How to Change Sales Behavior
Find out how to get your salespeople to focus on the products you want them to sell.
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How to Change Sales Behavior
If you are a sales manager, business executive or business owner there is no doubt that at one time or another you have asked the question: “Why won’t my salespeople sell the things I want them to sell?”
This is a common concern and a key reason why consultants like me are hired to help sales organizations build sales compensation and training programs designed to change sales behavior..
For example, take this question we received from a listener from Norway. He writes:
“I’m the technical sales manager for a wholesale company within telecom business. My responsibilities include focusing on five products and services. Four of these products generate about 10% of our company’s revenue, while one single product generates 90% of the revenue. I have a challenge to change those numbers, but the biggest change of all is to change the attitude across the sales team, and to start selling all of the products. What would you suggest to turn around numbers and what can I do to get both the sales team focusing on all of our products?”
If you are facing a similar situation here is something to consider.
Like water, salespeople will always follow the path of least resistance. They will sell the products and services that are easiest to close and earn them the most money. No matter how much you try to motivate them to become interested in the other products they are going to do what they feel is in their best interest not yours or the company.
This may be a tough concept to chew on if you are a manager, but if you took a moment to step into the shoes of your commission driven sales professionals I’m sure you would be able to see things from their perspective. As manager you must never forget that your salespeople will always do things for their reasons, not yours.
To get your salespeople to focus on the products you want them to sell – in other words to change their behaviors – you’ve got to find a way to get them to see that it is in their best interest to do so.
There are a number of ways to change sales behaviors. You can:
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Change the compensation plan to place more emphasis on the behaviors you want
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Make it easier for them to sell the product or service
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Ensure that you back your salespeople up with great service and delivery
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Provide additional marketing and collateral
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Provide training so that they feel confident and enthusiastic about selling the product
By changing how your salespeople feel about the product or service you will change the actions they take relative to selling the product. When this happens your salespeople will get what they want – more sales, higher commissions and happy customers – and you will get what you want – more revenue and higher profits.
This is Jeb Blount, the Sales Guy. If you have a sales question please send it to salesguy@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email.
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