Security Systems News

NOV 2017

Security Systems News is a monthly business newspaper that reaches 25,100 security installers, product distributors, central stations, engineers & architects, and security consultants. Our editorial coverage focuses on breaking news in all major se

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www.securitysystemsnews.com n ovember 2017 S e CU r ITY SYST em S ne WS Commer C ial & systems integrators 16 Find out more about the software behind the everyday at genetec.com/protectingeveryday Everybody. Everywhere. Every day. Ordinary days require extraordinary protection. © 2017 Genetec Inc. GENETEC and the GENETEC LOGO are trademarks of Genetec Inc., and may be registered or pending registration in several jurisdictions. genetec.com Continued on next page Three steps to turning around poor sales By Chris Peterson o ne of the most challeng- ing dynamics in nature is turning around a strug- gling sales professional; it can feel like walking up a slippery slope. Many times, we blame our recruiting and interviewing skills, assuming we have the wrong person. Other times, we let the mediocrity ride, telling ourselves that the sales cycle is really long. Another common re s p o n s e i s i g n o r i n g i t a n d waiting for them to find a new job. After facing this scenario doz- ens of times in my consulting work, I've concluded that most sales leaders are so overwhelmed with their plethora of duties that they don't have the time to develop a process of turning around poor performers. There isn't a manual that explains how to turn them around—at least not one built for small- to medium-sized businesses. So, we've developed a process for them, and below is a list of four of the critical steps to turning around poor sales performers: 1 . C a t c h i t b e f o r e it's too late. H a v e y o u e v e r h e a r d t h i s c o n v e r- sation: "Well, it's been a few months since you've made your numbers. You really need to pick it up … I'm just saying." If you ever find yourself pre- paring for this meeting, it's prob- ably too late (especially if "pick it up" is your best coaching). A key to any challenge in life is catching it early—driving the wrong way, treating a disease, and correcting a sales person's performance. Most sales leaders know that they should track Key Performance Indicators (KPI), but many track the wrong ones. There are two types of activity all sales leaders should track: • S h o rt - Te r m K P I s . D o n 't simply track outstanding quotes that are on the street, but also track month-to-month quot- ing activity. It's important that the KPI activity is consistently performed, especially for system integration companies that suf- fer from "feast or famine" cycles. • Track Early-Stage Activity. Although tracking quotes is important, it may only give you a month's notice of poor performance. Think about the activity that leads to quotes. What about prospecting work? I'm not suggesting that you cre- ate a cold call report; in fact, I recommend that you don't ask your team to do this. However, your sales people should have a target list of new prospects and current accounts. In your one-on-one meetings, roll-up your sleeves and work with them on penetrating these accounts. You'll learn quickly whether they're working or not, and you'll be providing some amaz- ing coaching. 2. Work on a solution togeth- er. As mentioned above, simply stating, "You really need to pick it up" never works. The good ones know they need to pick it up, and are looking for help; and the bad ones think you're micromanaging them. When you realize that one of your sales people is performing poorly, use the greatest four words a sales leader can say: "Let's figure it Chris Peterson The key to helping poor sales performers is providing extra support and a clear path to success

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