THE WORST DISEASE A SALES PERSON CAN CATCH
THE WORST DISEASE A SALES PERSON CAN CATCH
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Have you caught a disease? Sometimes, a seasoned professional sales person falls into the trap of catching the disease known as "EXPERTISE".
As a salesman myself, I would occasionally catch a bad case of “EXPERTISE” and had to push the “Reset’ Button. As a manager, I’ve seen it repeatedly through the years.
The worst part of the EXPERTISE Disease is that most people that catch it are in Denial and don’t believe they have a problem. When you have the EXPERTISE Disease you start skipping the most basic steps to the sale. You begin to believe you are so much smarter than the management that you start managing your own deals, even to the point of doing opposite of what management asks. You begin to believe you are so good you can skip and shortcut and quote your own deals.
The cure is simple. Act like a “Green Pea” and go to the managers to coach you through the deals. Follow the processes the same way all other sales people do. If you are quoting figures, start allowing the managers to do that. Remember, DENIAL is the main symptom of the disease.
NOT saying this is YOUR Problem, but; If your sales are in a slump, is it a possibility that sometimes we get too smart to make the deals? Did you ever notice that a brand new hire green pea comes in and makes a fortune the first 90 days in the business until the rest of the sales persons educate him/her?
People with the EXPERTISE Disease often contract a bad case of another common disease... "MANAGERITIS" but that's another blog entirely. http://www.AlphaDawgBlog.com
Comment
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Comment by JIm Fisher on August 27, 2015 at 10:21pm
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Brian,
Sorry, I should have checked before sending. I left the word "not" out between from and having.
Actually, my career has been as an owner, partner and Dealer Principal for over 18 years and my success in turning losing stores into profitable stores was my ability to hire and train people. Without the right people, doing the right things, no one can succeed.
Every dealership in the "World" would love to have a complete staff of Brians! My hardest job was finding and training salespeople. It was my number problem in my career.
I have that problem at the Ford Store that I am presently a Dealer and partner. However, with a concerted effort by everyone, we have built a winning team in less than two months.
My goal is to turn them all into Brians! That is a complement.
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Comment by Brian Bennington on August 27, 2015 at 6:57pm -
Jim, Jim! What do you mean "and our business suffers from having more people like you"? Geez, that sounds rather defamatory and you don't even know me. Telling your son about helping people have a great sales day is only half of the story. You might also mention that as a sales rep, you only have to worry about your own performance, but as a mgr., you have to worry about everyone's performance, including the weakest on the floor. I turned down numerous SM & GSM jobs and even a GM position because when I moved to CA, I had a super hot roommate 13 yrs. my junior and I wanted to try "family life" and help her raise her two young sons, (Of note, she's my third wife and we just celebrated are 29th anniversary. She's also my business partner as I do relationship centered marketing for a small group of SoCal dealerships and have for 20+ yrs.)
I read your bio, as I always do when I personally comment here, and noted you're a sales trainer. I'd say you've had the perfect job to "educate" your son, so I'm sure he'll be a "crackerjack" mgr.
A MEMO TO ALPHA DAWG: I noticed your most recent comments to JIm and I are "near duplicates." Now, don't tell me you have a file of standardized comments you post. I refuse to believe it!! You're "Alpha Dawg" and an inspiration to many here and on ADM! How could this happen????
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Comment by James A. Ziegler on August 27, 2015 at 5:32pm
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Jim - You are astute and couldn't be more correct in those assesments. I've met so many Experts that don't make any money because they'd rather show off to the consumers and let their egos run the deal instead of allowing the managers to be the coaches that send in the plays.
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Brian.
When my son said that he was being offered a Manager's job after being the top salesperson for over 3 years, I told him this, "As a salesperson, you get up each morning and look in the mirror and say I am going to have a great Sales day!" "As a Manager, you get up each morning and look in the mirror and say I need to help my people have a great Sales day!" There is a big difference and some people like motivating themselves to be the best and do it and others want to motivate others.
There is a need for salespeople like you and our business suffers from having more people like you. However, a majority of people in this business need some one to help and motivate them daily. If they don't get help and motivation, they fade away. That is why turnover is over 60% in this business.
A new salesperson has this big hill to climb and if he or she doesn't keep going up, they slide down. However, once they reach the top, it is all downhill from there. You didn't need help getting up the hill and now your career is downhill in a good way. Others aren't that good and need help getting over that hump.
Most good dealerships I have been in, the top salesperson every month usually makes more that most of the Managers.
Keep up the good work.
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Hello Brian, You and you are astute and correct in those assesments. I've met so many Experts that don't make any money because they'd rather show off to the consumers and let their egos run the deal instead of allowing the managers to be the coaches that send in the plays.
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Comment by Brian Bennington on August 27, 2015 at 5:11pm
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Well I'll be damned, 'Dawg. And here all along, I thought "denial" was a river in Africa! It's interesting that, regardless of where you've sold cars, these maladies you've described are so prevalent. And, your observation is right on that "Expertise," if untreated, can often lead to a serious (and sometimes "terminal") case of "Manageritis." Fortunately, by the time I began selling cars, I'd become self-inoculated and avoided catching either of these diseases. However, in those situations where the "new hire" actually does know more about "the art of selling" than management, they'd better know (and practice) "the art of humility" equally as well.
Managers can be "worked" as successfully as customers, but in both cases, if the party being worked figures it out, you're dead in the water. Everywhere I worked, I went out of my way to help management and my fellow reps any way I could, from always volunteering to make the "food run" to splitting a deal with another rep who was "down on his luck," (providing he wasn't a "user.") Like most top producers, I was working a tad beyond management's "comfort level." That's why TPs are often described as "high maintenance." And, if you want to "draw the wrath" of your fellow reps, just flaunt your success a little too much. Nobody in a car dealership, or in any working situation, wants anyone else to work harder, especially if it generates a better performance, than they do.
Someday Alpha, maybe you should write a post about the benefits of just "staying a sales rep" as opposed to trying to "catch a ride" on the "Management Express." I've learned there are many, and if you sell well, you'll definitely make "management money."
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I hope it was read word for word in more than 20 meetings today. As I said, great article.
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I know for a fact that this was read - word for word - in more than 20 Sales meetings already today.
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Jim,
That is a great message for a salesperson who is in a slump. I always use Rocky going back to Hood with Apollo Creed as a reminder to go back to basics.
The real message should be the Managers who allow the Salespeople to get Expertise Disease by allowing them to either do things they shouldn't, give them information before it is needed or actually help them avoid the road to the sale, by appraising a vehicle or desking the deal without verifying what has been done.
I learned a great lesson early in my career from George Libben from APB that you can either Manage your people of you can Manage the chaos! I have made a lot of money in my career by either training Managers to manage their people or doing it myself.
Great article as always. Hope you are doing well!
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