A sales person will drive an extra mile, make the extra cold call, spend longer on that RFP, do a bit more research on her client, read the client’s annual report before walking into the conference, work as many hours or persistent days just to get the job done. The best salespeople, like the best athletes, move beyond required action and into the exceptional, whether going through sales training, putting added information in the database, or making more sales calls—they take the one extra step others ignore, forget, or neglect. The great sales person knows that in the sales race, there is only first place or nothing; no medals are awarded for second best sales person—only unemployment checks.
営業担当（セールスパーソン）は常に、コールドコールを一本多くかけたり、提案依頼書に少しだけ多く時間をかけたり、クライアントの調査にもう一歩踏み込んだり、商談の前にクライアント企業の年度報告書を読み込んだり、仕事を終わらせるために残業や休日出勤をしたりの毎日です。一方で最高の営業担当（ベストセールスパーソン）は、プロアスリートのように、「求められているよりも一歩踏み込んで」結果を出します。これはセールストレーニングへの出席、データベースに情報の追加更新、セールスコールを多くかけるといった、誰もがわかっていながら無視したり、忘れていたり、できないと諦めていることです。ベストセールスパーソンは常に、営業成績のレースには一番しか存在しないと言うことを熟知しています。営業成績二番目以降にはメダルもトロフィーもありません。ただ「一番ではない」という結果だけが存在するのです。
Q. In the corporate world who has the potential to make the most money?
A. Sales people.
If you are in sales, and everyone is in sales, then you need to harness your discipline to become the best. Here are 7 things, if done with discipline, will immediately improve your performance.
1. EXERCISE
2. STUDY
3. TAKE ACTION
4. TIME MANAGEMENT
5. MAKE 10 CALLS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
6. FIND 3 THINGS A DAY FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
7. CREATE MESSAGES
If Topgrading can help companies like GE and Honeywell be the best, then it would make sense to model and implement into your organization.
Topgrading, a recruiting methodology developed by Brad and Geoff Smart in the U.S., has found great success with many blue chip companies for the past 30 years. The process systematizes how to hire and retain employees that are “A Players,” rather than accepting B and C Players, which are often classed as mishires and then later, after spending much energy, time, and money, are fired. When you want to hire sales professionals, Topgrading really brings the best sales professionals to the forefront.
