This week I coached a highly paid consultant, who has a unique, valuable set of skills. He wanted to be trained on how to make more appointments with senior people at blue-chip companies. I listened intently as he shared stories of not getting through and not getting enough time once he did get through and how his appointment conversion rates were much lower than he expected. given his skill set and ability to add value. 

 

He felt he wasn’t able to hold the attention of the prospect and sensed them losing interest. He admitted, “At times, I can tell they just want to get off the phone as soon as possible’. 

 

He averages 2 appointment per week and spends on average 8 hours per week on the phone making calls after warming his prospects up with a direct message on LinkedIn 

Recent research by Salesforce and Richardson found that on average, only 34% of sales time is spent in front of customers and only 17% of people get a second meeting with an executive. Further research has recently found that only 9% of buyers get value from meeting with sales people. 

 

So, why are sales people struggling to get appointments and to have value based sales conversations? 

 

For me, it’s simple. It’s because sales people haven’t done the hard work of creating a Value Proposition that resonates with their buyer personas. 

On a recent trip to Europe I found myself training an audience of 36 software sales professionals. “Raise your hand if you didn’t hit your target last year?” I asked. Over twenty hands were raised. “Now, raise your hand if over the last three years you have failed at least once to hit your annual target.” Over 30 hands were raised. I then proceeded to select a few delegates at random; “Tell me in one sentence, why didn’t you hit your target?” One person replied, “Too many operational problems.” Another lamented, “Our customers lost confidence in the service.” A third piped up, “Not enough support internally!” And so it went on, excuse after excuse: 

Collaboration is probably the word that buzzes around the businesses that I work with the most, but it’s also the thing that is most conspicuous by its absence. It’s presence is deeply missed and even craved by those who lack it. 

At times it will appear in all of its glory to create new ways of being and new opportunities, developing individuals and signalling transformation. Sadly, unless a culture of collaboration is embedded, it is a fleeting moment of magic.