How can you define a ‘sales culture' within an organisation?

At the time of writing, the economy in France and many other countries is in a much more difficult situation than has been seen in recent years. Budgets are being tightened, decisions are being taken higher and higher up the hierarchy, selling on value is critical (even if few people know how to do it) etc, etc....

But the reality is that people are still buying. There has never been a better time to sell than now. And why is that? Because the past isn't coming back and we don't know what the future holds. And, once again, people keep buying.

However, I've noticed that few organisations have what we call "a sales culture". It's a rather abstract term, a sales culture. But it's an important dynamic for ensuring the success of an organisation. So here, in my opinion, are the key characteristics of an organisation's sales culture:

ABR - Always be recruiting

At the risk of being blunt, a very large number of salespeople have nothing to do with sales and would be happier and more successful in another job. They got into sales by chance - there was a vacancy and they were looking for work. So few people have the skills needed to succeed in sales, including, for example, the will to sell. All recruitment mistakes can be avoided by various means, which I discuss here. It's important to understand that sales people are unique 'animals'. So recruiting sales people, like recruiting other functions, is a source of many headaches.

Focus on the business - the leading KPIs - not the results - the lagging KPIs.

"Sales is a numbers game". This statement can be debated, but one way or another, numbers are important. However, far too many organisations and sales leaders don't focus on the numbers that would help them most. They focus on results. So-called lagging KPIs. Why not focus - solely - on results. Because sales people don't control the final decision. They control two things. What they do. And how they do it. And then, at the end of the day, the ratios throughout the process. By concentrating on the activity - the what - and the way of doing it - the how - it is possible to improve the ratios. Take the example of a CEO or VP Sales who has noticed a lack of confidence or a lack of new bizz. Focusing on what sales people are going to do to improve their self-confidence (mindset issues) or improve the number of leads by prospecting more, will automatically improve results. Lack of confidence can be improved by internal rehearsal sessions on different phases, on how to try to sell differently, in a more consultative way than by presentations and demos, etc. But a focus on results alone will not help salespeople to resolve the difficulties that are leading to results that are not as good as they could be.

Sales leaders who don't help their sales people. They develop them.

While many salespeople don't know how to sell well, those who do often find themselves in a situation where they're asked to do something they've never done before: manage salespeople. So when the latter are in difficulty with a prospect, rather than guiding them and letting them find the solution themselves, they come to their rescue, jump into the call and try to rectify the situation. Assuming, by the same token, that the sales rep has learned something. Which is obviously not the case. You learn by doing, not by watching. Worse still, they may also have eroded the confidence of the salesperson in question. A company with a sales culture is one that has taught its sales leaders to develop the salespeople in its team. Not to rescue them.

A focus on training and constant development of sales people.

OK, I may be preaching to the choir here but, as mentioned, sales is a counter-intuitive activity. Many of the things that are asked of sales people go against what they've learned all their lives. Not being validated by prospects. Asking for money. Disturbing strangers. Learning new ways of doing things. No longer limiting yourself. And so on. Ongoing training for sales staff is therefore essential. Even if I have observed that it is all too often seen as a 'sticking plaster' that is applied when the figures go wrong.

Developing a culture of accountability

Another term would be "responsabilisation". Empowering individuals. Teaching them not to externalise the difficulties they encounter by pointing the finger at external factors. The cultural aspect is important, because this attitude has to come from the top. I often meet managers who come up with excuses for their sales people: "The figures weren't good last year, but that's because of Covid, the product, etc.". If managers come up with excuses, we shouldn't be surprised if, later on, salespeople come up with a whole range of reasons to justify their lack of performance.

Acknowledging success through compensation

Strange as it may seem, there are still organisations that cap bonuses from sales staff. Sales people are the driving force behind the company's development. There is no logic in capping their bonuses. The best salespeople are often those who are extrinsically motivated, i.e. those who are interested in money. So restricting this motivation makes no sense. I also see, in service companies, compensation structures of €5k a year for salespeople who sell €100k tickets. Incomprehensible.

Understanding and sharing goals

Selling is a difficult business. No's and refusals are part of salespeople's daily lives. It is therefore difficult for some individuals to have to deal with these refusals on an ongoing basis, especially, I have the impression, for the new generations who have been brought up where their emotions were often validated and did not face many blocks from parental authority. To manage this difficulty, it's important that sales people have an understanding of "why" they do what they do. But beware. At the risk of surprising you, dear reader, the why of the organisation and the why of individuals are not the same thing. The reality is that few individuals have clear goals. So it's the company's responsibility to get sales people to define their long-term and short-term goals, and for leadership to define and share theirs - it's unreasonable to ask sales people to define their goals and share them without leadership doing the same.

The points above are a few important ones. How would you define your sales culture?