Depending on who you talk to, the percentage of turnover among sales people entering the profession and then exiting within 3 years is somewhere between 65 and 85 percent. Why is it that a profession that offers virtually unlimited control over personal income and time have such a poor record of rentention? I think a big factor is sales training. Not lack of sales training, mind you, but the type of training most salespeople receive.
For decades, typical sales training has focused on learning tactics designed to "close", whether referring to closing on an appointment, a commitment, or a deal. Almost universally, these tactics employ some form of manipulation - sometimes subtle, often times overt. And at the heart of all of this is a certain level of dishonesty. Take for example the case of a very famous real estate "guru" who on his website offers a free script for approaching FSBO's. The script starts out by claiming that you're calling to take a "survey" of FSBO's in the area; however, by the end of the script it's clear that the purpose of the call is to secure an appointment to list the property. Now I don't doubt that by employing such a script, one can be successful - the guru's success is testament to that fact. The problem is that for most people, such disengenuous tactics cause cognitive dissonance because the underlying dishonesty/manipulation runs contrary to their personal values. For the majority of us, it becomes more and more difficult to function within our jobs as we instinctively avoid putting ourselves in position to continue doing things that deep down, make us feel bad. The most obvious manifestation is call relcutance.
So what can you do if you're one of those people who are bothered by dishonesty and manipulation? First, understand and believe that you can be successful in sales without resorting to manipulation. Believe it or not, studies indicate that upwards of 90% of the most successful sales people in the country are actually brutally honest in every aspect of their job. Resist training that asks you to tell "harmless white lies" like the survey example, or another ubiquitous tactic "I'm going to be in your neighborhood on Tuesday - which works better for you..." Again, while this stuff might work for some, it won't work for you if it makes you feel uncomfortable.
Another thing you can do is invest in sales training that addresses the problems inherently honest people face while trying to launch a career in sales. High Probability Sales is an excellent source for just such training. HP Selling is based on an unfailingly honest approach to sales based on developing deep, meaningful relationships with prospects, and disqualifying those who don't fit your ideal client profile. A central premise of HP Selling blows up another well-worn sales training cliche - that everyone is a prospect for you, if not now, then maybe in the future. HP Selling trains that there are two types of prospects, high probability, and low probability. Sales people should only spend time with high probability prospects - people that want what you do, are willing to get it from you under your terms, and are ready to do it now - and stop wasting time trying to convert low probability prospects.
Ultimately, being successful in sales is more dependent upon being true to your nature than anything else. Don't let somebody train you to do something that runs contrary to your personal values. The ultimate outcome of that is almost always unhappiness, failure, and the end of your career in sales.
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