Extinct species include the dinosaurs, woolly mammoth, cape lion and now the sales hunter could shortly be added to that list. Where have all the sales hunters gone?
With every meeting I have with sales leaders, it becomes more and more apparent that the number one cause of a lack of sales is that their “salespeople” are not in front of enough qualified prospects daily and filling the sales pipeline. When assessing sales teams, I find that less than 10% of the salespeople have both the mindset and skills needed to proactively prospect or source their own business, and not rely solely on leads, “call-ins” and existing business.
This is a huge challenge for companies, sales leaders, sales managers and salespeople, especially in today’s challenging economy. Yet, I see little to nothing being done about it apart from the continuing churn of the sales force and hoping for the sales hunter superstar to arrive and save the day. Unless we make the number one priority of salespeople to fill the sales pipeline and increase their ability to pro-actively develop new business (sales hunting), I only see the situation worsening.
Some of the direct causes of this challenge
1. Too many “account managers” and “salespeople” have never been taught the “why” and “how to” prospect effectively.
2. They have relied on leads and existing accounts for their business.
3. They believe cold calling is dead and rely only on emailing and LinkedIn. (note – these are valuable tools but not in isolation.)
4. They have an inherent fear of prospecting and cold calling, specifically the word “no”.
5. They have no clear prospecting strategy, structure, minimal acceptable standards and discipline for success.
6. They rely on hope for referrals and don’t have a proactive strategy that works.
7. Their sales manager is uncomfortable leading by example on the above points.
8. They have not been shown a prospecting system that includes what to say and write to create engagement, reduce rejection and get new meetings.
In this economic environment, the old saying of “If you keep doing what you do, you will keep getting what you get” is no longer true. You will get less. It’s time to develop sales hunter skills and stand out from your competitor’s sales forces. You can have the best product, service and offering but it is irrelevant if people don’t know that you exist.
At SalesGuru, we offer proven ideas, strategies and training, tailored to elevate your sales game. Email us at info@salesguru.co.za, visit www.salesguru.co.za, or give us a call at 011 465 2900 to take the first step toward unlocking your full potential in sales. Let’s embark on this journey together towards greater success and prosperity.