Those of you that follow my blogs will know that one of my key beliefs is that ‘adaptability’ is more important in selling than ‘ability’. By this I mean the action of flexing our own style based on the circumstances and the individual you are selling to.  However, having worked with a lot of inexperienced sales people in the past few years I have learned that before they can learn to be ‘adaptable’ they must first learn to be ‘consistent’. This completely changed my view on how new sales people should be taught as they enter the profession.

In very basic terms it is the old “You cannot run before you can walk” story but I prefer a cricket analogy. When teaching a new fast bowler months and months are spent on getting the individual to develop their ‘stock ball’, this is called a “repeatable action” (it is the same idea with a golf swing). Until the new bowler can hit exactly the same mark on the pitch habitually, ball in ball out, they are not ready to try anything else. Once competent at their standard length ‘stock ball’ they can then learn adaptations such as a slower ball, a short ball and a full length ball known as a “Yorker”.

Bringing this back to sales I have seen the following scenario happen many times, both with and without management coaching. A new salesperson makes a call and does everything they have been taught to do, as best they can, they do a great job but they do not make a sale. They assume it was ‘their fault’ and decide to change approach for the next call. They try the new approach and that does not work either, so they decide to change approach again for the next call. I hope you are seeing the picture developing here. By constantly changing their approach they are not developing a “repeatable action”, they get frustrated, tense and sound increasingly desperate, which is never a good sign. If they do happen to make a sale, they will assume that the same approach will work on the next call and it may not, and so the cycle goes on.

My solution then is quite a simple one. The new salesperson should be encouraged and coached to be consistent above all else, regardless of whether their initial calls win business or not. In the early days do not set revenue targets or ‘over celebrate’ the wins. Instead you should set targets based on call volumes and how well they follow the structure you have given them. You may think that this approach will delay the time it takes to get a salesperson to be fully ‘productive’ but I totally disagree. Using my altered approach I have witnessed that they maintain morale longer and this results in them making more calls. As a result of making more calls they learn to become consistent quicker and this in turn increases their confidence. It is a cycle of experiential learning that really works exceptionally well and before you know it they will naturally start to learn adaptability, even quicker if you help them.

On a final note the great Zig Zigglar once said “for every sale you lose by being too enthusiastic you’ll win a hundred more you wouldn’t have got”. Young sales people are naturally enthusiastic and don’t coach this out of them.

If you would like me to train your new sales teams give me a call to discuss, I guarantee a rapid and exceptional ROI.

On the plus side it has brought me into contact with some wonderful people such as the inspiration that is Melody Hossaini (@Melody_Hossaini). Melody runs InspirEngage a global social enterprise with the aim of improving the lives of children and young people worldwide (although you may remember her from The Apprentice 2011). I have a dream of setting up a social enterprise of my own in the future to teach young people influencing and basic sales skills as well as encouraging entrepreneurship. Melody was happy to offer some great advice and encouragement.

I have learned many new ideas and have also had some of my own thinking challenged, which is great to keep those creative juices flowing. Some of my followers and people I follow are overseas and it is very interesting to see the differences in style and approach according to culture. I also follow people who are based locally and one (@DefencePartner) is so close I could almost shout to him!

It does seem daft but research has shown that people are more likely to do business with someone based on the recommendation of a ‘stranger’ on social media rather than their own family. I can confirm this is true as I have already recommended and been recommended by people on Twitter.

On the downside some companies have taken to setting up ‘automated’ advertising that churns out rubbish every 15 minutes 24/7. These however are easily removed from my follow list with a satisfying mouse click.

There is also a problem with uninvited spam messages but it’s not too bad and as long as you avoid clicking on any of the links you should be fine!

Enjoy using Twitter for business and be sure to follow me @StuartAllenFCMI

I have added my blog to the British Business Bloggers consortium where you will find thousands of other business blogs. Enjoy!

Copy out this ‘mantra’ on to a PostIt note and place it in a prominent position. Make it the first thing you think about each day before you start work and decide what the ‘deal’ will be today. It might be attitude based or it might be activity or task based but whatever it is ‘do it’ and do not let yourself down.

Repeat this process for one month and after that you can throw away that PostIt because the process will have become habitual. I guarantee it will bring you success.

“It was this big” I said as I held my arms wide and regaled yet another story to the family about “the one that got away”. The monster fish that I fought for an hour and so nearly caught, but it managed to slip the hook at the vital moment and disappeared into the murky waters forever.

