KPD3 FRACTIONAL SALES CONSULTANCY

Blog: What's Stopping You? 

Overcoming Barriers to Peak Performance.

In sales, success is often measured by the ability to consistently perform at high levels. Yet, despite the potential for lucrative rewards, many salespeople find themselves falling short of their targets. So, what is stopping them from reaching their potential? 

I am going to explore a number of the most common barriers and summarise their potential impact on your business. You may not think these apply to you or your team, but if you have missed your personal, team or business sales targets, have lost staff in key roles and are not sure why, then please read on, we might be able to help you. 

Lack of Self-Confidence: - In my experience, people like to buy from confident salespeople. In fact, confidence can be compelling in the dynamics of winning business. But many, (up to 80% of your staff) will struggle with their self-belief and have esteem issues from time to time. I believe complex sales processes and a lack of training can affect confidence which can often prevent salespeople taking the initiative and stepping outside of their comfort zones at critical times during a potential sale. 

Procrastination: - Up to 44% of salespeople give up after their first engagement with a prospect, a point so often glossed over during sales team meetings and pipeline assessments. Procrastination is a pervasive issue affecting a significant portion of staff, (25% during each day and 22% regularly) Procrastination saps motivation and can lead to poor time management and apathy. Overcoming this requires addressing underlying issues not often discussed by sales management, as this can be seen as unwanted micro-management.

Fear of Failure: - The fear of failure looms large for many, up to 25% of the workforce, often manifesting as perfectionism and resistance to change. Learning to celebrate success together and embrace failure as a team can help alleviate this fear and foster growth and confidence.

Negative Self-Talk: - Internal dialogue plays a powerful role in shaping mental health and associated behaviour. Negative self-talk can derail a person’s productivity and lead to more damaging mental health issues affecting up to 50% of your team, to a greater or lesser degree. Developing strategies for managing emotions and surrounding team members with positive influences is crucial in minimising these challenges.

Time Management: - With changing working practices, effective time management is essential. Over-commitment, poor work-life balance, and stress can contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed. Key to preventing this are, prioritising tasks, setting boundaries, and practicing self-care in order to maintain control, no matter what your role is in the organisation. Recent research states that, 46% of staff feel that their workload is not under control on at least one day a week.

Management: - Absenteeism, performance management and resignations are the normal outcome for poor performance, but this can also be linked to poor management practices. A lack of direction, resources, and training can hinder individuals’ growth and contribute to organisational problems. Effective communication, conflict resolution, and the fostering of a positive company culture are essential for supporting employees and reducing the negative effects. 

While these issues may seem daunting, they are not insurmountable. By acknowledging these challenges and taking proactive steps to address them, you can unlock the full potential of your staff and help them achieve success in their careers.

In conclusion, overcoming barriers to peak performance can be hugely beneficial to an organisation but this requires person-centred awareness of each staff member and across all aspects of the sales process (and beyond). Pressure points, such as marketing, delivery, or any areas where issues can occur, where support is lacking and training is not sufficient, or the demands on staff are collectively overwhelming.

At KPD3, we understand businesses, we know how sales teams and processes operate and what is required to turn leads into deals and salespeople into confident high commission earners. The key to continued success is to make sure that everyone’s positive mental health is seen as just as important. 

Why not ask us today how we can help you, go on, what’s stopping you!