There is something about learning from another persons mistake. It doesn’t make sense to try and do something someone else has already done. The smart money is on the people who, when they hear someone say; “I’ve already done that.” they move on and avoid making the same mistake.
The problem with this thinking is it assumes the person who has already done it, was actually good at it. It assumes they did it well. It assumes they knew what they were doing and you failing is inevitable. Not everyone does “that” well. Not everyone works hard enough to prove it out. Not everyone made the right choices, went down the right paths, or tried things in the right order. In addition, rarely is anyone going to do it like you. Even though they say they have done that already, rarely have they and for sure they haven’t done it like you.
It’s foolish not to learn from others mistakes. However, It’s even more foolish to assume someone has done it like you would or has done it well.
The next time your sales manager, your boss, a friend, a teacher or anyone tries to discourage you with “I’ve already done that.” Consider the source, and ask yourself, did they do they way you would. Then ask; does it make a difference and is failure inevitable. It’s usually not.
I agree Jim…and not many companies get this.
And to their detriment. Ask Detroit.
Good post, Jim! While we can always improve sales effectiveness, just improving sales effectiveness will always have limited relative impact on sales! Worse, squeezing and berating sales people may cause a one or two quarter nudge of sales results, but will never overcome major limitations in your product or business.
Great sales years are a result of having a great solution, a highly effective sales team, and an organization that knows how to support both.
Thanks Keith, You summed it up here far better than my post. That
seems to be how it is has always gone. Well said.
Sales is a label for connecting with people, persuading people, finding a need and filling it. It’s about listening, empathy, courage and solving problems. I think what you may be talking about is a siloed type of sales or a group labeled sales. Sales is life, everyone is in sales, those skills can be used by an engineer at BMW to persuade production or for an accountant to sell the board on a new budget or investment in a customer service strategy.
Sales can solve all problems pointed in the right direction. Everyone needs to sell.
Just my opinion of course!
Cheers,
Shane
Nice point Shane, per my tag-line, . . . at the end of the day,
everything is sales.
I think I should have posed the statement differently, however the
conversation has been fun. (lot’s of it on LInkedIN Salesblogcast
group)
Thanks
Hi Jim, Some interesting thoughts and discussion here.
Cindy,
It does start with the offer. I’ve never heard a start-up say; “we’ve got this great sales team, now we just need something to sell.”
Sales is an incredibly under-rated business activity – as someone else commented, business begins when a sale (transaction) takes place. The vast majority of people remember a movie firstly due to the actors and actresses (the sales people) but only a minority remember the Art Directior; Cinematographer; Costume Designer; Director; Film Editor; Makeup; who wrote the Original Score; Sound Editor; Sound Mixer; Visual Effects person; or the Writer – these people in a business may be the CEO; Marketing Manager; Pre-sales; Product Manager; Services Manager; Technical Support person; Accounts Payable; Warehouse Manager. etc. None of these people can achieve business growth by themselves – they all need an effective sales team to do that for them. If all these people are all working together to the same mantra then YES sales can deliver growth. Nowadays the other avenues for growth is via acquisition – buying market share. Sales people are under-rated; under appreciated and under paid – selling is a true profession.
a great actor can’t save a shitty film.