| Something happened to me the other day that | | | | Firstly, as Anthony Robbins says, "repetition is the |
| could help you to increase your sales | | | | mother of skill". The more you do of something, |
| performance rapidly... | | | | the better you get at it. Period. As a sales |
| Last week I went out for a meal with some | | | | superstar in training you want to sweat the basic |
| friends and one of them had brought along | | | | stuff. |
| someone whom I had not met before. This | | | | How well you plan and prepare matters. How you |
| person was in IT sales. They were in their mid to | | | | conduct yourself matters. How you formulate |
| late twenties and had been doing it for about 3 | | | | your conversations matters. How you present |
| years. Judging by their conversation, description of | | | | your solutions matters. In today's YouTube |
| their job and a few other factors I guessed they | | | | generation many people want to be titillated and |
| were doing ok... comfortable in their job but no | | | | amused on a minute-to-minute basis and do not |
| sales superstar. | | | | have the stickability, the perseverance or the |
| He had no idea that I was into sales training or | | | | focus to really get good at anything, particularly |
| was a sales motivational speaker and during the | | | | not the basic stuff. |
| meal we talked about various things but towards | | | | If you want to make real money out of sales |
| the end of the meal this chap (let's call him Pete) | | | | you need to learn to focus so that you can |
| mentioned that he was a bit bored of his job. He | | | | repeat things over and over, constantly improving |
| is finding it "so so". He explained that he has to | | | | and sharpening your winner's edge. You're own |
| keep doing the same things over and over. | | | | mini-sales training programme if you like. Only by |
| Every day he goes in at about the same time. | | | | doing this will you become a truly world class |
| Every day he sets off for work at about 730am! | | | | salesperson. Only by doing this will you increase |
| Every day he makes the same kind of sales calls | | | | your sales performance and your sales results. |
| to new and existing prospects and clients. Every | | | | World-class cold callers obliterate also-rans. |
| day he structures his calls the same way and | | | | World-class salespeople outsell and outmaneuver |
| handles challenges with the same lines. Every day | | | | also-rans. World-class negotiators squash also-rans. |
| he sends out similar marketing and sales emails | | | | World-class presenters destroy also-rans. |
| and information. Every day he updates his | | | | What's more, whatever your job, repetition is |
| prospect database. Every day he researches the | | | | unavoidable. Doctors see person after person |
| internet. Every day he has the same sales | | | | after person with minor ailment after minor |
| conversations about the same products, the | | | | ailment after minor ailment. Police officers deal |
| same services and the same solutions. | | | | with drunks, drivers and burglaries time after time |
| Every week he attends sales meetings which | | | | after time. Firemen and women fight routine small |
| apparently are always run by his sales manager | | | | fire after routine small fire after routine small fire. |
| and are all nearly the same. Every week he | | | | This helps them to become masters of what |
| creates similar targets with similar customers. | | | | they do. But what if, instead of this, they all |
| Every week his manager runs similar mini sales | | | | started going through the motions? What could |
| training sessions. Every week he goes to see | | | | they miss? What disasters could befall them and |
| similar customers, with similar challenges, similar | | | | others? How culpable would they be? |
| needs and wants and similar objections. | | | | What would you have to say if the fire crew |
| He is getting bored. | | | | attending your house didn't get to your house as |
| * Pete has a job - field sales. | | | | fast as you would have liked because they |
| * He has a car - a small BMW. | | | | thought it was going to be another simple call? |
| * He's getting a salary and commission - I'd guess | | | | I rest my case. Repetition is essential in any role. |
| £30k + £20k + car (tops). | | | | Repetition is crucial if you want to improve your |
| * His sales performance and results are ok. | | | | sales skills and sales results. Repetition is essential |
| * As far as I am aware his job is secure! | | | | to keep you sharp and on the edge. Repetition is |
| But there's something not right here. Something | | | | essential to increase your sales performance and |
| not right here, at all. Pete's sales performance and | | | | your sales results. |
| results should be sky rocketing. He should be on | | | | What does Tiger Woods do when things aren't |
| his way to £100k+ and promotion but he's | | | | going as well as he would like? He goes back to |
| not... | | | | practicing his basic shots... over and over. What do |
| The problem is that Pete has Sales Repetetits! He | | | | top snooker players spend hours and hours |
| gets tired and bored of things that he has to | | | | practicing? Basic pots and cue control, that's what. |
| repeat many times over. | | | | What do pianists spend hours practicing? Basic |
| In my experience many salespeople have | | | | scales and more scales. |
| Repetitis. Salespeople with Repetitis get bored and | | | | As a salesperson, like in any other role, if you |
| moan about having to repeat the same tasks | | | | want to be world-class you need repetition. You |
| over and over. This in turn leads to lack of | | | | need to sweat the basic stuff. If you have a case |
| motivation and causes them to lose focus and to | | | | of Repetititis, mild or severe, then the only cure is |
| start to go through the motions. This in turn will | | | | to deal with it now... |
| impact their sales performance and results. | | | | Next time you find yourself repeating daily tasks |
| Salespeople going through the motions do not | | | | keep your focus on how you can improve. Ask |
| make successful salespeople. Salespeople going | | | | yourself some good old sales training questions |
| through the motions will gradually lose their edge | | | | like, "How could I be more effective?", "How can I |
| and become less effective. Salespeople going | | | | improve my sales performance?", "How can I |
| through the motions will not make great cold calls, | | | | increase my sales results?" and "What can I learn |
| nor will they run strong sales meetings nor make | | | | here?" |
| powerful presentations. | | | | Once you get over Repetitis you will be amazed |
| Sales training tip: Salespeople who are going | | | | by how much you can increase your sales |
| through the motions usually think they're ok but | | | | performance and sales results with simple stuff |
| they're usually wrong. Salespeople going through | | | | that you might until now have thought of as |
| the motions often have a nasty shock coming. | | | | "boring". |
| Let's look at why solving this inability to deal with | | | | One way of improving rapidly is to create your |
| repetition is essential not only for your sales | | | | own sales training and development programme |
| performance and sales results but also for your | | | | focusing on core sales skills, techniques and |
| long-term personal and financial success... | | | | practices ... |