Sales Management For Dummies

Chapter 19

Ten Signs of a Struggling Salesperson

In This Chapter

Recognizing the warning signs of burnout

Restoring a struggling team member’s confidence

The job of a professional salesperson can be extremely stressful, especially for those who work on straight commission. As a sales manager, you deal with a variety of situations involving salespeople who struggle, fail to make quota, and simply fall into a slump. Only a very few salespeople go through an entire career without experiencing a slump at least once. It’s part of the job; it happens. But, the mental aspect of it can be very taxing for even the strongest salesperson.

Anyone who has been in sales for more than a few months has had the thought — however fleeting — that he’ll never sell anything again. And then the panic sets in. How a salesperson responds to self-doubt varies, but you’ll do well to watch for the warning signs of someone struggling with confidence issues so that you can help him pull out of his nosedive.

As a professional sales manager, you have to be a bit of counselor at times. Your people look to you for guidance in more than just the standard sales process sense. Don’t forget that they’re people first with real needs, real wants, and real issues. Pay attention and you’ll build a strong team that sees ...