Team Performance
Improving Sales for the Next Generation of Talent
I’m in Sales! I’m not a Growth Manager or a Chief Delightment Officer, or anything else that people say at networking events because they don’t want to admit they’re in sales. I’m proud to be in sales, but if statistics tell us anything, my chosen and beloved profession needs to change.
Every day, more jobs are being replaced by AI or being sent offshore. The jobs that are left are harder and faster than they were 10 years ago. The entry-level jobs need to ramp even sooner and convert deals that much quicker. If you’ve been at this for a while now, that probably sounds exciting. If you’re stepping into your first role, it’s probably terrifying.
We’re finding the job pool of sales reps features fewer experienced candidates, all while customers are becoming savvier and with higher expectations. The game has changed and we need to change along with it.
Remember when you first got into sales. How have you grown? What did you learn? Over the years you’ve gained experience, tooled up, and added to or adapted your tech stack. We need to change the way we are looking at entry-level sales and improve the first impression we are giving new employees.
Think about the sales calls you receive on any given day. The majority fall into two groups. It’s either a robocall or it’s a fresh-faced recent college (or high school) graduate in their very first sales role. These unseasoned front-line employees are being thrown to the wolves with nothing more than a phone and a script. It’s no wonder we lose A LOT of reps every year.
Overall, 50% of all graduates go into sales. That’s not just business school, that’s all schools across the country. In the first year alone, we will lose a staggering 40% of those new reps. This is not sustainable. At this point, we can’t recruit enough people to fill those front-line seats.
Leaders, it’s time to shift our thought process.
Right now, when a new employee walks in the door we give them a product demonstration, a Salesforce login, direct them to the phones, and say “Good luck, better hit that quota!” We’re not teaching them how to engage or converse. They’re simply memorizing scripts and pitches. WE are teaching the next generation to hate sales. Slowly and systematically, we are scaring away bright, brilliant, young people from the sales profession and if we want it to stop, we need to be better.
It’s going to take all of us, together, to make that happen. Here’s how…
We need to ditch the script. New sellers (and some existing sellers) need to be taught how to stop talking AT customers and instead engage with them. Sales is where the technology stops. It’s where one person has to talk to another person about their challenges or their needs. At its root, sales is about helping someone else. It’s about human connection. Right now, only 3% of customers trust salespeople. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but if we want to regain our customer’s trust we need to start by improving our conversations.
We need to make room for failure. I’m not saying that we let employees slide every time they miss quota. What I am saying is that instead of treating an employee like the black sheep, maybe we dive deeper. Treat that failure as an area of opportunity. Let’s help normalize failure and find the “why” behind it. Every missed deal can help your employees, especially the new ones, land future deals. All we have to do is encourage people to talk about it and then help them find the solution for next time.
We need to shift our focus to retention. According to a report from The Bridge Group, the average tenure of a sales rep is 1.5 years. The old me would have said, “That gives me 18 months to find someone else to fill that seat.” What if instead, we said, “I have 540 days to make them love sales, stay, and continue in their career.”
We’ve sold everything under the sun and WE LOVE IT. So, let’s make the next generation love it just as much as we do.
We can do this! Together, we can have sales reps proudly shouting “I’m in Sales!”
Want to improve the sales industry for your new sellers?
By training and developing your employees, they’ll perform better and stay longer.
Contact us today to learn about our customizable virtual sales training programs
available for reps and managers.
Sales Is A Confidence Sport
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably made an outbound sales call. You’ve probably made thousands. Stop and think for a second just how many things about this take guts. Calling a stranger not expecting your call and ask him for money. Betting a chunk of our family’s income on your abilities. Try to pretend you’ve never done it before. Can you remember your initial hesitance? The questions you had? The doubts and fears?
This is how our new hires and yet to be hired people feel. We forget that sometimes. This is scary stuff.
It takes confidence in yourself, your ability to connect, to think on your feet, to pull the right phrase, the right answer, the right joke.
Not all of us are born with this kind of confidence – the deep knowing, the foundation, the deep belief in one’s own abilities. And many of those people are in sales.
How do we do it? With another word called bravery. Bravery isn’t the same as confidence.
I describe bravery to my kids as feeling scared and doing it anyway. I know the hallway is dark honey. I know you feel scared. That’s why they call it being brave. It wouldn’t be bravery if you weren’t scared. You’ll be ok. Bravery is suiting up! Putting on the superhero cape and facing the bad guys.
Some of us know this as faking it till you make it.
I grew up in a very unstable home life. We moved so much that every 2 years was a new school for me.
New girl.
New school.
New classroom.
New teacher.
22 pairs of eyes turn and stare at the new girl.
So I guess I know something about bravery.
I think that is why I’m drawn to sales. We push bravery in sales. Bravery is being a little terrified they’ll hang up or say no and doing it anyway. But confidence is being absolutely sure they shouldn’t. Really knowing and believing the value of my product and service + the value of me.
Which do you think sounds better on the phone? Confidence or bravery?
Confidence. Sure! Confidence is what sells. It’s what permits the deeper questions, the customer education, the ability to challenge. It makes the extra dials, it keeps customers on the phone, and overcomes objections. Confidence asks for referrals. And then does it again. And again. For years.
