Sales and marketing -- Information

Ten reasons not to read this article on sales performance

by Jeff Grover

Readers are barraged with articles about everything under the sun. In fact, there are so many sources of information available that the average person probably tunes out most of it, even stuff that is important.

Perhaps you are one of those people. If so, you have already bucked the trend by reading this far in this particular sales treat.

So, what are the 10 reasons why you should not read this article about sales performance?

Here goes:
1. You are selling more than you could have ever imagined.

2. You don't need anyone telling you how to sell. You've been doing it a long time, thank you.

3. You don't have to read anything unless you are forced to by your manager.

4. You don't have a manager because you are an independent rep or owner, which means you don't have to waste your time ferreting through new ideas.

5. If you read something new, you might have to consider changing, which might be uncomfortable.

6. You are so successful that you don't have to be any more uncomfortable than you are already, which means you don't have to read sales performance articles.

7. You have your work schedule just right, basically five hours a day, and if you gained more customers you might have to work longer hours. Who needs that?

8. Your work schedule is insane, sometimes 12 hours or more a day, so you have no time to read about performance ideas that may make you spend your time more productively.

9. You don't believe that new ideas really work, (they're mostly new ways of looking at old ideas).

10. You have been turned on by new concepts, and even invested $1,200 in sales performance books through the years, but never took time to read them. Why waste the time with yet another set of ideas when you are not going to follow up on them anyway?

I don't know if any of the above 10 reasons apply to you. My guess is that at least one of them does, even if you don't care to admit it. At the risk of offending anyone, I think it is important to break down barriers to learning and opening up to new ideas before trying to introduce them.

Think about how this relates to selling. Have you ever called on a customer and offered a great product or selling solution that the customer, in spite of your best efforts, refused to purchase? Not everyone buys into everything, we all know that. However, people certainly aren't going to try something different and new if they don't first recognize and desire a need for change. Why should you be any different in terms of truly considering a new selling approach or technique that can improve your performance?

So, rather than write about some selling solution that would help you better position yourself, your company, your product or service, and the value proposition you offer, I thought I'd ask you to reflect on something. Do you seriously believe that you can improve your sales performance and results, and even if you do, do you really care to put the necessary time and effort in that is required to integrate a new habit?

If you, as a sales professional, are not in the mindset of "continuous improvement," then I suggest that any idea that can help improve performance will fall on deaf ears. Don't waste your time, or the person's time trying to help you.

On the other hand, if one of the 10 reasons is relevant to you, then maybe its time to shift your thinking and receptivity to new ideas. You might learn something.

I remember as a rookie sales rep sitting in a lobby of one of my customers and looking closely at a cartoon that was on the wall. You may have seen it, as it's pretty famous. In it, there is a picture of a machine gun salesperson that is waiting to see the king preparing to lead his soldiers into battle on a medieval battlefield, complete with axes, bow and arrows, and so forth. The king, when told there is a salesperson waiting to see him, says, "Tell him I'm too busy to see any salesman. I'm preparing for battle."

Jeff Grover is founder of The Grover Group LLC, a consulting organization for manufacturers and distributors that want to improve their sales productivity. Services include upper management strategic and tactical consulting, advisory board participation, sales training for select circumstances, live presentations and speaking. For further information, visit www.grovergroupllc.com.