Why Business Owners can’t "Teach an Old Sales Dog New Tricks"

By Peak Performance Training and Development

Providing CEO's, Presidents and Business Owners with Executable Strategies that

Target the Problems Inherent in Sales, Sales Management and Sales Recruiting

Visit www.peakperformancesalestraining.us or call us direct at 866-816-0991

Why Business Owners can’t "Teach an Old Sales Dog New Tricks"

Many Business Owners we speak to seem to have a common problem, or theme that comes across when we first

meet with them. Their frustration with having to go over the same sales issues and obstacles that impede their

company’s growth, with the same sales people continually. By the time we speak to them they, have jumped to the

conclusion that you “Cannot teach an old dog a new trick”. Many Business Owners spend the majority of their time

pulling their hair out over why certain people just won’t deal with certain objections, hold margins, fail to call at the top,

or over those, who simply don’t call at all! Regardless of management’s approach to rectifying the problem; whether

through motivation, coaching, new techniques or financial bonus structures, the results, or lack thereof, can often be

attributed to a number of factors.

How much time and energy do you invest into sales people who fail to change their approach or your bottom line? Call

Peak Performance today at 866-816-0991 to discuss your options.

The primary reason certain sales people, regardless of the help or training they receive, do not apply their sales

knowledge translating their efforts into sales productivity is because of Subconscious Filters. Subconscious filters

essentially allow us to assimilate what we like, what we agree with, what we are comfortable with, and what goes

along with the routine we have developed during the course of many years of doing what we do. Although sales

people may on the surface convey their understanding of why certain strategies or techniques are necessary, they

simply do not use them until and unless these subconscious filters are removed.

Why Business Owners can’t "Teach an Old Sales Dog New Tricks"

The Problems Associated with Subconscious Filters

While training individuals, regardless of their background or industry, we notice a common occurrence—we see heads nodding

in agreement or in disagreement at various points during training. We know that this overt expression of agreement and

disagreement is the manifestation of subconscious filters at work, allowing the individual to either “take in” or kick out”

strategies, methods or techniques.

How You Buy-Translates Into How You Sell: Mirroring the Purchasing Process

Another reason why sales people go through their career with certain sales related problems—such as long selling cycles,

failing to confront objections (leading to big pipelines and small bottom lines), call reluctance or failure to hold their price, is

because they mirror their own purchasing process. In other words, how you buy, translates into how you sell!

Are your sales people selling the way they buy? Are these buying habits translating into selling habits, directly impacting your

bottom line? Call Peak Performance today at 866-816-0991 for assistance on developing an action plan to combat these habits

and self-limiting beliefs, taking your company to the next level!

Case Study: The President of a local software company called us in recently because his group’s extended selling cycle was

adversely impacting their bottom line. Many Business Owners, Sales Directors, and unfortunately many in the sales training or

sales performance business would simply treat the symptom.

Why Business Owners can’t "Teach an Old Sales Dog New Tricks"

The symptom here is a long selling cycle. Most treat the symptom with techniques or strategies that usually will not

be utilized because of the subconscious filters and personal buying habits previously mentioned. While investigating

the problem we uncovered the buying process used by their sales manager contributed to the company’s problem.

One example that reinforced this belief was how the sales manager had purchased a new car. In questioning the

sales manager about how he went about the process of buying that vehicle he proudly told us he took seven months

and shopped 29 dealerships from Philadelphia down to Virginia! He meticulously gathered information and boy, did

he ever “think about it” prior to making his decision. He knew more about that vehicle than the plant that built it! How

many sales people have you known or currently have on board that are plagued by over-extended selling cycles?

Monday morning while he was back on the job in an actual selling situation he was faced with an information

gatherer who stated “I am simply looking”. The question here is how effective will this sales person be when

subconsciously he keeps telling himself “I would probably do the same thing”! Hence, the selling cycle within this

organization was out of line for two reasons that would override any coaching, motivation or training.

First and foremost the sales manager could not and would not do what was necessary because of the subconscious

filters which impeded his ability to adopt strategies or techniques that went against the routine he had developed and

had been using for years. And this unproductive routine was a direct result of his personal buying habits. Call us

today at 866-816-0991 to discuss viable options.