Blog
Those of you that have been on our sales training courses will remember our analogy likening two distinct types of sales people to two very different animals – the lion and the spaniel. It struck us that there is somewhat of a likeness to be drawn between the selling styles of the lion and the spaniel and what happens to us in the run up to Christmas.
So…as a seasonal twist on a blog, we thought we’d tell a festive little tale about what happens when the lion and the spaniel go Christmas shopping!
As far as Christmas shopping goes, it would be fair to say that there are distinct camps. There are the ‘plan ahead shoppers’ and then there are the ‘Christmas Eve brigade’ (or, as we like to refer to them, the lions and the spaniels!)
First of all, there are the lions among us who like to have everything prepared weeks in advance. Lions will smugly smile when you ask them whether they’ve finished their Christmas shopping yet – of course they have – they did it weeks ago. In fact, they’re such organised creatures that they probably did it online when there were discounts earlier in the winter, or perhaps even in the sales last January! In the run up to Christmas, therefore, the lions can just sit back and relax – safe in the comfort that everything is bought, wrapped and under the tree ready for the big day.
Conversely, there are the spaniels…so enthusiastic in the run up to Christmas are they; meeting people, attending Christmas do’s and generally getting involved in the festivities that they simply forget to do any shopping. The week before Christmas it will suddenly dawn on them. ‘Oh my goodness, it’s Christmas next week and I haven’t bought any presents’; they realise in dismay. (It’s the same date every year, don’t you know.) They’ll proceed to rush around a couple of days before the Big Day, trying to get hold of gifts for their loved ones. They might get the odd stroke of luck and find a great gift at a bargain price but usually, quite a lot has already sold out and they’ll probably find themselves having to settle for gifts that are less than ideal. But they’ll be able to charm themselves out of it, we’re sure.
So what is the morale of this little tale of ours? There is one, of course and it isn’t just about getting the right gifts that won’t leave you in the ‘dog house’. No.
Rather, as the New Year fast approaches, we ask – isn’t it time to think about the lions and the spaniels on your sales team? How would you like your team to approach sales targets next year? Running around raggedly, grabbing at opportunities as they come along but not really having a strategic plan? Or perhaps an altogether more measured approach might be more favourable – planning ahead with a strong strategy and focus to not only reach but surpass sales targets.
So don’t be like the spaniel this year –kick off the New Year with a strong sales plan or better still, consider drafting in some support with sales training from your favourite enthusiastic animals – none other than Rob and Dave!
We’re running a number of ‘Kick off Meetings’ for customers in January and we are also looking to talk to sales managers about putting their 2015 training schedules in place. So if you want to ‘be more lion’, give us a shout and we’d be happy to discuss your requirements.
Best wishes for a fantastic Christmas and here’s to a 2015 that’s a roaring success!