Confidence doesn’t burn out after a year and a half. (the average lifespan of an inside sales rep). But bravery sure does. There are only so many days we can put on that cape and that mask and pick up that phone. Suit up. Dial. Ask.
New girl. New school. New classroom. New teacher. 22 pairs of eyes. . .
Bravery is not a recipe for long term success. And I assert that our sport of sales can benefit from going beyond bravery. . .to confidence.
But there’s a step between bravery and confidence and it’s called courage.
Courage isn’t the FAKING IT till you make it. Courage is the making it. And to make it, we have to go through the fear. Not over the fear, not around the fear, through the fear. We have to stand in it.
Quietly.
And it’s terrifying.
Courage is facing your fears. Naming them and then tackling them with an open mind and heart. It’s being vulnerable, being honest, and being open. It’s considering the rejection, the loss, or the humiliation and being ok with it and being you – a stronger you – on the other side. It’s letting others in to see.
It’s standing in the darkness. Until you are not scared anymore.
Like many, I have buckets of bravery, but not nearly enough confidence. And two things dawned on me recently:
- Admitting this out loud and actively learning about confidence and how we get it, how we lose it, how we can grow it is my path. It’s what I do – I find things that are hard to do where we have a gap in public knowledge or ability and I figure out a way to teach it. Its my path to learn this, to share this, to teach this.
- I started ten years ago and didn’t know it. The reason Factor 8 is the most referred sales training company in the World isn’t just because of our curriculum. It’s our model. When we get on the phones and do what we teach, we’re not just applying skills, we’re growing confidence.
We’re asking a room full of strangers to pick up the phone and try something they learned 20 minutes ago. And we do it, together. And our facilitators stand with them in the dark. We listen, we encourage, we coach. We show everyone in the room that it’s OK to fail, it’s fun to mess up, and they don’t have to be perfect. In fact we REWARD imperfection and risk taking and we shine a little light into the dark room of courage. And you’ll never guess what comes out on the other side. . .
Confidence.
We’re in the business of teaching sales confidence. Our loyal clients and students probably already knew this. It feels like such a big revelation that it’s almost silly it took me ten years to figure it out. But now that I’m here? I’m immensely proud. I’ve always been proud of our model and our results, and the feedback we get that we change lives. But now I see how aligned Factor 8 is with my own path, my personal passions – and fears, and I’ve fallen in love with this little company all over again.
My challenge to you: Ask yourself if you’re pushing bravery at work or instilling confidence. Remember that bravery burns out and confidence is what sells. If you can help your teams grow the confidence, you’ll grow your results, you’ll keep your team longer, and you’ll all grow as humans. And isn’t’ that what it’s really all about?
Just Say No To Scripts
Sales leaders, lend me your attention on this please. I know it’s logical to write a script. You’ve built great messaging and you’ve hired young talent. We don’t want them to F it up on the calls, right? And yet I bet you would like to be getting better call results than you are now. Your script could be the reason why. Here is why I think scripts suck:
- You wrote it for your voice / personality. No matter how much I practice, I won’t feel confident saying your words.
- Confidence is KING in sales (see point one).
- You are a big shot. I am not. A good friend is CEO of a sales enablement company and makes cold calls (you’re a stud, Chris). So he gives his scrip to his SDR team and they fail. Why? Chris is a CEO. His title and his swagger on the phone catch attention. He can get away with saying stuff that mere mortals can’t. (This is also why Challenger selling is hard for new reps, BTW.)
So what’s the better solution?
Messaging suggestions + training / coaching
Of course you want to give them talking points! Even steps to follow (e.g. 1. name, 2. reason for call, 3. value, 4. question). Even a few sample scripts are helpful. But then they MUST write their own script in their own words and practice it. That’s where the training and coaching comes in. We practice the scripts in class, steal good stuff from our friends, then go get on the phones and try them. Next step? Listen to those calls and coach (as a group!). Did it work? Did it sound natural? Is there a better word or nuance for delivery that could help?
Doing it this way (dare I say the RIGHT way) will cost you about a half day / script (e.g. intro, closing, overcoming objections). The ROI will be tremendous. You should see your close % / win % increase at least 30% by helping reps find confidence in their own words.
Let’s do it you guys. Let’s quit scripts together! It’s like quitting smoking (Who? Me?) Pick a date and vow to rip them up. Schedule your group training / coaching to happen a few days before and I promise you’ll be glad you did.
Need some help? We’d be happy to oblige! When we trained intros to Chris’ team of SDR’s their appointment close percentage TRIPLED during class and then leveled out to double over the next two months. Check out our SDR training.
Let’s Have A Bad-Ass Contest
I have a fun, EASY bad-assery tip for you this week. Why not run a contest! Watch the video to see how to run the contest, launch it this week and then watch to see the results that you’ll get! Don’t forget to share your success stories with me here at, lb@factor8.com, or better yet put them on LinkedIn to share it with everyone!
Now, go promote bad-assery!
