We have some unwritten laws of behaviour in society, for example, the body language of how to tell whether someone is interested in our culture. This is because people tend not to tell 100% the truth, not because they are lying, it’s just because no one ever gets rewarded for delivering bad news. There are also laws in sales, the problem is no one ever tells you about them. As sales persons we are used to establishing best practices, our own rules or other peoples that fits into what you are selling and the way you sell. There are principles and habits which are simple ways to confine the game we are playing.

When you buy a new board game - one you have never played before - the first thing you do is read the instructions and learn the rules. What are the laws of how to move? Who goes when? Who gets skipped? What are the definition of winning? etc., etc. And in sales these are all critical elements. For some reason in sales, no one really talks about them or shares them because they are no incentives to do so. Most sales persons are lone wolfs and see everybody as a competitor instead of a collaborator.

We learn the traffic rules whilst learning to drive, but in reality, we learn the rules once we have passed our driving test. The speed limits, the rules of when to stop, when to slow down, when to pull over, which lane to drive in, etc., etc. Some of them are written down and others are not. Similarly, in sales the rules and laws also needs to be learned because this is the way the game is played. I think it will save us so much time if we document our sales rules and occasionally review them, as we cannot remember all of them. We have to have a general rule of behaviour, patterns and habits to become successful. Contact me via e-mail for an evaluation of your procedures or sales training opportunities.