You're Screwed - Why Many Salespeople Are Destined for Failure

I just had to cut and paste this dialogue between a salesperson I interviewed who wanted to hire me as their sales coach and the manager they sent my information to, in hopes of getting her support and possibly some money towards the investment of coaching that I proposed to him.

-----Original Message-----
From: Harry
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 10:21 AM
To: Keith Rosen
Subject: FW: Great Speaking With You
Importance: High

Hi Keith:

Below is my boss's response to my request that she talk to you.

I followed up with a phone call to her this morning and she is completely closed to any purchase of any kind of sales training or sales aids.

The only area of your expertise I will be able to access personally will be your published works. I am sorry that she closed the door.

Harry

-----Original Message-----
From: Sondra McKay
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 9:33 AM
To: Harry
Subject: RE: Great Speaking With You

I thought you were spending the hour with the coach because you wanted to consider a book or something. From your voice mail - are you indicating you would like more? Right now we are not in the position to do sales training -- as we need sales. We have to beat the streets as the numbers have not improved since last month-- I don't think sales coaching cost would improve the expertise you have in sales and your time would be better spent right now getting sales, cold calling, networking, following your prospects around if you have too :) 

Thanks SM

-----Original Message-----
From: Harry
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:21 AM
To: Sondra McKay
Subject: FW: Great Speaking With You
Importance: High
 
Sondra:

Here is the email I mentioned to you in my VM. Keith is a really exciting guy to talk to and has some tremendous ideas and techniques he applies in sales coaching.

I asked him to send me a variety of information about his services which are contained in his email so you can get an idea of who he is and how he provides service.

Talk to you later,

Harry

____________________________

You gotta appreciate the managers out there who empower and support their salespeople by telling them, "Yes, you have to go out and get more sales! And No, we won't support you in doing so or provide you with the additional tools, training and coaching to achieve your goals."

I would think in this day and age this antiquated philosophy would be dead and buried right next to hard sell tactics like the Smith and Wesson Close. ("Mr. Prospect, at the end of our meeting there's going to be one of two things on this contract. Your brains or your signature.")

I love managers who push their salespeople to higher levels of achievement with their sage advice, delivering and pontificating pearls of wisdom that sound like:

• You just have to work harder.
• You need to get more organized.
• Just hit the streets and you'll bring in new business.
• All you need to do is spend half a day on the phone cold calling and you'll have all the appointments you need.
• Stay focused and just ask for the sale. If you need to, close harder.
• Listen more openly and ask better questions to qualify them.  

OH MY GOSH. NOW I understand what I have to do! WHAT A REVELATION OF HORRENDOUS PROPORTIONS! WHAT POWERFUL EPIPHANY! I'm so clear on what I need to do to adjust my approach and behavior. I'm blown away…..

C'mon. It's this type of hollow, empty and superficial broad based advice that keeps sales teams stuck in status quo and mediocrity. Then, to their surprise, management doesn't understand why people are leaving or not hitting their numbers. Managers make their job hard when they think that they or their company has all the answers to best practices.

Reaching out to the leading expert for help who can provide more tools, skill development and resources to position you ahead of your competition and bring in more sales? That's ridiculous.

Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll figure it out. (Figure out that staying there would lead to a compromise in your sanity level and that you need to get the heck out of that toxic position and into a company that actually supports and develops their people any way they can.)