The Change Paradox of Salespeople

The primary challenge and accountability for today’s sales managers is getting salespeople to accept change quickly and effectively. Top and bottom line results depend on it.

Salespeople thrive on mastery. They attribute mastery to repetition, consistency, and comfort. This is why salespeople resist change. Change represents the fear of losing mastery. Once a salesperson reaches a perceived level of mastery, he/she does not want anyone or anything messing with that success.

Paradoxically, salespeople need stimulation, challenge, and adventure. This demands that organizations provide the necessary opportunities, tools, and situations that foster an environment of challenge and growth.

How bizarre, salespeople want everything the same so they feel confident and in control, and they want to grow from experiencing new things. Many sales managers focus on creating a changeless work environment. They overreact to the objection to change and underreact to the demand for fulfillment and growth. Change cannot be managed effectively from a group approach. It must be managed on an individual, customized basis.

Here are few tips for managing the change paradox:

1. Increase the amount of one-on-one time with salespeople discussing growth and development goals.
2. Encourage salespeople to expand their capabilities in high impact areas that they do well. Stretch the status quo.
3. Challenge salespeople to take an area of acceptable importance and develop it into an area of excellence and expertise.
4. Do not back off giving salespeople new and expanded assignments. Help salespeople understand the short and long term benefits and then stay the course.
5. Recognize salespeople who make progress adding to their work capability. Encourage and praise productive change.

Sales managers must have the courage and confidence to challenge their people to their highest potential, balancing the salesperson’s desire for comfort tempered with natural passion for stimulation.