sales exchange

A Search for Superstar Nomenees and A Search for Reasons

First the search for reasons:

It was a sunny week on Sales Street this past week, so I spent a lot of time out and about selling, being sold to and interacting with other sales types.  Maybe it’s the time of year, leaves changing and falling, I am not sure, but I found myself in a reflective mood, asking why things are the way they are at times.

For example, I heard a couple of sales people use a familiar refrain of the also ran in sales when presented with some core sales concepts: “There is nothing new here”.  I buy that, most of the things you read in sales have been said before.  It is very much the truth that the wheel has been invented, at this point it really is a question of how you spin it.  The issue that remains is that if an also ran understands that there is nothing new here, then why are they not a win, place or show, why with all their knowledge are they still an also ran?

It usually comes down to execution.  Many sales people may know it, but they won’t do it or fail to do it, this continues to be the mystery in sales.  Almost every sales person knows what has to be done, very few do it.  I am not sure exactly why, if I did, I would bottle it and have more fun and make more money; but the fact is that knowing is one thing, doing is another.  Just like in music, there aren’t many notes being invented on a daily basis, but there is a lot of interpretation; it’s not like Beethoven’s 9th is being rewritten, same notes, but different conductors and orchestras play it at varying levels of quality.  Some understand practice and execute, others understand but fail to execute.  In sales the reasons are as many as there are also runs, but usually it comes down to lack of commitment and running out of time, both of which are in their control.

Further up the Street, I was struck by another interesting occurrence that got me thinking about sales people and their belief that the latest and the greatest in tools and automation may help them achieve more, and easier.  The ongoing debate, if not battle between Sales 2.0 and traditional approach to prospecting.  At the end it really is a question of how the two can work together, but it seems the propensity is to pit one against the other.  The question for me is why do sales people feel that automation will save them from having to do the work, rather than helping them do it more efficiently.  What got me thinking about it is a bit removed and bizarre, but it caught my eye and imagination.

I was sitting at a popular coffee place in Toronto waiting for a couple of associates.  From my arm chair I had a direct view of entrance.  I became aware of something I though was a bit strange (to me anyways, and hey, it’s my blog).  The entrance was a typical glass door with a comfortable handle, I used it myself when I came in, but there was also a small handicap button on the frame right next to the aforementioned comfortable handle.  The door was not heavy, easy to open, didn’t snap back or anything, yet a vast majority of the people coming in selected to push the handicap button, step back and wait for the door to slowly open.  Please remember that both the button and the handle were at the same height, about 3 inches apart; and most, I would say over 80% went for the button rather than open the door themselves.  None of the people were handicapped, most were not carrying parcels, it’s not like they were struggling to grab the handle or hit the button with their clenched fist or elbow; nope the same finger that could have pulled the door open, was used to push the button to slowly open the door.  They were all healthy, hell some of the women were even wearing those popular yoga outfits highlighting their assets and concern for physical fitness; except when it comes to opening doors?

This kept on like this right through the hour or so I was there.  Don’t ask me why, but I began to wonder. Were they lazy, was I missing something?  The button opened the door but in a measurably slower time than had they opened manually; there was it seemed to me more effort in pushing the button, having to step back out of the way to let it creek back slowly.  So why were people opting for the less efficient, only so slightly easier way of getting to their coffee?  I am open to suggestions.

I began to think it must be the same thing that keeps many sales people from taking a straight forward approach to winning sales, and in no way am I suggesting they are lazy, are they?  I thought maybe they are being resourceful, but no, there was no real advantage in using the button; the slight saving of energy in not pulling the door was negated by the energy in having to take an extra step or two. 

I began to think how this manifests itself in sales.  Sales people doing, or more accurately avoiding or deferring things in favour of something less efficient.  More to the point, using some tools or techniques for the sake of using the tool or technique, rather than for the purpose of moving the sale forward.  Is it the illusion of productivity, the ability to appear to be up-to-date?  (My Facebook is cuter than yours)

What ever the reason, I admit I am not sure, and if you have ideas please share, it does raise the notion that ease and appearances seem to carry more weight with some then productivity, and profit.

Or maybe I just had one too many double espressos.

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What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto