We work with a lot of sales managers and one of the habits many of them have developed is to “crack the whip” when a salesperson is not performing to expectations. Now, each situation is different, but assuming the salesperson is high in Drive to begin with and is diligently making their calls, putting even more pressure on can be exactly the wrong prescription for helping them and can often make things worse rather than better.

In today's episode, Dr. Croner discusses how you, as a manager, can use reverse psychology to help your sales team perform better.

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At SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.

If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request  

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[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.

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[00:30]  Chris Croner: Dr Chris Croner here. We work with a lot of sales managers and one of the habits many of them have developed is to "crack the whip" when a salesperson hits a cold streak or is not performing to expectations.

[00:41]  Now, each situation is different. But assuming the salesperson is high in Drive to begin with and is diligently making his calls, putting even more pressure on can be exactly the wrong prescription for helping him, and can often make things worse rather than better.

[01:00]  Athletic coaches understand this dynamic and they certainly don't bear down on athletes who are in a slump with more pressure. They generally try to reduce the pressure because that's the best way to get their athletes to relax their minds and their bodies, so they can return to peak performance. They remind the athletes that they are winners, that have a track record of success. And that everybody can get into a slump occasionally. 

[01:30]  The same goes for salespeople. The last thing they need to worry about when they're already under pressure in the market, and probably at home, is their manager breathing down their necks. A better approach can be to let them know how much you appreciate their skills and that you've got their back until things pick up.

[01:50]  Also, if there's any way you can help them while they're struggling, maybe a fresh lead or working with them on a proposal, helping people when they most need, it generates tremendous loyalty. They will literally never forget it.

[02:07]  We all love "Atta Boys" when we're doing well, but a pat on the back or a shoulder to lean on when times are tough is even more powerful. We've all heard stories from successful people who recall someone who believed in me and that is managing at the highest level.

[02:28]  I look forward to seeing you next time. 

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[02:32]  Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the Sales Psyched Podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five-star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word.

[02:49]  Until next time, take care!