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    Here is what we know: More than 50% of frontline sales professionals missed target last year. That is worse than 2013, which was worse than 2012. Are you spotting a trend here?

    What is the next sales trend?

    At this rate of decline, we should anticipate that nobody is going to achieve his or her numbers in 2050 – but of course, logic has no part to play here. If it did, it would define that, with all of the increased number of sales tools at our disposal, the arrival of first Sales 2.0 and then “social selling”, better efficiency by moving sales teams indoors, we would all be smashing through those targets – but we are not…

    The truth is that we have all read the promotional blurb surrounding each new fad/trend/new methodology/concept/approach and we have believed it – for a while. Each of them do of course have merit, and used wisely and appropriately, should enhance our performance – but none of them are a panacea in their own right.

    I highlighted the words “wisely” and “appropriately”, because the adoption of any new approach requires experimentation and intelligent research. For example, implementing a social selling strategy without really understanding what results we are expecting, or how our sales teams will respond, could be described as foolhardy at best. Equally, we must always be certain that any alteration to the way we do business is appropriate – not only for us, but also for our clients and customers. This is one issue that has caused me most angst recently – a complete failure to consult with the existing customer base on major changes of strategy that will affect the way business is transacted. Make no mistake, they have a right to know, and are far happier and more secure when they are part of the process and not part of the audience.

    Apart from social selling and the rapidly increasing importance of “mobile data”, I suppose the continued migration of sales teams, from outside to inside, was the most significant feature of 2014. Financial realities are always quoted as the main reason for this “phenomenon”, which is of course true, but the advances in what I would term “technological sophistication” have also provided us with this viable option. I suppose that my one concern is that, will all these companies who are effecting this migration eventually realize – as their products and solutions become “commoditized” – that actually, they do not need expensive salespeople at all? 

    "Will the next migration be to “order-takers”? And then finally, the full adoption of the Amazon model? “Yes” is the right answer for most sales positions in most industry sectors."
    Jonathan Farrington

    Will the next migration be to “order-takers”? And then finally, the full adoption of the Amazon model? “Yes” is the right answer for most sales positions in most industry sectors. What is more difficult to predict is how long all this will take to happen…

    Conversely, those who predicted the death-knell of face-face selling are being left with egg on their own faces. In fact, the top 20% of all salespeople – in terms of value of business won and salaries earned – are all external. Their value has increased, and will continue to increase as their skill-sets have broadened and their commercial bandwidth has widened.

    I suppose my abiding memory of 2014 will be an image of “the blind leading the blind” – naïve CEOs totally baffled by a new “social world” and abdicating far too much responsibility to Marketing, who themselves are jostling with sales divisions for dominance, whilst juggling the options in order to justify their existence. (Although I have to say, I have absolutely no doubt the marketing function in most companies will become far more important than the sales function, within 5 years)

    Then we have sales leaders, who are mostly unqualified to perform their role adequately. Yes, they can sell, but sadly, far too few can manage. It isn’t their fault, they were never taught (well, most of them) – and that is why the average tenure of a sales manager is now down to 16 months.

    And finally, we arrive at the sales team – the frontline troops – who are now armed with every conceivable sales tool and social selling awareness, but they can’t sell. How do I know that? Because, like you, I am a “target”. Every day I am approached by poorly trained, hopelessly prepared, amateurish salesmen and women.

    Maybe this then is the answer to our conundrum. Maybe 50% of the sales population cannot actually sell. They have forgotten the basics – or more likely, were never schooled in the first place.

    Imagine if 50% of pilots couldn’t fly…? Or 50% of lawyers didn’t know anything about law…? Or 50% of surgeons couldn’t perform the required procedures…? We would be concerned – right? So why do we tolerate such abysmal sales performances year after year? It is simply that the wrong people – self-serving people – are being tasked with the diagnosis.

    My final thought – one last piece of timely advice, there is NO “one-size fits all” solution. What is appropriate and works for one industry / one sector / one company / one sales team or even one salesperson, will NOT necessarily work for another. Never, ever be afraid to challenge the paradigms – there has never been a more important time to be brave.

    Article originally published May 20th 2015 on
    Jonathan Farrington's blog 
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    Jonathan Farrington
    Published June 28, 2015
    By Jonathan Farrington

    Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author, keynote speaker and sales thought leader. He is the Senior Partner of Jonathan Farrington & Associates, and CEO of Top Sales World, based in London & Paris. Jonathan is also the co-editor of Top Sales Magazine.

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