| > | | | | members (Paul and Richie) had any form of |
| You've probably heard it said hundreds of times. | | | | marketing or sales strategy. |
| "That person is a born salesman. They have the | | | | To begin with, Paul and Richie explained to me |
| knack.They continuously outsell everyone else." | | | | that they had both done some basic research as |
| Jonathan owns a computer hardware store that | | | | to which groups of consumers made up the |
| turns over more than $10 million a year in sales. | | | | store's most common customers. |
| But Jonathan is worried. Business is good, but he | | | | Paul explained, "We've got a simple system. In |
| has one major problem. Two of his team of ten | | | | essence, this store has basically three types of |
| salespeople, Paul and Richie, account for close to | | | | buyers: Computer nerds, small business owners |
| 80 percent of his business's total sales. | | | | and a group fondly known as the "Carol Bradys" . |
| The other eight scratch around for 'crumbs' and | | | | Each of the three groups required different |
| are continuously being replaced. Jonathan is | | | | approaches when it came to selling them |
| worried that if he were to lose his two best sales | | | | computers. A solid understanding as to the unique |
| people, it would place huge pressure on his | | | | needs, concerns, and desires of each customer |
| business. | | | | group is essential. By doing so, both were able to |
| "So what's their (Jonathan's top salespeople's) | | | | understand in intimate detail what motivates each |
| secret?" , I ask. "I don't know. They have a way | | | | customer when it comes to making a purchase |
| with customers. They always know the right thing | | | | decision. |
| to say in order to make a sale. I guess you could | | | | For example, Carol Brady's are essentially |
| say that they're just born salesmen..", replies | | | | mothers that come into the store wanting to buy |
| Jonathan. | | | | computers for their children that are at school. |
| As far as I'm aware, scientists are yet to | | | | Paul explained that there was no point in |
| discover the genetic code for "born salespeople". | | | | discussing the technical features of each |
| In other words, great sales people are made, not | | | | computer with these women. "It just confuses |
| born. Whilst some individuals appear to be born | | | | them; makes them feel anxious and ultimately, |
| with great sales talent, such talent is more likely | | | | frightens them away". |
| the result of sales development, rather than | | | | "Most Carol's have little or no understanding of |
| genetics. | | | | computer jargon and they basically are only |
| Success leaves clues. In just about any | | | | interested in two things: |
| organisation that you visit, you will find outstanding | | | | Given that the family budget is extremely tight, |
| salespeople continuously using sales systems and | | | | will I be able to afford to buy this computer? |
| procedures that enable them to ride at the top of | | | | If I buy this computer for my little boy Johnny, |
| the sales pack. | | | | will it make him smart enough to pass all of his |
| I explain to Jonathan that if we are to massively | | | | exams and get into university?". |
| increase the sales performance of each team | | | | "So long as we can show them how they can |
| member, we need to be able to uncover those | | | | afford the computer on a family budget as well |
| systems and patterns of successful sales | | | | as being able tell them a few "success" stories of |
| behavior amongst his best salespeople, and then | | | | how other people's children used these computers |
| to systematize such behavior amongst all sales | | | | to become doctors and lawyers etc, most Carol's |
| staff. | | | | will buy. |
| That way, not only will Jonathan will be able to | | | | The computer nerds on the other hand don't care |
| improve overall sales performance amongst all | | | | so much about price as do the Carol's . They |
| team members, he will also be creating a business | | | | want features. They want speed, cutting edge |
| that is systems dependent, rather than people | | | | technologies, the latest and best. that's what they |
| dependent. | | | | want, that's what we give them. Business owners |
| Jonathan and I spend a full day observing and | | | | want reliability and to a lesser degree, |
| analyzing the activities of Jonathan's sales "stars" | | | | technological longevity. Price is important, but not |
| and sales "underperformers". As predicted, there | | | | as much as important as knowing that your |
| were definite patterns and systems employed by | | | | computers are going to be reliable. |
| the star performers that the others failed to | | | | When I asked Paul and Richie what made them |
| implement. | | | | so much more successful than all of the other |
| Interestingly enough, all of Jonathan's sales people | | | | sales people combined, Paul and Richie were |
| had similar levels of understanding in relation to | | | | unanimous. "We have the best systems. The |
| the various computer products and product | | | | other guys have none. That's' the difference". |
| features, yet only the two star sales team | | | | And you thought it was great breeding! |