Sales needs more than tenacity

„We must work even harder for success! The last year was a forced march. Nevertheless we did not reach our goals. That must change. If we don’t tackle the next quarter on a massive scale, we’ll end up in huge problems,“ explains Mike, sales director at the sales meeting. He tugs back and forth restlessly. His headset is squeezing behind his ears. It throbs in his temples. Yesterday the board gave him clear words that he hardly slept. Once again everything hangs on him. The colleagues on the board have made it clear that he can look around for a new job if he can’t get the colleagues on track.

Sales must not be hard!

In the last row some department heads whisper and giggle. One colleague taps on his mobile phone, another yawns heartily. Mike feverishly thinks about what he wanted to say next. His prepared speech is blown away. Restlessness turns into anger.

„We have to take it seriously now. Stop drinking coffee and chatting with customers three times a day! As of today things are changing here“, he adds louder and tries to reach even the last „idiots“ through pressure in his voice.

„Don’t they see how serious the situation is?“ he thinks frustratedly. His management team is comfortably scratching their butts while he’s losing everything he’s built up without quality of life. He only sees his wife and children on weekends. He smokes and drinks too much and sleeps mostly in the hotel. „What am I doing this sh…for?“, he thinks.

Leadership with pressure in sales is out!

„Well, guys, who has any ideas on how we can turn the tiller around? It takes a few terrible moments until one finally comes forward, namely the works council…. This is followed by a discussion about overtime, holiday replacements, sick leave and work distribution, in which the majority of colleagues are actively involved. There is no result in the end.

The solution

Mike’s making a big mistake. He focuses on the thing, not the people. And he tries to generate motivation and even creativity with more intensity and worst-case visions. That can’t work. Why?

1. The employee or colleague always has to solve personal problems before he can concentrate on company goals. This means his private AND professional problems. Only when Mike carefully addresses these things and gets involved with individuals can he win them over.
2. Creativity and inspiration follow a positive, inner attitude. Fear and anger make sure that the creative part of the brain goes offline. The focus of the colleagues and Mike, is on preventing personal disadvantages and eliminating feelings of lack and guilt. In the end, everything leads to a massive team conflict with a sudden change in leadership. The result: cost brakes, payroll reduction, rising sickness rate, customers dropping out.

The way how Mike communicates decides whether what is said is accepted or not. He neither applies basic rules of positive communication and benefit argumentation, nor does he bring himself into the appropriate inner state to have a positive effect.

A sales employee can only be good if the general conditions, the vision and the cooperation are right. This does not mean that employees get everything they want. It’s all about the feeling of being noticed and recognized. It’s about being a part of something and recognizing advantages for yourself.

This is annoying for seasoned sales managers. They deal primarily with figures and results and iron over „private problems“ without scruples. It is understandable that human animosities are getting on their nerves when one’s own head depends on success. At the same time, there is no way around it. If you want a successful sales team, you have to get through humanity.

Do you want to give away a part of the inspiration and motivation task? 

I will be happy to help you.

My keynote „Surf your life“ shows your colleagues how to act successfully AND fulfilled. Energetic pictures and stories trigger a desire for responsibility and activity. https://malaikaloher.de/vorträge

In workshops I teach your employees how leadership in sales works today. https://malaikaloher.de/trainings