| The 20/80 rule (Pareto's Principle) abounds in life | | | | more organizations and that is consistent |
| and in business. This is a pretty scary statistic as | | | | execution of strategic goals and initiatives. Sales |
| noted by Tom Stein in a posting at the | | | | Training Coaching Tip: Many individuals fail to |
| AllBusiness website specific to sales. In his article, | | | | achieve their own personal goals so how they |
| he provided five (5) steps to build a powerful and | | | | achieve organizational ones? |
| effective sales team where the goal to increase | | | | Third, reviewing the overall organization is |
| sales is realized. | | | | necessary as well. The sales department does not |
| Now what would happen if the sales management | | | | work in isolation. Other functions and departments |
| could move some of those under performing | | | | of the firm must all work together. Unfortunately, |
| salespersons in the 80% bucket into the 20% | | | | sometimes the inability to increase sales is just as |
| bucket without losing the productivity of the | | | | much about internal obstacles such as structure, |
| currently performing to over performing | | | | processes, rewards and other employees as it is |
| individuals? | | | | about the individual performance of each |
| For this to happens requires these steps to be | | | | salesperson. Sometimes it may also help to take |
| taken: | | | | a proven organizational assessment aligned to |
| First, referring to Tom Collins in Good to Great, it | | | | accepted criteria such as Baldrige. |
| is critical to have the right sales people in the right | | | | Fourth, results based, not competency based, |
| seats in the right bus. When you understand their | | | | sales training is also required. This approach to |
| decision making styles to their talents (strengths) | | | | developing the skill sets of your sales team |
| you can not only achieve great performance | | | | leverages everyone's talents. (See Tip #1). When |
| appraisals, but have a cohesive team where all | | | | a competency based approach is used, the |
| members are rowing with the same energy | | | | strengths of individual team members are |
| toward exactly the same target. In other words, | | | | devalued because a now accepted competency |
| you have removed the slackers from your team | | | | has been created. This also creates an essentially |
| and have helped the under performing to work | | | | "more hope to" false philosophy which again is not |
| smarter and not harder. | | | | the best performance approach. |
| Second, integrating a proven goal achievement | | | | When organizations invest the time to truly |
| process that unites the following: | | | | develop their sales teams including providing |
| - Personal goals | | | | effective sales training, assessing for decision |
| - Organizational goals | | | | making styles and talents and incorporating a |
| - Metrics | | | | proven goal achievement process, then they can |
| - Alignment to other departments The use of the | | | | move away from the 20/80 principle. This action |
| same tool (goal worksheet) ensures sales goals | | | | would increase overall productivity and realize the |
| are achieved as well as improves overall | | | | goal to increase sales. Now doesn't that make |
| communication. Such improvements only | | | | more sense? |
| strengthen another inherent weakness facing | | | | |