, these same salespeople are able to manage the customer’s decision-hierarchy more effectively in order to grow their business as well as being less likely to lose business.
In the end, it is important to be aware of the misconceptions and well-meaning opinions that may hurt your performance. As Voltaire also said: “Common sense is not so
common.”
Canada can be reached by e-mail at rcanada@dartmouthgroup.com.
Quote: Top performers spend time asking smart questions to uncover and develop customer needs before introducing their new products.
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