5 Reasons Your Sales Team is Failing (And what to do about it)

The Struggle with Incompetent Salespeople

We’ve all encountered them: the colleagues who make us wince at the thought of them handling a crucial sale. Picture this: you’re part of a sales organization, and every time a big opportunity comes along, your team holds their breath, wondering if Matt will mess it up again. Or, perhaps you’ve welcomed a former personal trainer into your sales team, brimming with enthusiasm but unable to sell a thing. Then there’s the middle-of-the-pack salesperson who brings in a methodology from a previous company, only to find it’s a poor fit for your current approach and values.

What do all these scenarios have in common? Each salesperson boasts significant experience – say, 15 years – and they *could* sell, but their methods aren’t aligning with what your organization or your customers need. Let’s look at how you can evaluate and elevate your sales capabilities.

Three Lenses to Evaluate Salesperson’s Capabilities

1. Organizational Lens: Values and Alignment with Organizational Strategy

Aligning your sales team’s approach with your company’s core values and long-term goals is essential. Unless, maybe you’re selling sand in the desert–but even then, your sales team should understand the unique value of your sand and why you’re in the desert in the first place. What we mean is ensuring every salesperson understands and embraces your organization’s mission and vision.

For instance, you might have a minimum customer value to maintain or specific onboarding processes to follow. It’s vital that clients view your organization as a valued partner rather than a transactional vendor. Incorporating Customer Focused Selling (CFS) and Predictive IndexⓇ (PI) strategies can prevent the wrong kind of sales from occurring and ensure your sales force is always aligned with your organizational values.

2. Product Lens: Understanding What You Sell

Salespeople must have an in-depth understanding of the product they’re selling (remember the sand in the desert thing?). It’s not enough to be enthusiastic; they need to know the ins and outs of your offerings and how they meet customer needs. This knowledge helps them sell more effectively and match clients with the right solutions.

3. Process Lens: How You Sell It

Your sales process should be clearly defined and followed consistently. It’s not enough to post “what my family vacation taught me about B2B sales” and hope someone bites. A consistent process ensures that every client receives the same high level of service and that all sales efforts are directed towards achieving long-term success rather than short-term gains. 

So, now that you’ve evaluated if your salespeople are aligned with your values, products, and process, let’s break down five common reasons why salespeople fail and how you can address them.

Five Reasons Salespeople Fail and How to Fix Them

Reason 1: They Feel Pressure to Meet Sales Quotas

Salespeople are often under immense pressure to meet or exceed quotas. The ABC mantra (Always. Be. Closing.) is a heavy burden to bear. This can lead to prioritizing immediate sales over finding the right fit for the company, overlooking potential red flags to close deals quickly.

Solution: Implement a streamlined sales process that focuses on long-term client satisfaction. Train your team to use investigative questions to thoroughly assess client needs and ensure a proper fit.

Reason 2: Lack of Proper Client Assessment

Inadequate processes for assessing client fit and needs can lead to accepting clients without a thorough understanding of their business. This results in mismatched partnerships that don’t benefit either party. If your salesperson is assuming all business is good business, it’s time to re-educate. 

Solution: Establish clear client selection criteria aligned with your company values. Train your sales team to ensure comprehensive client assessments, customizing approaches based on client needs, and overcoming objections. Use Behavioral Assessments, like PI, to increase self-awareness and understand how to match clients’ buying styles.

Reason 3: Misaligned Strengths

If your employee isn’t wired for sales, they’ll be bending and flexing their natural behavior too frequently, trying to fit into the mold of who you need them to be. This leads to exhaustion (did someone say burnout?) and disengagement with the sales process. These employees are running out of gas while you miss out on the business your organization truly needs.

Solution: Encourage behaviors that align with long-term company goals and client success. Use Predictive Index to understand individual motivations and strengths of your employee and provide training to support any gaps.

Reason 4: Insufficient Training and Development

Experience alone isn’t enough. Without essential sales skills your salespeople are like a surfing chicken—out of their element and flapping aimlessly. Salespeople need proper training on process, not just product knowledge. Without continuous development, they may rely on outdated methods and miss opportunities to build strong client relationships.

Solution: Invest in continuous training programs that incorporate customer-centric sales skills such as the Customer Focused Selling workshop. Benchmark skill level using a survey like the Selling Skills Assessment Tool and encourage a culture of learning and professional growth. 

Reason 5: Short-Term Focus Over Long-Term Strategy

Incentivizing short-term gains can lead to decisions that harm long-term growth. This results in bad fits for the business, clients with unreasonable expectations, and neglect of necessary corporate processes. Would you rather win 300 clients on small, one-off deals or 30 clients that sign long term engagements with the promise of expanding? 

Solution: Cultivate a company culture that values long-term success. Implement principles that create strong, lasting client relationships that lead to continued revenue growth. Use strategy assessments that align sales strategies with long-term business goals.

Building a Sales Team that Drives Lasting Growth

You sales people might bring in “the wrong kind of sale” due to pressure to meet quotas, lack of proper client assessment, misaligned strengths, insufficient training, and a short-term focus. By aligning your sales practices with company values, long-term goals, and developing the skills and strengths of your sales team, you can prevent these issues and achieve sustainable growth.

Now what? Assess your sales processes and implement CFS and PI strategies to avoid wrong sales and foster sustainable growth. It’s time to ensure your sales team is not just experienced, but truly effective and aligned with your organizational goals.

Remember, the key to a successful sales organization is not just selling, but selling right. By understanding and addressing the common pitfalls in sales, you can create a team that not only meets quotas but also builds lasting, valuable client relationships.