back in the game

Gosh, it's been forever. And here's why. Sales has sucked in the past several months. The Sales Guy is having a tough few months and it has taken its toll on us all. Really, we're doing fine comparatively to sick family/friends, flood victims, etc but I guess I realized over the weekend that when a Sales person is having a tough time selling, they constantly feel like they are failing and they hear a very loud "ticking" in the back of their heads. Constantly. 

I'm sure there are other professions in which you are completely measured numerically but something about Sales makes it ALL about the numbers.  He's looking at numbers of licenses, number of opportunities, number of activities he's logged, etc.  So many....too many.... numbers. It's like he has to be an accountant, a project manager, moonlight as a sales engineer (because God only knows there is only one of them to go around these days) AND The Sales Guy. 

This focus on the numbers thing is so weird to me. CPAs, CFOs, controllers and bank tellers should agonize over numbers like this. Not The Sales Guy. I honestly believe he just needs to breathe.  There is a reason high performing sales folk hit ruts and, typically, it has little to do with their selling skills. There are outside factors. But, it seems like some sales managers just don't get it. They want their Reps who are in ruts to cold call more, shake trees that have been shaken for months more, call the same customers more... more of the same.  Nothing strategic about that.  Nothing different about that. And typically further depletes the confidence of a Rep in a pothole.

How about a little coaching?  I always found my best and favorite coaches were ones who really knew me. They were the ones who knew when to push me and when to just shut up and let me rest.  There was also a special one in 7th grade who told me not to run inside the orange cones during cross country practice to cut down the distance I was running by a few yards. She said, "You only cheat yourself."  These same coaches made an effort to get to know each player on the team yet run us through all the same drills.  People had different ability levels and drive so the coaches sort of knew how to coach of us once we were done with the simple drills.  Most importantly, they helped me figure out how to make a break through.  They helped me figure out new moves when my brain and body just was otherwise stuck. 

I think The Sales Guy would really benefit from a recommended pitch call and a slap on the ass from Terry Francona these days.  He already knows the drills and he's not running on the inside of the cones.  As we enter into the post-season this Fall on the baseball diamond, I'm hopeful that the coaches in the office are also bearing down with their teams, pushing their players to do their best and I hope they are not afraid to step on the mound with their players.