I was talking with some sales colleagues recently, and I shared an observation from my career, not only as CEO but also from when I started at Service Express as the first sales manager. I’ve found that the longer the story or explanation about a deal we’re working on, the farther we are from the results. They laughed because they knew exactly what I meant. When you’re getting results, you’re quick and to the point. You explain what you’re doing and keep moving forward.
When you’re not getting results, whether it’s a sales deal or something else, there’s a long story. You ask about progress, look at the KPIs, and before you get the number, you get a lengthy explanation. That’s a sign we’re not hitting our numbers or targets.
Of course, you want to listen and understand the reasons so you can help solve the problem. But you also need your BS detector to spot when things are being overly complicated. I remember telling a sales rep years ago that it’s not that complicated at Service Express. We have a service contract: you list the hardware, list the price and sign the agreement. Not everything has to be a long, complicated deal.
My best salespeople do the work, understand the needs, solve the problems, present the proposal and value proposition, and get the deal closed. They do this repeatedly. Lower performers, on the other hand, have a longer story about why everything is so complicated.
So remember, when you’re explaining something or looking at results, do a gut check. The longer the story, the farther you are from the results.
