Over the years, thousands of salespeople and sales leaders have responded to this question. Last week, while with 70 young salespeople and leaders, I asked it one more time. After looking at the responses, I thought it might help to send them out.
The following factors cause them to seek improvement. As you read through them, ask yourself which of these, at this time, move you into the uncomfortable zone of personal growth and into a better way of doing things.
Seven Things that Cause Salespeople to Change
1. Pain …
Are you uncomfortable with where you are? Tired of old habits and the same way of doing things? Tired of the same results? Have you allowed yourself to be influenced by someone better? Has a trainer or adviser or development process taught you something new? As you look at the new knowledge, do you realize and buy into a better way of doing things? If you do, as Milton Rokeach said years ago, it’s because new knowledge or an experience has made you uncomfortable with old values and beliefs you believed true. Or, you just want different results.
2. Life changes …
Has your cheese moved? Did life turn upside down? Have you failed? Did you and your wife birth a baby? Has the economy failed to keep producing for you? Has life provided you with an unexpected event? Or, has the compound effect of previous bad decisions forced you to face a change in your life? If so, you may want to turn and try another direction and get a fresh start.
3. Goals …
Sometimes we fill our lives with meaningful specifics and with things we want. At other times, we work without a burning necessity to accomplish. Change for some of us starts with a vision or a desire we want realized in the future. Perhaps, we want a new house or we want something for our children. Do you have a reason to try a new direction? Are you emotional about a need in your life? Do have a great desire for something? Savings in the bank, recognition, a promotion?
4. Competition …
Do you want to beat somebody? Or, do you want to be first and the best on your sales team? In many groups of people, there are those who just want to WIN. They get up everyday to measure themselves by their capacity to produce more than those around them. For many, the changing influence is Recognition. But, for the rest it’s Dominance, or both. Is that you? Do you have this fire within you. Do you love the game, the race and the victory?
5. Responsibility …
This changing reason attaches itself to your character. Today, you either accept or reject obligations and commitments toward others. As you mature, along with other important motivations, you want to do your part at helping meet or exceed a company’s revenue and budget needs. If you have a family, you realize the importance of producing beyond survival and selling at levels necessary to provide funds for making life better – your child’s education, a new roof, a better home in a nicer part of town, etc.
6. Seeing Results …
Salespeople attempt new skills, goals, or strategies at different adoption rates just like a population does with new products. There are early and late adopters. Do you wait until you see results from the efforts of others? Do you wait until you see if they fail or succeed? If so, you attempt new ways only if they are proven or made cool by those around you. You wait until you see the effects of changes. Then, you act.
7. Peer pressure …
What do others expect of you? Does it matter? Have you waited for something to do ever since you were young? Did you wait on your father’s and mother’s list of chores? Did you look at situations and ask yourself, “What do others expect of me?” Did you feel lost for something to do that mattered unless you found someone that wanted you to do ‘x?’ Did you learn to sacrifice your own desires and wants and wait until your were told what to do? If so, then you seldom change without being asked to by someone you want to please, which includes a sales manager with a goal for you.
Well what do you think? Are any of these higher in the value chain than the others? Do any of these have a negative side as well?
Finally, where are you? Do you want to get better? I’m sure that some of you do. Now, go do it – CHANGE. You can. Lance