Intention And Sales Success

During a recent sales conference keynote presentation, I asked the audience (in fact I ask this of almost every audience I’m presenting to….) how many of them were hoping to learn or relearn some tips and strategies on how to win more new and repeat sales.

Not surprisingly almost everyone raised their hand.

I then asked how many were hoping to learn or relearn some tips and strategies on how to win more referral sales and most if not all in the room raised their hands.

Here’s what’s really interesting and challenging for me – what I know is that most if not all of the audience at that time, have the intention of learning, relearning and ultimately implementing strategies to help them win more new, repeat and referral sales.

But when the majority of the audience leaves the conference, I also know that despite their intention at the time of the conference, the majority of those salespeople will return to their comfort zones, past habits, and routine.

Now, if they’re achieving their sales targets, then that’s fine.

But if they’re struggling, the question is why isn’t their intention to win more new, repeat and referral sales enough to transfer the learning and strategies covered during the conference into new actions and strategies?

The management guru Peter Drucker once said something like (and I’m paraphrasing here) “every failure of an employee is a failure of their manager”.

Most sales conferences and sales training never live up to the ‘intended’ results.

Why?

Because the intended results lack the required level of intentional pre, during and post conference behavioural change strategies.

Real intention is demonstrated and observable in the actions and support that is provided by management to create the necessary on-going success environment that will inspire, motivate and energise their salespeople into incrementally, comfortably, and confidently implementing the learning, tips and strategies from the conference.

Sure….this requires a commitment to invest in their people above and beyond just at the conference…..but surely, without an intention to commit to a level of investment that will achieve the desired outcome, throwing money at a conference and hoping that the learning will stick is a waste.

Fortunately I’m currently working with a number of organisations who have made the commitment to create a successful sales culture that the management team, salespeople, clients and their suppliers can all be proud of.

The sales management team are inspiring – they really want to create a sales culture to be proud of.  The salespeople can see that this is not some passing ‘fad’ and that there really is a genuine commitment to build a bigger purpose and story around their clients’ buying experiences.

The steps they’re taking include:

1. Completing a series of sales culture interviews with the sales managers to determine current and desired sales culture and strategies to find, win and keep clients. 
2. Establishing regular mastermind accountability sessions with the sales managers to plan, review and develop their sales coaching success 
3. Providing the salespeople with targeted and regular learning and development opportunities (with a mix of online, one-on-one and small group) to build their skills and confidence to win more new, repeat and referral sales 
4. Continual review and measurement of the sales culture and the success that it is creating.

Creating sustainable and successful behavioural changes to the sales skills and confidence and strategies of salespeople is not rocket science. It is in fact quite simple…..just not easy.

Whether you’re a business owner, salesperson, or sales manager, if your intention is to win more new, repeat and referral sales, and you’re serious about creating a sales culture to be proud of……..check that your commitment and actions are aligned with your intention. ..