EVALUATING SALES PERFORMANCE

It happens in most sales organisations: A salesman gets dismissed and the rest of the sales team and the whole company, for that matter, view this unfortunate person with disappointment and contempt. And they soon consider this matter finalized by starting to advertise for another sales person, expecting him to obtain more orders than the past one.

But was it really that person’s fault? Does the company not take at least part of the blame for that representative’s shortcomings?

When investigating this matter and talking with the bosses, we will discover a kind of prevailing shallowness, aloofness and, yes, ignorance in this matter.

They may state with irritation: ‘Oh, he didn’t get his act together!’ or ‘he didn’t pull his finger out!’ or similar unprofessional platitudes.

Further probing is necessary: ’ What, exactly, was wrong with him?’ ‘Well, he didn’t pull his finger out!’ was repeated – clearly not an expert’s answer!

Here are some of the questions that should be answered:

1. Was it lack of motivation?

Was he appreciated in the company?

Did he receive any encouragements? Does he have any

opportunity for advancement?

2. Were there problems with time-management?

Was he shown how to organise himself best? Was

he shown how to use a day- book, a customer file, how to process his

Orders or sent to a course to learn word- precessing?

Did he receive too many private phone calls when out on calls?

Was he given too other, non-sales- tasks that were cutting into his

selling time?

3. Was it possible for him to get around quick enough in his territory?

Was his sales territory profitable at all or were they remote, deserted,

country towns in the middle of a drought and therefore without any hope

of obtaining orders?

Did a superior spend some time with him on the road to asses his sales

skills?

4. Did he have enough product knowledge?

Has he received sufficient company training or was he simply ‘thrown to

the wolves'?

5. Did he have the necessary social skills?

Being introverted is not necessarily a bad thing but did he have

manners, dress agreeably, and conversed in an educated way? All these

skills are needed for social and business interacting!

6. Did he have any sales training?

The nicest person will not make a product change hands if he does not

know how to probe for buying signals, how to identify a prospective

customer and how to close a sale.

7. Did he have the right sales support?

Has the company been supporting him in his sales activities?

That is, did he have enough samples, catalogues, swatches, point-of-

sales material and was there enough stock to sell from? Was there prompt

delivery and friendly customer service?

Sometimes, a superficial superior may have a quick remark in this

matter:

‘Well, everybody else is in the same boat and they are doing all right!’

But was he getting his fair share of everything?

8. How long has he been ineffective as a sales person?

If it took the company a year to find this out, isn’t there something

wrong

with that person's superiors?

9. Did he have any personal problems?

Maybe he was going through a nasty relationship breakup, was grieving

for somebody dear to him or is studying in the night for more qualifications? Has he

a gambling problems, substance abuse, or is there an illness that is

impairing his work?

These probing questions may be considered inappropriate by some superiors or even sissy. ‘We do not mollycoddle our employees..’ may be their reply. But are they justified in saying this? Or is it merely a wiggling-out of a manager’s responsibilities?

When following-up on these questions, we will invariably find a management that is wanting, to say the least! It may show Insensitivity bordering on brutality, ignorance and superficiality. And problems with the superiors may come to the fore, highlighting their incompetence and dishonesty to their company.

And that’s where the improvements must start! Right with the employment of the salesman’s superiors which is, of course, the task of the higher management.

And suddenly, we may find the whole competency of an organisation being questioned, which is always positive step. Top managers and CEOs may need to avail themselves of the services of an industrial psychologist to establish the true aptitude, intelligence and skill of their managers they entrust with a team of people.

Peter Frederick

http://www.peterfrederick.org

http://www.life-on-the-road.com

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SELLING SUCCESSFULLY TO DIFFICULT CLIENTS

There is a group of specialist salespeople visiting architects, designers, and government offices in the course of their work of trying to get their products specified for new buildings and refurbishing projects. But it is very difficult for them to approach these professionals due to their time constraint.

For example, if an architect would see every representative who calls on him, he would do nothing else but seeing them and not get any work done. Most company representatives may make it to the reception desk of such offices and there they are usually stopped and prevented from getting any closer to their important business contact.

But there is a technique of breaking through this barrier und meet face to face with the clients and therefore get the chance of discussing with them your company’s products. And this article passes-on this knowledge of effecting your business in a successful way!

Firstly, there is your own presentation. I strongly advise that you do not over-dress and not appear in any way ostentatious as this may arouse aversion. It is wise to show a bit of solidarity and the ‘camouflage’ should be the same appearance as the architect. Only by blending in with them will a meeting give an air of equality and, yes, solidarity. Of course, your total manners, including standard of language need to match as well in order to establish a good rapport. At any time, you need to convey an air of an equally hard-working professional, which you are!

Having taken care of this pre-condition, you finally arrived at the architect’s office. Standing before the receptionist, with all your samples in your big satchel, have a large piece under your arm, rolled-up or folded, you are being told by her. that the architects are all very busy as their project is running behind schedule or that there is a problem on the building site. And therefore, nobody can see you, you are told with a trained, regretful voice.

You smile at her, nodding understandingly and offer to merely update the catalogue of your company’s products, they have in their library as there is nothing worse, you emphasize, than specifying something that is not available any more. That would be a real big problem. And you promise not to bother anybody, just to update a few pages in the catalogue and you are on your way. This would only take a moment.

At most times, this will get you the permission to proceed into the inner sanctum. Walking through the offices, the library is mostly an array of bookshelves at the far end of the offices or it is located in a separate room. You may get superficial glances from some people as they momentarily look up from their work and it is always very conducive to reward them with a friendly smile.

Arriving at the library, you put your sample case down and ‘inadvertently’ place your large sample, being cloth, board, PVC, whatever in a position that can will be noted by anybody who comes near. A sample table which most rooms have would be a real attention-getting position.

And while you slowly pull your catalogue off the shelve and slowly page through it, pretending to be totally absorbed, you will take notice of the coming and going around you. Professionals are pulling some folders off the shelves, paging for technical data and other information.

They will notice your large sample piece, placed so ostentatiously and become inquisitive. Maybe fingering it or muttering a few words to a colleague, they try to find out more. Eventually, somebody will approach you, looking at the large sample piece or product with interest and ask: ’ Excuse me, what is that?’ And there is your chance to sell your product, finishing with your sales pitch. Some other people with come and listen to it with interest. Or somebody will shout to a colleague across the room: ‘Hey Frank, come and have a look at it! Isn’t this something that you are looking for?’

You hand out technical data and small colour charts and ask for more details about their project. And talk about buildings where this has been already successfully installed and from where references can be obtained…….

On the way out, you smile at the receptionist and assure her that you have updated your catalogue and that all samples are now current. Yes, you reassure her, everything in your company’s product catalogue is now available and nothing can go wrong when specifying something. That will reassure her that she has done the right thing, letting you into the offices ‘without seeing an architect!’

And, leaving the premises in an elated mood, you may notice another company’s representative leaving the counter in a dejected mood as he had just been told that everybody was too busy to see him!

There are, of course, variations of this technique, adjusted to a particular situation but by applying a little bit of ‘creative selling’ you have concluded a successful visit!

Peter Frederick

http://www.peterfrederick.org

http://www.life-on-the-road.com