Often a sales rep will compare themselves to the ranking of the sales board. Maybe this particular month the entire team is down by 20 percent. Therefore, each sales rep is down from their normal performance numbers. Often when talking to a sales rep they will respond, I am doing OK compared to everyone else. I have to point out though, that they should always measure their performance to their abilities — not to others’ numbers. If you are a person that normally hits your numbers each month, you should always be working on getting better each month with personal performance. Paying close attention to others’ production takes your eye off of YOUR best production.
Sales professionals won’t make this mistake. The best of the best seldom have down or bad months. One reason why — they always measure their success on their expected efforts, not on real or current numbers. Great sales reps are never satisfied with last month or the year before — they are always striving to get better and out perform themselves.
Chuck Hall is the executive director at Big Vanilla Athletic Clubs.
