Are you wondering why your well-educated, well-qualified sales staff are not producing buyers? Take a closer look. Are your sales people like the three monkeys? -Not seeing, not hearing and not speaking in a way that resonates with your potential clients? Sales is a relationship business, first and foremost, and connections can not be made without proper communication skills.
I’m assuming that you already have a decent data list of prospects, so you need to find out what’s wrong with the sales process in your company. Ask yourself: “Is it me, or is it them?”
As a business leader or sales manager, you must make sure your staff are properly trained. No matter how many diplomas or certifications salespeople have, they need to understand the industry and they need to know the specifics of what they are selling, so take the time to teach them about your business…that’s the “seeing” part.
Once they are educated in the informational nuts & bolts, they need to be trained in the process. Teach them how to relate to the leads - how to pitch your product or service in a way that matters to them specifically…that’s the “speaking” part.
For that to work, salespeople need to be good listeners, so they can understand the prospects’ pain points, and respond to them accordingly…that’s the “hearing” part.
Being well-informed, sincere listeners, and good storytellers are all necessary in order for salespeople to be successful, so help them hone those skills.
It’s up to you to avoid the curse of the three monkeys. If you feel like your team is not producing, and wondering what it is that they are not doing to convert candidates into buyers, look to yourself first. What are you as a manager not doing to convert your team into stellar sellers?