All sales people like to talk (most do too much of it) and how many times have you heard someone in the sales office tell a story about “the one that got away”, the monster deal that they almost landed but didn’t. Others dine out for life on the story of the one deal that they did land, the massive sale that elevated them to demigod status and a big fat pay check. Over time the stories get embellished, the deals get bigger, the fight becomes akin to a Rocky movie where the hero rises from the canvas bloodied and apparently near death but despite the onset of rigor mortis still manages to land one on the opponents chin.

So apart from the story telling what else does fishing and sales have in common? Well, successful fishing relies on a perfect combination of the right equipment, tactics, bait and skill not forgetting a large helping of patience, focus and determination. Just like sales then! In fact there are so many comparisons to draw that this blog may have to become a series, so here’s part one:

Part One – Planning

If you go fishing without planning you may catch something but it will be by luck and fishermen that rely on luck usually go home without getting the landing net wet. When trying to make sales without proper planning the results are just the same and end in failure.

When planning a fishing trip the first things you need to think about are where you are going to fish (river/lake/sea). Will you be fishing from a bank, shore, beach, rocks or even a boat? You also need to consider what you want to catch (target species). This is because different locations require different equipment (rods/hooks etc) and different species are attracted by different baits.

In sales where we ‘fish’ is our market place and our market place will differ greatly depending on our product or service. If you sell medical equipment you are more likely to call on hospitals than banks (unless it’s a blood bank of course). Your equipment may be the telephone, laptop and projector and REMEMBER your bait is the ‘benefit’ that your product or service will give the client, NOT the product or service itself. Just like fishing, having the most expensive ‘kit’ and plenty of bait won’t guarantee success in sales.

Going to a new fishing venue without doing research before hand, is the same as walking in to see a new prospect with little or no knowledge of them or their business. You just shouldn’t do it as you are wasting both your time and that of the potential client. I research new ‘swims’ (that’s the technical term for a stretch of water you plan to fish) on the internet and get advice from people who have fished there before. In business always do the same as it saves precious time with the client, helps build rapport and trust and improves your chances of making that sale!

Until the next time – happy fishing.

Farming is regarded by big game hunters (see last week’s blog) as dull and uninteresting work – they see no glory in ‘milking’ an existing cash cow. On the other hand farmers dread picking up a ‘new win’ account from a big game hunter as they know the deal will have been won by promising the client unrealistic service levels and at rock bottom prices. Most sales people gravitate to either hunting or farming and each will tell you that their job is the more difficult one.

Most conservationist hunters also find the prospect of farming boring and to be honest ‘too much like hard work’. In my career I have been both hunter (conservationist of course) and farmer and I can categorically confirm that ‘modern day farming’ is by far the toughest job in sales!

Modern B2B sales farmers need to be more than just a ‘safe pair of hands’, they need highly advanced business acumen and the gravitas to work with their clients at a very senior and strategic level. True farmers are regarded as specialist consultants and their advice is actively sought by the client before any decisions are made in their area.

Farming is about building symbiotic relationships where buyers and sellers work together for their mutual benefit (2+2=6). In order to truly achieve a win/win then each party must understand all aspects of the other’s businesses, including commercially sensitive data such as costs and margins. In most sales interactions neither party are generally prepared to divulge such information as there is little or no trust (Stephen M. R. Covey has plenty of great ideas on this subject). Both seller and buyer exaggerate figures one way or another to help maximise a deal in their favour but in acting out this tug of war neither party truly wins long term.

The biggest challenge for the farmer is if they are unfortunate to work for a ‘big game’ sales manager. These people are highly destructive as they thrive on glory and a win/lose in their favour is all that matters to them. To achieve their aims they recruit and nurture big game hunters and many are placed in inappropriate big game farming roles. They then proceed to strip the account bare, making sales yes but not in a sustainable way. Any genuine farmer in this environment is accused of being ‘soft’ and ‘going native’.

In summary – the best outcome for any business is achieved when they have genuine conservationist hunters who can then pass the baton to exceptional farmers once the contracts are signed. The client gets exactly what they were promised during the ‘pitch’ and as a result they and the farmer reap more benefits, faster.
Most sales leaders now agree that this model is the right one but very few appear to have the courage to truly implement the practice.

If you have had experience in any aspect of the above then please let me have your thoughts, I would be delighted to hear from you whatever your opinion.

