Play To Win At YOUR Level

So you say you're not afraid to succeed? Really?"That's preposterous!" you say. "We are keeping up with the competition and we're not losing money. Our inventory is at a manageable level and customers aren't complaining TOO much. We expect strong sales growth, and if we don't have the right salespeople today to deliver it, we will find those that will."That's great, but you didn't answer the question. In fact, the answers are more negative than positive.Of course no company will admit that they are afraid of success, at least not at the executive level. Success does not have to mean growth, as long as your goal is not to grow. There are companies designed that way, and they rightfully consider themselves as being successful. Staying true to themselves, these companies move along very nicely. Though the market has changed, there is always going to be a customer base for these companies. These companies play to win at their level, because their definition of winning is clearly communicated to the employee base and everyone is on board with the plan. Conservative inside and out, "station to station baseball", if you will. It works.The other end of the spectrum sees companies with progressive leadership, open to new ideas to meet and exceed their customers' REAL needs. Sales expectations are high, but the resources and inventory are in place to support the effort. These companies play to win at their level. They swing for home runs and know that the occasional strike out will happen. At the end of the day, though, these companies succeed because they have adjusted to the market. Swings and misses are quickly forgotten when a solid connection is made. There was a baseball commercial a few years ago - "Chicks dig the long ball." Progressive leadership does as well. It works.


Where companies get in trouble, though, is when they are in "No Man's Land" without realizing it. Nobody wants to be here. This is where companies who suffer from split personalities live - conservative in the Board Room with unrealistic sales expectations, for example. Imagine the singles hitter swinging for the fences every time. He's changed his identity without being prepared. He thinks he can hit home runs but refuses to admit that he lacks the power. What happens next? He's out of the league because this formula doesn't work.This happens in business too. If YOUR Company is of a conservative nature, that needs to be communicated to everyone. Sales expectations should reflect that as well. Just because most sales teams are remote from headquarters does not mean that they aren't aware of the internal mindset. To think otherwise is insulting. To dream up plans for growth without the internal commitment to support it is to be afraid of success. The effort is futile. Worse, it hurts brands.Engage YOUR salespeople on what is important to their customers, because THEIR customers are YOUR customers. As obvious as that thought should be, some companies would rather test their salesforce on meaningless trivia instead of wanting to REALLY understand what the market is saying. This doesn't stop with the sales team, it affects all departments. It's just that the sales division is the easiest target.If YOUR Company is not enjoying the sales success that you think it should, perhaps your corporate objectives are not being clearly communicated to the entire organization. Contact Brand Performance today to learn how we can help with coaching on various levels, from executive, to management, to sales.