Failing Sales Team? Who Is to Blame?

The responsibility for ensuring that every member of the sales team is successful lies entirely with management, and below are the eight reasons why salespeople fail.

In fact, I usually ask just three very straightforward questions in order to identify why a salesperson is underachieving:

• Are they visiting/talking to enough clients/prospects?

• Are they talking to the right people within those client/prospect organisations?

• Are they saying/doing the right things?

However, this list, whilst not exhaustive, remains extremely accurate: 

1. Wrong or no selection process - The wrong person for the position
2. Wrong or no training - Insufficiently developed
3. Wrong or no planning - Expected to do all of their own planning
4. Wrong or no supervision - Left without competent supervision
5. Wrong or no motivation - Not properly motivated to meet objectives
6. Wrong or no stimulation - Not stimulated by appropriate incentives
7. Wrong or no evaluation - Not regularly appraised against a set of agreed objectives
8. Wrong or no executive action - Not adequately supported by a competent manager

In Summary:

Management has responsibility for all of these, including the last one!

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