There’s a common challenge that I hear from business owners again and again when we talk about their sales teams: a good portion of their people struggle with getting out of their comfort zones.
For example, one of the things these business owners tell me about their people is, “They’re doing the same things when it comes to prospecting and hoping for different results.” Their people are confusing activity with productivity - they keep calling on the same contacts and prospects, having the same conversations, and not closing any new business.
They’re not doing the things they need to be doing each day in order to be successful – they’re not prospecting and going after new business, they’re not following a sales process, they’re not getting deals to close which keeps extending sales cycles, and they’re hurting sales revenue forecasts.
Unfortunately, these owners also accept constant excuses from their people. I hear them say, “Since the company is growing and doing well, my people that are exceeding their sales goals each month will cover up for those that are consistently missing the mark.” They simply keep the non-performers around because things are going well. They don’t want to rock the boat and mess with the momentum.
Here are some questions to ask yourself if you think your sales team is getting stuck in their comfort zones:
What have you done to figure out who is stuck in a comfort zone and who isn’t?
Do you know who on your team is motivated and committed to doing the tough things it takes to grow and develop and exceed their sales goals each month?
Do you know what motivates your people and their personal goals, and do you tie those to their company sales goals?
Have you been fostering a sales culture where it is okay to make excuses, stay in comfort zones, and not hold people accountable to their goals?
Are you coaching your people regularly so that they can see where and why they’re running into challenges and how to improve and become more effective?
Instead of letting your sales team idle in neutral, focus on figuring out who on your team is in their comfort zone and who isn’t, and hold them accountable so that you can build a well-oiled machine of sales over-achievers.