Cause of Lackluster Sales

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Current behavior = comfortable feeling

New behavior = uncomfortable feeling

Change it so that it looks like this: Current behavior = uncomfortable feeling

New behavior = likelihood of more comfortable feeling

In other words, the pain of not changing has to be greater than the cost of changing. I'm |OOVo, absolutely, unequivocally convinced that most people don't change until they become discontented with their current state of affairs. In other words, if you are going to change your behavior, you must develop and deepen some discontent. If you are going to facilitate the change in your salespeople (or anyone else, for that matter), you must develop and deepen discontent.

Thomas Edison said, "Restlessness and discontent are the necessities of progress." Nathaniel Hawthorne said, "The world owes all its onward impulses to men ill at ease. The happy man inevitably confines himself within ancient limits."

If you are concerned about improving your personal performance, start this process by setting some specific measurable goals that require you to become someone better than you are. Share them with the people around you, so they can hold you accountable. Specifically detail, in words and pictures, what you'11 gain by achieving the goals-and what will happen if you don't.

If you are a leader of salespeople, you have more tools at your disposal. Start by creating powerful goals for sales behavior and creating and communicating specific performance expectations. On a regular basis, recognize and reward those salespeople who most effectively make the changes. Have frank and uncomfortable discussions with those who don't.

Consider revising the compensation plan to directly reward more effective sales behaviors. And those employees who most stubbornly resist your efforts to move them to more effective sales practices should be helped to find a more suitable position.

- Mr. Kahle is a sales consultant, trainer and author. Reach him at (616) 4519377 or via www.davekahle.com.

By Bill Nocerino, Forest2Market