DETACH DOCS
PART 1: SELLING STYLE
WHAT: research study I conducted before leaving my last employer (Unum). I asked seven questions to fifty salespeople / all ranging in tenure & performance level / representing 17 total offices.
WHY: identify needs & pain points while finding correlations between top-tier reps / high performers / average reps
To avoid biasing the answer, I left all the questions open. I didn’t know how the results would turn out and wasn’t trying to prove any points – except one.
RESULT: Predictable Split
All over the Board: ≈70% of reps listed their style on the relationship side / 30% consider themselves technical
No Performance Correlation: There is zero connection between selling style and performance level.
Top Takeaway: Stay Unique / GET FOCUSED
There's no right way to sell; while my style is as technical as it gets - you'll never hear me recommend mirroring exactly what I do. From building trust to delivering effective presentations, authenticity is essential for maximizing your performance.
What's important is FOCUS; no word means more to improving performance. Understanding how focus of attention impacts sales output (+/-) is critical, regardless of one's style or position (execs/mgmt/reps). It provides a view of what tasks translate to production while exposing areas that waste time.
As long as I’ve been selling, the only stats I care about are territory growth and close-ratio.
Growth comes from a proactive selling approach and will build naturally over-time by bringing effective processes & consistent quality to the table.
I’m able to close-in on close-ratio by actively thinking about focus. I help partners do the same by providing information around what’s important for maximizing sales performance and show how to adopt achievable adaptations to improve results.