Are your sales team snorkelers or scuba divers?
Underperforming sales people are like snorkelers, they skim around the surface looking busy and seeing some pretty things but skimming the surface of sales will never get you the results, it takes a deeper level of understanding and fine-tuned skills.
Anyone Can Snorkel
Does your sales team dive for the gold or do they just think they do? Do they even realise that they are spending much of their time snorkelling around the surface occasionally looking down into the depths and assuming where the gold is hidden? They guess based upon the limited information they glean from shallow conversations. From time to time, they hold their breath and dive down to get a better look but always feeling the pressure of being out of their depth.
Scuba Takes Time and Money and Focused Intent
Scuba-style sales people have to complete hours of instruction, invest in professional equipment and then systematically develop their skills and experience. They enjoy a clearer and deeper level understanding of their world which really comes into its own once they go beneath the surface, well beyond the reach of the snorkelling amateurs splashing about above them.
| Category | Snorkel Sales Person | Scuba Sales Person |
| Perspective / View of the world | Distant, surface level only, occasionally dives only for as long as they can hold their breath, they think they are seeing the real picture because they don’t know any better | Up close, interactive, deeply engaged, take as much time as is required to fully investigate thoroughly, get to see, understand and experience things that the snorkelers can only dream of |
| Skillsets and Training | Little training required, they are cheap, fast and can start immediate. They rarely get much better without you investing thousands to make them look good. | Requires specific training, skills and aptitudes, discipline, following procedures, continual refinement, they willingly put in the effort and hours required to take their skills and qualifications to deeper levels |
| Equipment | Basic snorkel-level equipment can be bought from any cheap shop (think of some of the cheap suits you have seen out there), you can spend thousands attempting to improve their appearance when ultimately, they will still only provide a surface-level experience | Must invest in the essential basic equipment. Each component has a specific purpose and careful maintenance of all equipment is required. Highest quality takes on a life-saving perspective and level of respect |
| Front / Bravado | Many would have you believe they are Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau and yet they often have barely put in the hours to move beyond the bathtub. | Have learned to respect themselves, their environment and their competition so they carry themselves with a quiet confidence. |
| Competition & The Market | Snorkelers are shark bait. They splash around the surface looking like seals to the predators. They have no real idea of what is happening below them and ignorance in this case is far from bliss. | Scuba divers have protective gear on; they are fully immersed in their environment and are fully aware of their surroundings. There is still fierce competition but they know how to combat it and emerge victorious. |
Are Your Sales Team Worth Investing In?
To learn about whether you can turn some of your snorkelers into scuba-style sales professionals, you first have to work out if that is even possible with your existing team and more importantly, if the return you could achieve would justify the investment? Sales people’s greatest expertise is usually in selling themselves to the people paying their wages.
Objectively Evaluating Your Assets
To determine if an investment in your existing sales team will be justified, we start by first completing a process which provides you an objective evaluation of their sales strengths and more importantly, their sales weaknesses. This comprehensive Sales Effectiveness & Improvement Analysis will provide all the answers you need to decide the best course of action to take.
Custom Designed Sales Training
If we both agree that the investment is justified, then we collaboratively create a custom designed training program that can be progressively rolled out in stages that suit your budget and cash flow. Contact our team to discuss creating a world-class team of scuba-style sales professionals.
