The 25 Most Discouraging Sales Manager Comments

There is nothing more frustrating than working with a sales manager who can’t make anything happen.

Given the state of many sales organizations, the pressure to do more, expand, and grow is huge and some sales managers are maxed out. They barely do the minimum, let alone take on anything new. That’s why they shelve the many good suggestions their salespeople and management partners make. Their response to suggestions that require more work on their part is to provide lip service at best, but move swiftly to dismissal. In the end, they’ll never pull the trigger to make anything happen.

This is what Seth Godin refers to in his book, Poke the Box. Some people seem perfectly content waiting for something to happen. They lack the initiative and the drive toward change and may actually discourage it. In today’s Sales 2.0 ecosystem that kind of attitude can really set a whole business down the wrong path.

The next time you find yourself in a 1:1 forecast meeting or sales meeting with your sales manager, listen for these “killer statements”:

1. We tried that before.
2. That’s not our responsibility.
3. We’re too busy to do that.
4. It’s too big for a change.
5. We don’t have the authority.
6. We don’t have enough help.
7. We’ve never done that before.
8. Things aren’t that bad around here.
9. Why change it? It’s still working.
10. I don’t like the idea.
11. You’re right, but . . .
12. You’re years ahead of your time.
13. It isn’t in the budget.
14. It’s too much trouble.
15. Let’s give it more thought.
16. Let’s wait until conditions are more favorable.
17. Let’s put it in writing.
18. That’s what we can expect from the staff.
19. Let’s form a committee.
20. I don’t see the connection.
21. What you’re really saying is . . .
22. Don’t you think we should look into it further before we act?
23. It won’t pay for itself.
24. That sounds good in theory, but . . .
25. Let me think about that, and I’ll get back to you.

Here’s my advice: Stop listening. Don’t get discouraged or demotivated, just look for a way to make it happen!