Inside Sales Reps: Is Your Glass Always Half Full
Over the past ten years I have observed hundreds of Inside Sales Reps. Some superstars, some, well, not so much. Often it is quite easy to determine why one person excels while one fails. The superstar arrives early, stays late and is enthusiastic while on the phone. We’ll refer to them as the A player, the A player does what it takes to get the job done. On the other side of the spectrum is the C player, arrives on time or a few minutes late, does what is required and can barely wait for the day to end. The A and C players take care of themselves, the A’s enjoy tremendous success, the C’s don’t make the cut and move on to a different, less demanding career.
It’s the B player that most intrigues me. They are just as close to becoming an A as they are becoming a C. A simple tweak in behavior or attitude can make all the difference. It is the job of a good manager to assure your B players move in the right direction.
Behavior is usually the easiest to identify and correct. Work ethic, just work harder. Time management, are you getting the most out of your day? Business plan - do you have one? Do you have it broken down into monthly, weekly, and daily tasks? Are you disciplined about achieving these tasks?
Attitude, however, is much more difficult to identify and correct. This is where a manager must become part psychologist, part coach, part friend, and part boss. This ability separates the good from the great managers. While it can be difficult to teach someone to see the glass as half full, if you can do it, you will see your B player become an A player right before your eyes.
I speak from experience, I have been in sales more than 25 years and while I have been blessed with an optimistic personality, I have had my share of slumps. On those down days, I would do the same things. The very same routine. Yet I got a fraction of the results that I enjoyed on the days that my attitude was more positive. I actually wanted to get someone on the phone. I wanted to have a conversation. Then it would hit me, I needed to change my attitude and go the extra mile to make contact. The extra enthusiasm in my voice would perhaps inspire the gatekeeper to help more than they might have if I had called with a less positive tone.
Believe me, it makes a huge difference. The glass is half full. As bad as you might feel, there is someone somewhere that would kill to be in your shoes. A small tweak in attitude can make a world of difference. The power of the self fulfilling prophecy can’t be underrated.
Find a way to look at the bright side and I’ll bet your world will actually become brighter.