Why attrition is great for Sales leaders?

This example was contributed by a participant who is an AVP sales (west) in an IT company.

"Some of our easiest sales have come through a IT Manager who used to work in a company in Delhi and then moved to Mumbai. This guy happened to be very well networked in the IT community in Mumbai and he referred us to a BPO, a large retail client, a bank and a manufacturing company, all of which were his good friends. Besides this, he has also given us business from his own company.

This taught us one thing. The best support that a sales team can get is from their own happy customers who shift due to career reasons. Too often we salespeople lose touch with our customers, but attrition is the best thing that could happen to us. If we have developed multiple relationships with our accounts, then attrition results in no loss in the existing account which continues as before and if we follow the employee to the new account, the sales increase!!!.

Problem is - too many salespeople believe using references is a sign of weakness, they want to do it alone, be independent.

Institutional sales is however not a one man "cowboy" routine, it requires building relationships at multiple levels, a greater team game.

............example contributed by Amit, AVP Sales at a Bengaluru based IT company.

Maneesh Konkar is a Sales and Negotiations consultant based in Mumbai. 

The Single Biggest Mistake Business Leaders make

At a recent conference for a pharma company, we heard the following conversations happening at the review meetings:

“We need to stop degrowing”
“Why did this degrowth happen?”
“Why did you make this mistake?”
“Don’t make the same mistake in this launch that you made in the last product launch”
“Why is everyone so demotivated?”
“Don’t worry”
“Don’t take tension”
“Don’t be late”
“Don’t come unprepared for the presentation”
“I don’t want daily calls to be less than 45 a day”
“I don’t want complaints from customers”

Sounds familiar to you.
This is the language we use when we discuss strategies and tactics at our review meetings and conversations.

So what's wrong, you might ask?

Well - here is what is wrong.

ALL THESE STATEMENTS ARE THINGS WE DO NOT WANT!!!!

Do you want your people to come late? make mistakes? make less sales calls? come unprepared? Do you want your customers to complain?

Obviously not.

Then why are you talking about it?
"What else should I do", you might ask? I have to discuss the mistake, send a strong message, etc etc.

"Think and talk only about those things that you want"

You might say - that's exactly what I want - I want less complaints, I want less mistakes, etc

Is that what you really want?

Let me show you with an example.

Don't think of a zebra.
That's right. DO NOT think of a zebra at all.

What are you thinking?
I know what you are thinking.

Now - think of a zebra.

What are you thinking now?

You get the point? Whether I tell you to think or not think of a zebra, you do the same thing. i.e. think of a zebra.

So when you say "Don't come late", what happens? yes boss, they all come late. And you know why they do that? Because you told them to "come late".

Because telling them "don't come late" and "come late" is the same thing.

A better way would be "come on time tomorrow"

The human mind does not process "don't" or "NO". It only processes the main message which was "come late", "make mistakes", "take tension" etc. And that is the message we plant in the subconscious most of the time - to others and to ourselves.

So how do we converse:

"Come on time" not "Don't come late"
"Relax" not "Don't take tension"
"Come prepared for the presentation"
"Make more than 45 calls a day"
"Grow 40% this year definitely"

Watch the conversations you make at work and at home.
"I want to be slim" not "I want to reduce weight"
"I want to breathe clean" not "I want to quit smoking"
"I want to get promoted" not "I don't want to be stuck in this role"
"I want to be prosperous" not "I want to get out of debt"
"I want to be healthy" or "I am healthy" not "I don't want to fall sick"


What do you really want? Think and talk only about what you want

Looking for more such solutions to your everyday leadership challenges? Follow us now.

To connect your team to these ideas and enjoy the resultant productivity gains, call us for a training or a session at your conference now at +919820503710 / maneesh@directiononeonline.com

Maneesh Konkar