2 Enlightening (and Frightening) Sales Stats

The Brevet Group compiled some delightful observations in their “21 Mind-Blowing Sales Stats” post. Numbers 14 and 15 are particularly interesting:

“14. 

Only 13% of customers believe a sales person can understand their needs. 

Takeaway: Too many people in sales still don’t get it. It’s not about you. It all starts and stops with the buyer. Good sales professionals are like a doctor diagnosing a patient’s illness. If you can’t uncover your customer’s problems and needs you don’t stand a chance at selling them a solution.”

Hmmm, let’s see. That means only about 1 in 8 salespeople do sufficient discovery, as perceived by their prospects.

Moral for the 87% balance? Do discovery!

“15. 

55% of the people making their living in sales don’t have the right skills to be successful.

Takeaway: This stat is not so much about the lack of sales talent as it is about the inability of most sales organizations to provide sales reps with the specific tools and training they need to be successful. Do you have a defined sales process? How do you share best practices? Do your managers coach sales reps? These are just some of the many things that need to be addressed for this terrifying stat to improve.”

Hmmm, again. If you or your team are part of this 55% and are part of the 87% above (do the math: that’s nearly half of the tech sales population), you:

1. Don’t have the skills needed;
2. Won’t get them unless something changes!

Moral: Learn to do discovery…!