3 Ways To Pull An Inside Sales Rep Out Of A Slump
Posted by
Chris Lang on Thu, Oct 20, 2023 @ 02:24 PM
3 Ways To Pull An Inside Rep Out Of A Slump
Inside reps in a lead slump are miserable beings:
Me: “Hey Bob, what’s happenin?”
Bob: “Well my pipeline sucks….no one is interested in what we sell….my pitch doesn’t work…I have eaten PB and J at my desk for 3 weeks straight and I forgot to wear socks today”
Me: “Ok…well I’m gonna go jump off a cliff Bob, but thanks for the update!”
Almost all inside sales reps go through slumps. (Except the ones at AG Salesworks of course) It goes along with the standard ebb and flow of the lead generation process. So what do you do when you find an inside rep in a prolonged slump? Let’s assume that this is a rep that is normally very productive. So how can you help?
1) Sit in on calls –A lot of managers conduct reviews with inside sales reps when things are going poorly. They usually ask the same standard questions, which the reps translate as “So why do you suck right now?” This is about as effective as asking someone, “where did you leave it last?” when you’re trying to help them find a missing item. Instead of asking the reps what they are/are not doing, sit in on live calls with them. Truth be told, they probably don’t know why they aren’t doing well, and the ones that think they know are probably wrong. Sit in on live calls and correct issues as they come up in live conversation. Then have the rep use that correction in the next call. All too often we manage from our own desk, using a “try this and try that” approach. It turns into a parade of trial and error prospecting calls that may do nothing more than continue to demoralize the rep. Don’t train from your office, get in the trenches and teach them based on their actual calls. You will give better insight and it will go a long way in showing your expertise to them.
2) Simplify – A lot of times when things aren’t going well reps go away from what made them good in the first place. They change their pitch, they talk about features too much, they oversell, etc. Instead of adding things to their pitch, make them simplify their process. Go back to the basics and force them to qualify prospects as if they were beginners. Reps often think that they aren’t getting leads because of something they aren’t saying when more often; the fact is they aren’t getting leads because they’re saying too much. Cut out the fluff; get to the core message and the core qualification questions. Make it easy for them to be good again.
3) Tell them to stop caring – Being an inside sales rep means having to hear “no” way more than you would like to. On average you will only connect with 15% - 20% (at best) of the people you call. Of those you will likely only pass over 4% - 6% of them to sales as a qualified lead. As much as you don’t want to be brushed off, you have to realize it’s going to happen and it’s all part of the process. You’re in trouble once you start letting the “no’s” get to you. Prospects are like bees. They can smell fear. A rep’s lack of confidence can ruin what should be a good call. A good rep has to have the ability to brush off the negative answers and look forward to the next “yes”, even in a slump. As my boss used to say to me, “Sell like you don’t give a sh@t!”
Have a great day!