Are you ultra competitive? Do you enjoy the thrill of the chase? Do you collect ‘trophies’? In summary, do you care more for the glory, fame and money that a big deal will bring you, than you do for the deal itself?

If you do then there is every chance you will use an ‘at any means’ approach to close business. You are a slick and ruthless operator and you take no prisoners as you execute your plans. You will use a sledgehammer to crack a nut approach, just because it makes you feel good about yourself. If this is you, then you are a big game hunter!

To some (usually aspiring and misguided big game hunters) you are the ‘God of Sales’ but for those of us seeking to raise professional selling standards you are very much ‘the past’ and unless you change your approach quickly you are also a dying breed.

Selling has deteriorated in some instances to nothing more than a gladiatorial battle that leaves a trail of waste and destruction behind it even for the winner. Have you ever actually tried to eat a nut that was cracked by a sledgehammer? I experimented once and not only was the edible bit destroyed and contaminated by shell shrapnel I also managed to crack the paving slab beneath!

Big game hunters are the reason why buyers are very wary of all sales people. They are why organisations have built virtual fortresses to protect themselves, guarded by mono syllabic gate keepers and corporate procurement departments. Tender processes have replaced face to face interaction and are intent on keeping the buyer and ‘ultra aggressive seller’ apart. Is this really the best way to start an effective business relationship?

Thankfully there is a better way of hunting that I call ‘conservationist hunting’ and I’ll explain the key differences:

The conservationist hunter wants and needs the ‘target’ to be alive at the end of the chase. If they think there is a danger of harming a potential relationship irreparably they back off and try again another day, in another way (why? think about the fable of the goose that laid the golden egg). They want to understand and study the target, they value them and they genuinely want to help them. The conservationist hunter doesn’t skulk around, need camouflage or lay bait because the hunter and hunted have mutual respect for each other and are comfortable in each other’s company.

Now here’s the really interesting thing, a conservationist hunter still gets the same adrenaline rush from their work as a big game hunter but they are far more likely to retain and grow their client base, hit target consistently, find their name in lights, earn more money, go much further in their sales careers and gain the ultimate respect of their peers.

Finally if you think a conservationist hunter is simply a ‘farmer’ in disguise then think again, I’ll do a piece on farming next week to explain but in the mean time have a successful hunt.

I have always looked at this model before in the context of an individual learning journey but from now on it will have new meaning to me. When it comes to organisational change is it simply a learning journey undertaken by many and not just one? If it is should it be managed more like a learning journey? And if it was would better results be achieved quicker?

All replies and contributions welcome.

Though not directly stated in either event I took a clear message from both that ‘adaptability’ is more important than ‘ability’.  The following explains the difference between average and exceptional leaders. An average leader can be highly skilled in all aspect of people performance; directing, coaching, supporting and delegating BUT tends to be less skilled at using the most appropriate approach based on individual circumstances. Great leaders do not have better ‘skill’ technically or knowledge wise, they are just better at ‘reading’ a situation and adapting their style accordingly.

From my own experience I have seen similar differences between average and high performing sales people. The average tend to have a one dimensional approach to all clients, the high performers adapt their style to suit. I suspect this trend would be repeated in most circumstances and I’ve been thinking hard to come up with an example of when adaptability could be a bad thing but I can’t, can you?

But how does one learn ‘adaptability’? Well practical experience (trial and error) certainly helps providing you solicit feedback from others after both failure AND success. Think about it, we all spend lots of time analysing our failures but we spend so little time analysing our successes. I used to have an old classic Porsche and the owner’s club web site was a great way to source rare parts. One day in a chat room I noticed an avatar with the following line beneath:

“If it works, take it apart to find out why”

Brilliant! I love this quote as it is the direct opposite of the old saying “If its not broke don’t fix it”. I think the answer to learning adaptability is to constantly analyse all of our experiences but especially when things are going well.

Hope that all made sense and that you found it thought provoking.

Franklin Covey have given QA discounted places for their Speed of Trust keynote seminar. This takes place in London on the 14th April and the speaker will be the author of the (best selling) book of the same name, Mr Stephen M.R. Covey. The tickets are for either the morning or afternoon session and the discounted rate is just £150 + VAT the RRP is £195.
For furter details and to obtain your discount code visit the news pages at www.qa.com/pd
Please note there are limited tickets available so if you want to go act now!