Some debates will never end.
Which came first? a) chicken b) egg
Which is the correct pronunciation? a) “pe-cahn” b) “pe-can”?
Which political party causes gridlock? a) democrats b) republicans?
Which best described Miller Lite Beer when it was introduced? a) tastes great b) less filling
(some of you will be too young to remember that one)[lightbox link=”https://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/taste-great.jpg” thumb=”https://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/taste-great.jpg” width=”300″ align=”right” title=”taste great” frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=””]
I actually do know the correct answer to each of the questions above.
There is a similar debate that you will often hear in creating successful sale people. Is the process more important? Or is the result more important? And you can easily tell the opinion of the sales leader or company by the way in which they manage their sales teams.
Companies and sales leaders who think that results are the most important tend to be more flexible on methodologies and strategies as long as the final results meet or exceed their expectations. While companies and sales leaders who think that “process is king” will be more firm about requiring adherence to a specific system and will often be seen as “micro-managing” their people.
It is not all that important as to which side you may believe to be correct. What is important is that you know and understand the environment you are in – and that you have the ability to navigate successfully through your world.
To that end, I will give you a couple of thoughts.
Results Are Required:
The outcome of your work must be that you make sales. You must make enough sales that you can generate the income you need to provide for your personal goals. You must also meet or exceed the targets set by your sales leadership team or your company. That being said, if your environment is a “results only” setting, you absolutely MUST develop, borrow or buy a sales process that works for you. And then you must micro-manage yourself to make sure that you follow that system.
Process is Required:
There is no doubt that having a sales process that monitors activities and skill sets, and then requires minimum activity standards, will increase sales when utilized properly. If you are in an environment where there is a strict requirement to follow a process – then follow the process. Don’t spend time “bucking” the system. Instead, become the best at the process and give it the opportunity to work. However, remember that results must come from the process – or the process must be tweaked.
My personal leadership style is more results oriented. I see it similar to inputting an address into a GPS system. The destination is the goal and the requirement. The turn by turn directions are great suggestions and should be followed. But when unexpected detours happen, you may have to adjust the route a bit.
By the way… a,a,a,a
QUESTION: Are you more results oriented, or process oriented?
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