Build
on Success
Help
them succeed
By
Jeffrey Hansler, CSP
During
a shift in the economy (or even when it's stable) people,
including salespeople, change jobs. Just like a new
pair of shoes, it may take some time to feel natural.
A general rule of thumb you can use to forecast sales for a
new salesperson is to measure the length of time elapsed for
the first sale to be made. The next sale usually takes
1/2 that amount of time, and the next, 1/2 of that time,
etc. However, as a manager, you can speed up this
process by creating situations where your salespeople can
experience immediate success, and if you shorten the time
required to make the first sale, you dramatically impact
each sale after.
If
you've ever seen the results of a new salesperson with lots
of enthusiasm getting a first sale, you know what I mean.
Compare this to the salesperson that starts off slow.
It seems to take them forever to get their sales up to
acceptable levels.
Little
league coaches know this. They see a player's
frustration mounting with each missed ball, but when they
experience a hit their entire attitude changes. You
can see the expectation in their eyes with each following
pitch. They also deal with future strikes better,
because they have the proof of experience that they can hit.
Immediate
results provide confidence. So put the salesperson in
a situation that is about to come to fruition. Ask
their advice prior to the sales call, and let them interact
in the meeting. Let them see the transaction occur and
be part of the result.
Send
your new salespeople out to have a customer sign up for a
warranty or a renewal order. Let them complete the
paperwork required to process the order and appropriately
reward them. Provide recognition to them when the
paperwork and/or order form is filled out correctly, or if
the order size was increased and additional products
included.
By
creating situations where salespeople can succeed and
rewarding them for each step of a sale, you will
dramatically reduce the time for them to hit their stride.
That's good for them, good for you, and good for business.
#
# # # #
Jeffrey
Hansler is a professional speaker, author, and consultant.
He is a frequent speaker at association events and is the
author of Sell Little Red Hen! Sell! He can be reached at jhansler@oxfordco.com.
Click
here for a .pdf version of this page
Click
here to access our article request form to secure
permission to use or reprint this article
©
2004 Jeffrey Hansler All rights reserved
|
