Companies are at an all-time low with CRM adoption. Their sales teams rarely use the “software stack” they’ve been given, yet they pile on more sales tools to solve complex issues. You’re telling me that it’s better to apply a sales tool to a sales rep (like giving them a calculator) than to teach them to think through the equation (head math)? If so, my old Finance 200 professor would freak out right now.
I know tools seem like a quick fix, but you must look at the sales diagnosis with a doctor’s approach. You can’t fix sales issues with tools – you can only accelerate the rate at which they accomplish sales actions. I’ll say that again:
A sales tool is about Speed-to-Revenue in an automated fashion, once your sales rep has figured out the formula and cadence to acquire revenue using the manual process of the sales challenge.
Here is the order of operations of learning math:
1. Have the teacher explain the equation
2. Apply this learning in a break-out with your classmates
3. Repeat the learning over-and-over on your own time
4. Come back to class, and prove the application of the learning with a test
5. Get certified that you understand the principles
6. Keep applying those principles as the teacher builds upon the framework
7. Teacher gives you a calculator once you understand the framework and principles
So why do you think your adult sales reps are any different now than they were learning their multiplication tables?
This is exactly why the adoption of many of your sales tools are wildly variant and frustratingly poor. Your sales team has no idea how to apply the underlying principles and framework without a tool. As a result, they’re having difficulties shifting their toolset into a mindset.
Great companies have completely understood the principles of learning as the foundation of their sales growth. They’ve accomplished everything manually first by building a mindset, applied the principles and then used tools as the reward system for successful application. If your company doesn’t think this way then you’re not starting off with the right mindset.
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