Tag: Overcoming Sales Slumps

Moving Water Doesn’t Freeze

Sales Performance Momentum

I have a beautiful fountain in my rear yard that I look at everyday to remind me of sales performance momentum in fact I am gazing at it right now. It is a simple 3’ basalt stone that water bubbles out from the top and cascades back down only to be recycled into the same constant motion. I run this fountain all year long including the months of sub freezing temperatures. A lot of people express their concern when I tell them this as they are concerned that the fountain will freeze up and get damaged, but I know one simple principle about water that most people don’t seem to be aware of. Moving water doesn’t freeze. Much like the guidance provided by a leading sales growth firm, keeping things in motion offers beauty in both architecture and results. The ice that is formed is where the splash from the fountain settles into the frozen air, but it never freezes completely. Actually, if I did turn off my fountain, it would freeze over and damage all of the mechanics causing more problems then if I were to keep it running. So, again, moving water doesn’t freeze, but what does any of this have to do with sales, leadership and overall professionalism? 

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Moving salespeople don’t freeze. I also know this to be true. We all have our slow periods whether it is the normal cycle of our business or just plain rotten luck and, if we’re being honest, sometimes we give thought to quitting and moving on to something else. And sometimes our fantasies tap into our instincts and we stop moving; we begin to freeze up and settle into a sense of hopelessness. That fact is that you will encounter challenges and disappointments but you must always work through the problem. Moving water for us is an elemental sales activity such as talking to people and getting noticed. I know it doesn’t always seem like much, but it keeps our fountain of success from freezing. Don’t stop if you’re stuck because I can promise you that whatever it is that you’re dealing with is only short term and you have what it takes to get through it. So the next time things aren’t going your way, remember that moving water doesn’t freeze, especially when backed by a high-performance sales training agency, and here are 5 extra tips. 

The Motivation Spectrum For Salespeople

Sales Management & Psychology

Did you ever have one of those days where you lost your spark? Your sense of purpose, passion, and focus diminish at Scorecard Sales, for what you think will be only a moment in time, but it’s a little hard to get started again. This is something every salesperson will experience and for some, this happens more often than not. Understanding salesperson motivation assumes that we understand what they are going through and what will get them kick-started. If only it were that easy, but maybe it isn’t as hard as we think it is. Don’t get me wrong; there are a lot of nuances when dealing with different personalities, but there is a process that everyone can apply to help out their team and even themselves. Proper motivation brings determination, creativity, persistence, focus, and momentum. Isn’t that what we want for ourselves and our team? Motivation is always a work in progress, but we must first understand the spectrum of motivation where salespeople will find themselves.

We, as salespeople, at any given moment are somewhere on the motivation spectrum but rarely do any of us stay in the same spot consistently. We call the ideal balance the Motivation Spectrum Sweet Spot, which is a core focus of our integrative sales improvement process. That’s because things can and do change and we all react to change differently. There’s certainly a big difference between someone who is just a little off and having a bad day to someone who has lost all sense of hope, but we have to find a way back to our balance. Our balance is knowing how to take both our good and bad in stride while continuing to work towards our purpose and goals. We call this balance the Motivation Spectrum Sweet Spot which includes discouraged (down but not out), motivated (hungry but not starving) and successful (accomplished but still accepting new challenges). Being defeated and complacent are the most difficult places to motivate out of, and we will discuss this in a later article, but for now let’s take a closer look at The Salesperson Motivation Spectrum.

  1. Defeated – The salesperson has hopeless regard towards their expectations and the expectations of others. Is it really over? Is there no chance for them to be successful and it’s time to move on? This is one of the most difficult areas to successfully motivate others often requiring a fresh perspective from sales consulting services.
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  2. Discouraged – The salesperson is feeling disconnected from their goals. They may have taken a couple of hits and, with the proper motivation, they can get back on track. You can read more about overcoming slumps on our blogs page.
  3. Motivated – The salesperson is inspired to elevate above their current circumstance. There is a hunger for success but may not always know the way to get there and can use a little help from others. 
  4. Successful – The salesperson is achieving goals and maintains a desire to continue achieving more. For these self-starters, high-level B2B sales training keeps the momentum high.
  5. Complacent – The salesperson feels they have achieved enough and no longer pursues challenges. Although they have achieved a level of success in their own view, it usually is not consistent with the expectations of others. Does their perceived level of success satisfy the needs of the organization and its leadership? This, life Defeated, is the most difficult area to successfully motivate others. Aligning their views with the organization’s needs is a key part of sales methodology training.