Why Can't My Salespeople Close Business the Way I Can?
I frequently hear this frustrated comment from security dealers who originally built their business by closing deals themselves. The fact of the matter is that company founders do have a special passion for the services the company provides, for obvious reasons. It is also likely that the founder or owner of the company comes with a greater presence than most salespeople.
You are an owner, an entrepreneur, a CEO – customers trust you because of that. Because of your role, you may also be able to provide negotiating concessions right on the spot; whereas you may not feel comfortable giving your salespeople that same leeway.
For all these reasons and more, it is unlikely that you will be able to find a salesperson who can be as effective as you are in closing business, at least initially. So what are you to do?
First, do not focus on finding your clone or your Mini-Me; instead, focus on instilling a solid process for qualifying and providing a clear understanding of the problems your products or services solve. Share with your salespeople why the company does what it does. Provide tangible stories of successes you have had and the benefits that have resulted for your clients.
If you are hiring new, be certain to clearly articulate what behaviors, attitudes and skills the person needs to have to be effective. Also, be honest about the hurdles, the pitfalls and the challenges that a new person – who obviously does not have the title of CEO – will face.
How to Help Existing Salespeople
What if the issue is not a new salesperson, but an existing one who is struggling and you are frustrated? Treat them as if they were a new hire. Give them a shot to be “onboarded” the right way.
I talk to so many owners who believe that if they just have the salesperson tag along on some appointments with them, that person will pick up all the correct skills to succeed. It simply does not work that way.
Instead, focus on making sales process improvements. Here are a few ways:
1. Provide stories of the successful things your products or services have done to solve problems for clients. Enable the sales reps to own the stories as if they came up with them.
2. Provide a long list of appropriate, thought-provoking questions that will enable the salesperson to ask questions of the prospect. Give them the language that you yourself use and then teach them how to ask questions that matter to customers.
3. Set a plan of activity with the salesperson so they are doing enough of the right things to produce enough opportunities. Frequently salespeople are poor closers because they have too few opportunities in the pipeline, so they get stressed about closing whatever prospective customer they meet with and that comes across in their conversations with the prospect. They sound desperate, and prospects can sense when the salesperson is trying to sell them something rather than helping them.
Salespeople have to act differently if they want to be treated with respect by potential customers – like a business owner would be treated with respect. They cannot sound like every other salesperson just hawking their wares.
4. Since your salespeople are not going to be just like you, give them the opportunity to be as successful as possible by providing them the foundation – just do not expect them to act the exact same way as you would. Let them be themselves by tweaking your words into phrases that are comfortable for them. Practice with them and give them honest feedback about how they make you feel.
Gretchen Gordon is the President of Braveheart Sales Performance, a sales optimization firm that guarantees improvement in profitable sales for its clients. Braveheart has a particular expertise in the security and systems integration industry, as Gordon is a former lender to the industry. Contact her at 614-641-0604, via email at [email protected], or visit www.braveheartsecurity.com.
