Colleen’s Blog

Your sales process could be out of date or prone to more errors than you think. Recently, I worked with a sales VP who was looking to retool their entire sales process. He works with two sales managers who have been in their respective positions for a number of years. Due to this, their process has become more or less automatic. I helped them conduct an end to end sales process review, and here's what we discovered:

You may be familiar with the salesperson who claims they’re stuck, or complains that things don’t go their way. It’s the individual who never takes accountability for their own actions or results and is always quick to blame, but never ready to accept responsibility. It’s important to understand that you have complete control over your results and the choice always belongs to you. - You choose who to sell to - You choose how to sell - You choose what to sell Unhappy with the market that you are selling to? The onus is on you to find a more profitable market or distinguish yourself in such a way that makes you irresistible to your customers. If your current sales methods aren’t working, it’s your responsibility to discover new approaches and try something different. If your product has flaws that make it difficult to sell, it’s your job to overcome those obstacles as well (or begin selling a product that you are proud of). The problem with many salespeople is that they are able to point out the flaws with everyone and everything else, but aren’t able to self-diagnose anything. Subsequently, the same issues occur, the same mistakes are made and the poor results continue.

This month's award goes to the Hyatt at Vineyard Creek in Santa Rosa who has a breakfast ordering system that is second to none in stupidity. You choose your selections and place it on the door like any other hotel. The hanger specifically reads to place it outside before 2AM. You are invited to choose a delivery time starting at 6AM and they ask that you honor a 15 minute delivery window. That's where the trouble begins!