Copyright Perficency 2012. All Rights Reserved.

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NEXT NEW NEW By: Tom Batchelder

Beware the next newest, greatest, best sales approach. Commitment, patience and follow-through still pay off.

Every few years there is a new fad designed to create better salespeople. Thin Slice Sales Method, Gold Sheet Planning, Customer Centric. Blah, blah, blah. All of these approaches contain good ideas, fancy charts and the best intentions to improve sales results. Helpful? Sure. Game changing? Nope. Opportunity for real change squandered? Definitely.

I talk with sales leaders all the time who are frustrated with the tangible results for the time and money invested in the “next new, new sales initiatives.” Sometimes things start off with a bang, but a few months later the whole thing ends up in the new initiative graveyard. I hear things like:

• “We spent all this money on the Thin Slice II program and then nobody used it.” • “We need to transform our group into a ‘Driving Sales Force,’ but everything we’ve tried so far

hasn’t really changed anyone’s behavior.”

I am all for investing in sales-specific training and development when it pushes people out of their comfort zone, gets them to think a bit differently, requires more discipline and accountability. I get it. It’s just the way leaders go about the launch and implementation of any new thing. It can be inefficient and misguided.

There is no quick fix. And if there is a quick fix, it seldom sticks. I always wanted a catch phrase. I think I might have found it. But I digress.

There are three main reasons why most sales training initiatives fall short:

Unrealistic expectations. A member firm leader recently said to me, “I need someone to come in here and get our people fired up to make more calls, fill the pipeline and close more business. It’s been nine months, and we got nothin’ so far. We have two hours next week—can you come in and fix this for me?”

The ego wants quick results. The ego does not want to feel the pain of struggling, of making mistakes and doing the heavy lifting that comes with changing yourself, changing others and changing a whole culture that has been embedded for years.

Copyright Perficency 2012. All Rights Reserved.

No new thinking. Most sales programs are predictable and uninspired in their overall philosophy, style and content. In the same vein, people often ask me what sales books I recommend. I tell them I hate sales books. I suggest reading about psychology, the human brain, quantum physics, sociology and leadership—then look for the connections between those topics and sales. Don’t passively let someone spoon-feed you. Be an aggregator of useful information that is relevant and most helpful to you.

Compliance vs. Commitment. The upfront buy-in you get for a new sales initiative is often polite compliance. A few participate with gusto. Most do just enough to get by. To move from mere compliance to true commitment, it’s essential that people feel that they have the freedom to choose whether or not they will cooperate.

When people feel forced to do something, there is a natural resistance. Your job is to create an environment that minimizes resistance and to know how and when to push, and when to back off. Be mindful of beating your head against the wall, and no matter what, don’t forget to take your blood pressure medicine.

OK, let’s try and frame this discussion more positively. Here are three best practices to guide further conversation and execution of any new sales training initiative:

Don’t make it a Big Big Thing. Ta-Da! Here is the next best thing since sliced bread that we are all VERY EXCITED about, and it’s going to change our lives (I’m sure you’ll agree and all get on board—or else).

Stop doing that! Roll something out slowly, with a small group of key influencers. Don’t overpromise, and minimize expectations for the first 90 days.

Model the behavior you want from others. Don’t try to force people. Teach by example. Be willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Just like everyone else, admit what you need to improve and are willing to be held accountable for.

Talk about what no one is talking about. In advance or at the start of a new sales training initiative, allow for discussion of what’s behind the curtain. The symptom may be that people are not making enough calls, but what’s the underlying cause of the lack of results? Instead of getting annoyed, get curious. You don’t have to be everyone’s therapist, but if no one is being real with you, what’s the cost of that?

Sustainable change is not as simple as “Make more calls or you’re fired” or “Do more research and fill out this magical Gold Sheet Plan.” If that tactical approach works, it is often short-lived once previous behavior again takes control of day-to-day thoughts and actions. To produce sustainable change, focus on the underlying causes, not just the symptoms and tactics.

Be wary of the impulse to commit to the next new, new sales initiative because you don’t know what else to do. Slow down. Talk to your people. Dig a little deeper. Be more thoughtful and open-minded. You might discover what you thought you needed is completely different this time around.