Douglas Huissen conducts research on the impact of Generation Z on sales and acquisition, focusing on Salesstep assessments. The research focuses on measuring motivation profiles and finding significant discrepancies between Generation X and Generation Z. A shortage of “hunters” in IT teams is identified, creating problems for acquisition. Changing sales methods and the challenges this presents are discussed, with pain cited as a stronger motivator than pleasure, especially in sales. The importance of understanding motivation and personality in the sales team is emphasized, as is the need to adapt approaches and leadership styles to be effective in dealing with Generation Z in sales.
Every salesperson will recognize when their manager starts to put pressure when they are not reaching their sales targets. In the SalesStep Article: Classical Sales Manager’s paradox we have researched this behaviour. Moreover, given the current crisis, more pressure is put on salespeople to secure business and to close opportunities left in the sales funnel.
In September 2019 SalesStep conducted a research study on the different motivational drives of 474 salespeople. With this study, we found an interesting paradox of Sales Managers behaviours, especially under stress. Yet, only half a year later, this has become a reality in the Corona crisis.
Finding 1: Sales Managers have a natural response to put more pressure (Red = Power) on their salespeople when they are not reaching their sales targets (Orange = Results). This happens when their primary motivational drive for results is not addressed.
Finding 2: Salespeople’s biggest allergy is “Power” more specifically Power and Decisiveness enforced upon them most of the time by their manager. More commonly observed as a pushy micro-manager that wants to gain control and restore results.
We easily recognize this classical paradox and many of us have experience with a pushy manager in times of crisis. This leads us to the key question of today: ”What should we do knowing that enforcing more Power is working counterproductive?”
The answer to this question is twofold:
What are the most distinguishing sales competencies to understand ‘Corona-proven’?
What does good look like from a Sales (Leadership) perspective?
To start with answering these questions we put a stress test to and actualized the findings of our earlier data set from September 2019. And here is what we found: Sales leadership in times of crisis is not related to whether you are a manager or a salesperson. But crisis Leadership is related to 3 distinguishing Mindset attributes:
Your Mental Fitness: The ability of salespeople to overcome rejection, disappointment and the way to deal with change.
Your attitude to Challenge & Persevere: The attitude ‘Not-to-Take-No-For-An-Answer’ and not to accept the Status Quo but to always ‘Raise the bar’.
Your motivational drive Decisiveness (Power-Red): In times of trouble we need leaders that can act decisive and dare to make decisions.
Conclusions:
We understand that putting more pressure especially during times of crises is working counterproductive. Moreover, you don’t need to be an accredited psychologist to understand that Power, Perseverance and your Mental Fitness are vital mindset attributes. However, did you know that less than 4% of all researched salespeople have sufficient scores on all three?
My advice: There are two key questions you need to ask yourself:
Have I fallen in the pitfall to increase the pressure on my sales team recently?
Who in my team has the right competencies to lead my team out of this crisis?
Care to get an answer to that question? Contact Marque Draijer to get your own assessment!
