The stock market plunged on both Friday and Monday, made gains on Tuesday and Thursday, and they were sandwiched around another loss on Wednesday. It's the proverbial roller coaster and that sounds very similar to sales performance, doesn't it? We know why the market goes up and down - in hindsight - but we can never predict when. Do we know why sales performance bounces up and down? Here are my primary reasons for inconsistent sales performance:

1. RollerCoaster
Sales Performance

2. The Stock Market

3. plunged on both Friday and Monday
The Stock Market

4. made gains on Tuesday and Thursday
The Stock Market

5. and they were sandwiched around another loss on Wednesday
The Stock Market

6. It's the Proverbial Roller Coaster
and that sounds very similar to Sales Performance

7. doesn't it?

8. We know why the market goes up and down

9. We know why the market goes up and down - in hindsight

10. We know why the market goes up and down - in hindsight
{ but we can
never predict when

11. Do we know why
Sales and down?
bounces up
Performance

12. Here are my
Primary Reasons
for
Inconsistent
Sales Performance1

13. 1.
Inconsistent Sales Management

14. Sales Managers that don't hold their salespeople accountable to
metrics that drive revenue on a daily basis, and who don't coach their
salespeople every day can be heard singing, "I'd rather be lucky..."

15. 2.
Lack of Focus

16. Many Salespeople are easily distracted and have
difficulty remaining focused on the job at hand,
especially when the job at hand involves more than
just selling.
Those who tend to be event driven may work for
days on a single opportunity and those who are
task oriented may fail to get traction on enough
meaningful opportunities.

17. 3.
Lack of Motivation

18. Many Salespeople are simply not
motivated enough to go to battle
each and every day. It's bad enough
that they must face off against
prospects who don't want to talk
with them, an economy with an
identify crisis and competitors that
don't play fair.

19. But they also must fight their
own demons - those fears and
self-limiting beliefs that play such
a big part in the behaviors that
lead to their less than record-
setting outcomes.

20. 4.
Lack of Skills

21. As per the recent survey*,
74% of all salespeople are
overwhelmingly mediocre, and as such,
they succeed because they are lucky, not
because they effectively follow and
execute the sales process.
Unfortunately, luck is as
consistent as the stock market.
* Skill Survey @ Objective Management Group 2011

22. 5.
Lack of Commitment

23. Most Salespeople stop short of asking the question that will lead
to success. As a matter of fact, they probably stop about 17
questions short of that outcome.

24. In other words, they have the opportunities, but take the path of
least resistance, passively hoping that things will go their way, even
if they weren't champions for their own cause.

25. 6.
Rejection

26. By the way salespeople use it, you would think that technology
had removed rejection from selling.

27. Instead, technology simply provides a way for salespeople to avoid
rejection as they resort to email and LinkedIn to avoid being
rejected over the phone.

28. Ironically,
technology
simply makes it
easier for
prospects to
avoid and
reject
salespeople.

29. 7.
Pipeline

30. The pipeline should be the single
most accurate predictor of future
revenue, and it can be!

31. Unfortunately, despite the available technology that makes this so
easy, salespeople and their managers just do not manage the pipeline
to the degree that it is always stuffed with enough quality
opportunities.

32. 8.
Precedent

33. When salespeople have been
allowed to perform inconsistently
in the past …

34. it sets precedent that
inconsistency is OK now and
in the future.

35. 9.
Ambivalence

36. Who really cares when salespeople don't
consistently hit their numbers?

37. I can tell you this; if the
salespeople don't care, and their
managers don't care …

38. … there won't be any urgency to fix anything because
nobody thinks anything is broken.

39. 10.
Sales Culture

40. Sales are created and supported by
everyone in the organization. It is a
common misconception that the people
who do all the selling are the only sales
people.

41. Professionals lead the effort, internal
and external customer contacts impact
sales results at all levels

42. (And my personal favorite)

43. 11.
When your Boss is an Ass%#$@

44. i mean
Hari
Sadoo
11.
When your Boss is an Ass%#$@

45. He Interrupts
He Yells for no Rime and Reasons
He Ignores
He Passes the buck
He disrespects
He Justifies his Mistakes
He Gives no Freedom

46. Trust me

47. RollerCoaster
Sales Performance
will keep happening

48. Long Live Sales

49. Long Live Professionals)
(And the wonderful Sales
Sales

50. Thank You
Credits-DAVE KURLAN

51. abhishek.shah@live.com