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Managers fail in encouraging their salespeople to ensure sustainable sales performance, according to Krauthammer latest study
KRAUTHAMMER
| London/Brussels
29-Jul-2010 » Training Press Releases » The second part of Krauthammer's "Sales Signals"- survey, conducted with the Groupe ESC Clermont Graduate School of Management in France* shows considerable gaps between what sales -behaviour most salespeople believe they should adopt for sustainable sales performance, and to what extent they are encouraged to indeed practice these skills by their managers. According to the salespeople surveyed, only 48% of managers generally encourage exemplary sales practice.
"Our research confirms the assumption that sales is the number one business process with upside potential in terms of professionalism and productivity", comments Ronald Meijers of Krauthammer's executive board. "To cut a long story short? Most companies don't really know how to sell", he concludes.
"The research suggests that where salespeople are doing well, it is possibly because they are holding up their own pants when it comes to many fundamental practices", adds Steffi Gande, from Krauthammer's Research Department.
Our previous report has shown that salespeople's mastery of core competences varies widely, and we now find one possible explanation. The support and encouragement of their managers is poor in many areas, and in some, salespeople do not grasp what exemplarity truly means.
26 skills associated with 5 big domains of the sales process were examined: "prospecting", "diagnosing", "persuading", "negotiating" and "closing". Within these domains, the following findings emerged concerning overall behaviours, and some striking gaps between what salespeople believe they should do, and what their managers encourage.
Prospecting - only 37% of managers generally encourage exemplary behaviour in prospecting. Specifically there is a striking gap between what salespeople think they should be doing, and what managers encourage regarding "behaviour in the first moments of an initial rendez-vous". Whilst 88% of the salespeople believe they should be "smiling, calm and attentive to their prospect", only 58% report that their manager encourages this basic attitude of empathy.
1. Diagnosing - only 44% of managers generally encourage exemplarity in this area. Specifically, when it comes to "identifying all the decision-makers, clarifying spheres of influence and defining a strategy". 76% of those polled agree that they should adopt exemplary behaviour, yet only 55% report that their managers encourage this strategic basic.
2. Persuading - only 44% of managers generally encourage exemplarity in this area. Particularly in the area of "illustrating key arguments through questions, getting the customer to express the benefits" - 63% agree that they should adopt exemplary behaviour yet only 35% report that their manager encourages them to adopt this facilitative attitude.
3. Negotiating - 57% of managers - a slightly better result than in other domains - encourage exemplarity in this key area. Particularly when it comes to "acknowledging an objection and using questions to build an answer", 85% of salespeople say that they should adopt exemplary behaviour. Yet only 60% report support from their managers in adopting this constructive response.
4. Closing - 55% managers encourage exemplarity in this domain. In terms of "showing respect for competition and helping customer evaluate their company's added value" - 90% of salespeople say that they should adopt exemplary behaviour yet only 60% report that they are encouraged to this level of professionalism by their managers.
You will find the complete second chapter of Krauthammer series of research-based reports, including comments from our collaborating partner, Dr. Pascal Brassier, here http://www.krauthammer.com/Docs/Content/File/Inspiration/Sales-signals-2010-part2-full-report.pdf
The third chapter due to be published in September 2010 will map the clarity with which salespeople's work is defined and organised, the systems and processes in place, and how helpful - or harmful - these are felt to be.
*The research was conducted in partnership with Dr. Pascal Brassier of the Groupe ESC Clermont Graduate School of Management in France.
About Krauthammer
Coaching, consulting and training company Krauthammer responds to client needs worldwide where strategic changes or operational improvements demand behaviour change at the individual, team and corporate levels. In addition to improving particular areas in organisational systems - building and sustaining a high performance organisation and implementing effective change.
Established in 1971, Krauthammer has around 220 consultants and employees, delivering services in over 50 countries, in 20 languages. International consistency and the ongoing professional development of the consultants are ensured by four annual Krauthammer University sessions where every consultant spends between 2 and 3 weeks per year.
www.krauthammer.com
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