In this week's Sales Buzz: Does it stop you selling is a sales phrase that has become a mantra to encourage sellers to take personal responsibility for their actions and results...

Does it Stop You Selling

Whose fault is it that you missed your last target.

What was it that was outside of your control that got in your way.

And what was it last month, and the month before.

The first sales manager I saw use an assertive style was over a team of Direct Sales people and the above was aimed at the low performers on his team at their monthly sales meeting.

He was loud and confident and, while the above lines can be read as quite aggressive, he had a style of presentation that made his monthly questioning of sales figures acceptable without losing its sharp edge.

His questions had two aims:

1. To stop his sales team reeling out a long list of problems that stopped them from selling.

2. And, to bring the focus of the meeting round to the topic of personal responsibility.

Does it stop you selling

Some of the low performers on his team brought up reasons for not hitting target, such as: prices too high, customers not making decisions, hard to get appointments, need new sales literature.

His answer was: Does it stop you selling?

No I mean does it really stop you selling.

Do the things you’ve raised actually put physical barriers in place that stop you making a sale.

Then silence.

Silence like when you ask a direct closing question and wait for the prospect to answer knowing that whoever speaks first loses control.

If any of the sales team did forward an issue that they felt qualified as a sales stopper, the manager would question it gain with: Does it stop you selling.

And every time the end result was the same, the issues raised could be overcome and that was the point of this monthly ritual.

The important word here is could. The obstacles to closing the sale could be overcome they were not definite barriers that completely stopped any chance of closing sales.

When the sales team agreed with that viewpoint they were left with just one option. The sales could be made and the issues they raised did not stop them selling. It was their inability to overcome these barriers and objections that stopped them hitting target. It was their sales skills and techniques and the sales actions they took that needed changing.

Say it often enough and it becomes a habit

By quoting his favourite line often to his team: Does it stop you selling, he created a habit. They knew he would ask the question in each meeting so they started to ask it to themselves during the sales month. It became a well used phrase, a mantra, sometimes said with humour among the team but even then it still had an effect.

This quote from my early sales career is just one of many that I have picked up along my career journey. There are many others that come from courses, books, people I have met, speakers, trainers, and sales managers.

You have probably come across quotes, from within the sales and motivation world or from other sources, and phrases and statements.

These sales and motivation quotes are reminders of bigger techniques, attitudes, and approaches, to making sales and running a business.

On our website at Sales-Training-Sales-Tips.com we are publishing some of our favourite quotes and phrases.

These are one line phrases that have worked for us and people we know.

There are also many that have been shared with us by our visitors.

You can drop by and share your favourites with us to.

In March this year we will be publishing an eBook with the best sales and motivational quotes and phrases.

If your shared quotes and phrases are included we will send you a free copy of the book.

Take a look at what’s going on by clicking the image or by opening Motivating sales quotes…

The Sales Buzz is publshed by the website Sales-Training-Sales-Tips.com

I'm Stephen Craine from the website Sales-Training-Sales-Tips.com

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