As you might imagine, I spend a lot of time talking with people about sales. Clients, prospects, friends, and family members (DAD! Stop it!). Yep, I’m That Guy.
I’ve observed something that’s interesting. Company owners, sales leaders – and even salespeople themselves – suffer from something that I’ve started to call the “Low-Bar Syndrome.” When we are diagnosing this dreaded, revenue-restricting malady, common symptoms are often described as:
- “My sales team is great. Good people. They work hard. They just don’t seem to knock on enough new doors.”
- “They know their stuff. They are really good with the product. But man, it seems like every deal that will close comes included with a discount.”
- When it comes to servicing what we sell, they do a pretty good job. But how do we sell our good customers more? They like us, and I think they’d buy more from us, but it’s like we are afraid to talk about other lines.”
- “They are really good at building relationships. But sometimes, I wonder “What’s the point? They never leverage those relationships into sales.”
- My business is a referral-based business. I get most all of business from referrals. But I haven’t been getting very many lately. I wonder what I’m doing wrong?”
That, in and of itself, is not unusual. Until you think about other professionals. When is the last time you heard someone say, “My accountant has a great attitude. She loves numbers. But she hasn’t really kept up with the new tax laws.” Never. “I like my doctor a lot. He is such a nice guy. Loves his patients. But I don’t think he knows what he’s doing. I often think “I hope this medicine he prescribes for me doesn’t kill me.” Never. Ever.
But in sales, it’s OK. We have gotten comfortable with the Low-Bar Syndrome. We accept that if the attitude is OK, if they seem to work hard…well, that’s all you can ask for, right? Our price might actually be too high? It is a tough market after all.
Here’s the truth. Most salespeople “wing it.” Not because they are bad people. Not because they aren’t trying. They have never been taught. They come to think “If I’m friendly enough…or smart enough…if we have the best brochure…or if I can get a tee time to the best golf course…my prospect will like me enough to buy.”
Take this complimentary sales assessment to see if you or your people suffer from Low Bar Syndrome >>
What kind of training have you provided for your sales team? If you are selling, how much time have you invested in yourself? Most companies are leaving thousands and thousands of dollars on the table each year. For some, it’s millions. I’ve seen it. I see it virtually every day. Companies who get sales right – start to provide their good people with the tools and insight to excel – transform. They are never the same.
I’d like to invite you to attend a one-day sales boot camp at the Sandler Training Center in Richmond. It’s ideal for anyone who is in sales, account management, customer service, and especially owners/managers who are leading sales teams. We’ll spend a day teaching and working with key principles that have made our clients “raving fans.” We’ll reinforce the learning through 2 follow-up Virtual Training sessions and allow for one-year access to our online learning platform.
At the end of the day, if you don’t think you’ve gotten 10x value from your investment to attend, we’ll refund your money. No questions asked.
We are actively enrolling people who are tired of the Low-Bar Syndrome. Contact me if you’d like to learn more. We aren’t a good fit for everyone, so let’s have a conversation to see if this might be the first step on a different journey. You don’t have to settle for mediocrity. You can be great. You can raise the bar.
Complimentary Sales Assessment
Use the Sales Sales Acceleration Assessment to benchmark and collect data for sales team effectiveness. You will be able to discover your strengths and weaknesses and be proactive with improving your sales process.
Robin Green
Robin Green is the President and Owner of Ascend Performance, Inc., a certified and award-winning Sandler Training Center in Richmond, VA. He specializes in helping companies of all sizes to develop the Attitudes, Behaviors, and Techniques that will help them reach new levels. Robin is a keynote speaker and podcast host. You can reach him at robin.green@sandler.com. We help companies and motivated individuals with sales, management and customer service training.
