Don’t Do That!

OVERVIEW – Over the past 30 years, I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of organizations and hundreds of salespeople, some exceptional, some good, and some not so good.   In every case, the goal to drive sales and profit was consistent in both the organization and the salesperson.  It is common for all organizations and salespeople to share this goal, but what is more common is a lack of corporate strategy or sales philosophy to get there. 

With reference specifically to the sales aspect, it is common to have a diverse range of skill sets.  In any organization, the philosophy of Vilfredo Pareto typically holds; 80% of the sales will likely be produced by 20% of the team.  More importantly, 80% of the company’s profit will be generated by that same 20%.  We could then derive that 80% of the team are either under-performers or the 20% are over-performers.  While it is likely a combination of both, it is fair to say that the habits of the 20% are more effective.  The (bad) habits of the under-performers are those that contribute to a lack of sales success.  We could and should focus on the good things that are done in the top 20%; however, it is sometimes easier to stop doing the wrong things and ultimately correct the behavior that way.  By eliminating the behavior that contributes to time wasted, poor customer relationships, lost sales and profit, and possibly even your job, your process will become more efficient and more effective.

I have successfully sold in many different companies and industries.  In every industry, I quickly learned the products, services, and company goals and sold my way to the number one position (profit and sales) in every company.  All of this was done using sound selling fundamentals and techniques that allowed me to fulfill the very simple job description of a salesperson, “to GET and KEEP customers”.  Along the way, I made many mistakes but quickly learned from them and offer them for your avoidance in this program “Don’t Do That”.

In addition, I have managed sales teams across the country in very senior positions.  There are always good performers, and the mistakes are likely behind them or at least fewer.  But there are others that are either learning or have tried to learn and haven’t, and they continue to simply do things that should not be done.  Much of the content for this program has also been derived from their shortfalls.

Finally, as a Professional Sales Trainer and Coach, I have facilitated hundreds of training sessions and traveled with many salespeople.  I have witnessed things that I still do not understand how or why they happened.  They, too, are incorporated into this program.

To summarize, many sales trainers will focus on all the things that you should do to achieve the ultimate goal: close the sale.  While I agree that there are many things that you should do, and it certainly makes sense to understand them, I have chosen to present them in reverse by offering over 40 fundamentally bad habits that you should not do during the sales process.  Ironically, if you eliminate these things, you will ultimately be doing what you should be.

ABOUT THE COURSE – “Don’t Do That,” written by Jerry Pilkey, is a focused learning program built around the most common—and costly—mistakes made in sales. Each short lesson (1–3 pages) highlights a specific error, explains why it hurts your results, and outlines the corrective actions that top performers use instead. There are 7 sections, each representing a guiding principle to succeed in sales.  After each section, you’ll complete an essay-style response designed to reinforce the learning. All essay responses receive personalized written feedback to help you apply the concepts effectively.