Fifty to One

When you are a complete rookie in sales, everything you learn instantly makes an improvement of 50% or more.

When you have some experience you will still find areas where you can improve with chins as big as 10%.

When are experienced, you will need to look into the 1%’s to make the constant improvements.

But here’s the paradox of all this…

Rookies are keen to learn and completely open to new ways of doing things. It’s one of the advantages of knowing nothing.
The experienced salesperson has built an ego that says “I know this game” and can quickly fall into the trap of not looking for the little 1%’s that can increase their income.

The second paradox is this…

The little 1%’s (once experienced and doing all the basics right) is the area that explodes your income levels. Sometimes as much as doubling or tripling ones income.

But admitting the 1%’s is hard. A manager can point out the obvious 1% but the experienced salesperson in more inclined to resist the advice. As an outsider observer you probably think why would they resist if it can improve their income by so much.

The fact is, that to change something when you are reasonably successful means you run the risk of changing what got you to your current level of results. It’s the classic comfort zone grabbing hold.

The rookie doesn’t wrestle with any feedback because they have nothing to lose. The risk nothing when new. The only way is up.

If you are an experienced salesperson looking to increase you income levels, look for the 1%’s. Accept the fact you are not as perfect as you think you are. Most of the things you will find when experienced are NOT skills related as you will discover. They are character flaws. And that’s why they are sometimes hard to swallow. But if you can swallow the advice, accept the flaws and make the changes, you sales life will never be the same again.