P.S. Have you downloaded our free SWIIFT℠ Training In A Box yet?! Let’s fix those intros guys! More at-bats = more home runs! This full guide gives you step-by-step instructions to implement training for your team. It includes recorded webinars, articles, videos, cheat sheets, grading forms, and even the “Touch-base Montage” for a little fun. Everything you need to see a revenue lift right away! Get yours here.
Are Your Reps Struggling With Confidence?
Sales rep confidence on the phone is critical, and it has to start immediately. Like the moment you even utter your name. When we hear Reps struggling with confidence during training, we use this silly tip to help them say their names like they MEAN it. That’s right, like a BOSS. What is it? We attach the word “dammit.”
What? Try it. When you hear, “Hi, my name is Lauren??” like a question, call your Rep on it and challenge them instead to say, “Hi, my name is Lauren, DAMMIT.” Then again. Then louder. Make them laugh and yell it! When you’re sure they’ve got it, drop the dammit and see how it sounds. Tell them that now they SOUND like the bad-ass they are. Catch them doing it right later in the day and let them know how great they sound.
Challenge each of your managers to do this with one rep today and hand out rewards for the most improved. The whole team can get in on cheering the Rep who’s most improved.
Get after it! Promote some bad-assery today.
This is part 3 of our Bad-Assery Inside Sales Tips. Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2.
Inside Sales Leaders, Promote Bad-Assery
Yes, it’s a word. Well sort of. Shonda Rhimes made it so in The Year of Yes. And since this woman owns TGIT TV I’m going with it. But what does it mean to you and sales revenue? I’m glad you asked…
Promoting bad-assery is CRITICAL to inside sales. Bad-Assery is the practice of knowing and celebrating ones gifts and talents. It’s operating with swagger. With confidence – and as I love to say, Sales is a confidence sport. We all know our best call or meeting of the day comes off the heels of a GREAT one.
Promoting bad-assery is not just a word, it’s a movement. It’s a challenge – mine to you. Find little ways every single day to help your Leaders, Managers, and Reps feel like a well, you know.
How? Tune in for tips – and share yours. This is installment one of our Factor 8 Bad-Assery challenge. Let’s have some fun and together help our people feel great – and perform great at work.
P.S. Ready to move on to bad-assery tip #2? Watch it here.
How to Remove Friction from Your Inside Sales Team’s Call Flow [Conversature Guest Post]
Some of us call them a “call flow,” some call them a “score card,” others may have a different name.
In any case, a “call flow” is usually defined as the conversation process your sales reps should follow from beginning a call, all the way to bringing it to a successful end.
That typically includes a sequenced list of well-designed sales behaviors reps should execute. These are our “performance drivers.”
It often also includes a list of “negative” behaviors you want to ensure your reps are not doing. These are drivers of underperformance, such as using too many “filler words,” talking 51% of the time, or heaven-forbid, cursing.
While most of us are on the same page as to what a call flow is, the majority of us are still designing them backwards, leading to a ton of unnecessary friction between your reps, and your buyers.
What do I mean by “backwards?”
Well, as sales leaders, when we design a “call flow,” we typically list out a sequenced list of sales behaviors, from start to finish, based on what we think is most effective.
Starting your call flow design by listing sales-side behaviors first, is backwards.
Designing a call flow the frictionless way requires you to start on the other side of the coin: What emotional experiences do we want our customers to have over the course of a call?
It requires you to “reverse-engineer” your call flow, by first starting with the customer’s emotional journey.
We outline this in detail, before ever defining the sales-side call flow.
Then – and only then – do we design a sequenced list of sales behaviors designed to trigger and create the customer-side emotional experience we have laid out.
Let me give you an example.
The typical sales leader is going to design a call flow from the sales perspective, and it may look something like this:
- State your full name, and company name from the outset
- State the reason you’re calling
- Deliver a compelling benefit
- Ask permission to ask them questions
- Execute our 7-part line of questioning
- Make the recommendation for a demo-appointment
Simple enough. But designed backwards. It’s designed with “sales lenses” on rather than “customer lenses.”
What I’m suggesting is this: first – before you do anything else – create a “list” of the emotional experiences you want your buyer to “travel through” over the course of a call.
Here’s an example:
- Instant clarity as to who this person is, and why they are calling me
- A self-interested, mildly compelling desire to engage in a short conversation
- Relieved resistance, and a sense of comfort, knowing this person isn’t going to pressure me into anything
- The relief associated with expressing a nagging, relevant frustration
- The feeling of being understood
- A piqued level of interest in solving the problem they just expressed
- A compelling desire to learn more about a potential solution to the problem
- A sense of ease and effortlessness in taking the next step (i.e. don’t make me think too much)
Ok, now we’ve started on the right foot (the customer’s).
Once we have this “call journey” outlined, we can now reverse-engineer our call flow in a way that triggers that customer emotional experience we’ve just designed.
Here’s what that would look like:
The final resulting call flow is subtly different from the original “backwards” one, but incredibly more powerful, because it starts with the buyer’s experience, and reverse engineers the sales process.
Doing this removes unnatural friction from sales calls.
For a more detailed guide on how to design call flows in this way, check out my free guide: The Call Flow Blueprints.
