In sales, there are three key factors that determine an individual’s success. The first is the tactical aspect – a teachable skill. This encompasses everything that can be acquired through training; sales techniques, processes, and the art of conducting a sales conversation from first contact with prospects to debriefing with customers.
Next, there is what we call the “DNA of sales”. These are the natural, instinctual traits that salespeople have. From wanting to be liked, staying in the moment, handling rejection, and comfortability discussing finances. These things can be improved, but many of them are part of salespeople’s DNA – their comfort levels and proficiency in each competency is engrained.
In our experience, the most important factor is the willingness to sell, or more precisely, the willingness to succeed in selling. This drives a salesperson to excel and achieve their goals despite any hurdles.
Recognizing and nurturing this commitment in your reps can ensure their success and that of your team.
Willingness, Training and Compensation
In the sales industry, compensation is often designed in such a way that it directly reflects individual performance. If a rep improves their skills and, as a result, their bottom line, they will receive higher compensation through increased commissions. This salary structure is unique to sales and can motivate reps to excel in their field.
The more seasoned and proficient a representative becomes, the closer they get to the elite in their profession. It’s even possible for some salespeople, in some companies, to earn more than the CEO through their commissions!
This reality demonstrates the importance of personal investment in the development of one’s sales skills. This means encouraging your team to take advantage of training opportunities. They must see it not only as a professional development but also as a potential for gain – personally and professionally. Success and remuneration are directly linked to the desire to train and improve.
The Fundamentals of the Will to Sell
The willingness to sell consists of five fundamental elements: motivation, responsibility, outlook, commitment, and desire. These aspects, deeply personal and intrinsic to each person, play an essential role in the success of a representative.
Of these five elements, two are pillars of success: commitment and responsibility.
While a manager may try to motivate their team, the desire to succeed comes from within each person. A manager can’t want more success for their rep than the rep himself. If an individual does not demonstrate these qualities, even the best training will not yield results.
Commitment
Being committed means being willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, while adhering to professional ethics. It means putting in the work, unconditionally, to achieve your goals.
When a rep starts counting their hours or setting conditions (e.g., “I want to succeed, but I’m not ready to read books or take training on my own time”) it’s a clear indication of a lack of commitment. Recognizing and understanding the level of engagement of your reps is crucial!
Total commitment is essential for a salesperson to excel and achieve their goals. Those who show a reluctance to fully commit themselves may find it difficult to succeed in such a competitive and demanding environment.
Responsibility
The second essential element for success in sales is responsibility. Often, when the PRIMA team conducts sales evaluations for clients, we find that many representatives lack responsibility. This manifests itself in their tendency to attribute their failures to external factors, such as the market, recession, or competition. They refuse to acknowledge their own role in these outcomes.
Taking responsibility means being able to make sales and contribute to the growth of the business despite external factors. It means focusing on the things you can control, like the sales strategy and the process.
Even if the external challenges are real, encourage your team members to adjust their strategy and focus on the aspects that they can impact to achieve their sales goals. This doesn’t mean that they should ignore the realities of the market, instead, they need to recognize these realities and look for proactive solutions to overcome them.
Desire, Outlook and Motivation
The first two pillars we’ve discussed — commitment and responsibility — are fundamental to sales success. If these elements are not firmly established and concrete steps are not taken to strengthen them, the other 3 elements of “will to sell” will not be enough to carry the rep to sales success.
These three additional elements are desire, outlook, and motivation. These aspects are partially influenced by the circumstances of the salesperson. For example, a rep who exceeds their sales goals will likely have better outlook and motivation, which will fuel their desire.
What is often found is that representatives who lack motivation, desire, or low morale do not have a detailed goals plan. Elite salespeople, those with a strong willingness to sell, stand out for their ability to clearly define their personal & professional goals and develop a plan to achieve them.
Encouraging your reps to set such goals and plans can go a long way in contributing to their success and, by extension, the success of your team and the company.
How do you assess willingness to sell?
You can follow a four-step process to assess and improve your sales team members’ willingness to sell:
- Evaluation: The first step is to assess whether the rep has a strong desire to sell and succeed in sales, or if there are any issues they need to work on.
- Acknowledgment: Once any issues have been identified, the representative must have the humility to acknowledge them. As the saying goes, you can’t solve a problem you’re not aware of or refuse to admit.
- Setting personal goals: The third step is to take the time (including your personal time) to set personal goals (we recommend making these S.M.A.R.T goals). Sales reps should ask themselves why they chose to sell, what their vision of the ideal life is, and what their goals are. They must also put this information in writing.
- Creating a plan: Finally, the representative should develop a concrete action plan to achieve these goals. This plan should be detailed and realistic. It must guide them through the necessary steps to achieve their vision and goals.
Guiding your reps through these steps is an effective way to help them strengthen their willingness to sell. If you encourage this self-reflection and help them create their plan, you can significantly transform their performance and commitment to their sales career.
Want to see if your sales team has the WILL not just the skill to sell? Reach out for more information on OMG Sales Evaluations!