by: Dave Mantel, Sales Trainer

I love statistics based on data. I also love sales. That means, for me, statistics about sales are the best! Through many years of using Objective Management Group’s (OMG) award-winning sales assessments, I have access to statistical data that includes well over 2 million salespeople. What separates great sellers – the top 6% – from everyone else is of particular interest and of great value.

Let’s get to it with a couple of findings that are such difference-makers to sales success that they just jump off the stat sheet. If you want to improve your selling results or if you want to improve the results of your team, Reaching Decision-Makers and Creating Urgency for them to act are two key sales competencies that must be areas of focus.

OMG Statistics show that salespeople who reach decision-makers and can create urgency are 341% more effective than salespeople who do not. In most cases if a salesperson does these two things consistently, they will out-perform most other sellers. Now, let’s not confuse with client service and account management, especially for those in the printing and imaging industry because these things are very important. However, if we’re talking about pure sales results, sellers with a laser focus on reaching the right people, having the right kind of conversations with them, and guiding decision-makers to the right decision for themselves (urgency) will always outperform those sellers who can not or will not.

The elements that comprise the Reaching Decision-Makers Competency are:

  • The seller is committed to calling on decision-makers
  • The seller believes speaking with decision-makers is a requirement
  • Reaching decision-makers is a milestone in the sales process
  • The seller does not have an innate need to be liked
  • The seller is comfortable with the ideal decision-maker
  • The seller does not begin the sales process with buyers or the procurement department
  • The seller will use selling skills to reach decision-makers

From whatever level in your organization you read this, does this describe your situation? If not, how important is it to make these two changes? If it’s very important, I’m not too hard to find and I’d be delighted to have a conversation.

Dave Mantel
www.acmesalesdev.com