It may be those Old beliefs and Personal Insecurities (aka: conceptual barriers)?

Conceptual barriers are barriers that are right behind eyes, DEEP within brain. "Beliefs" which were planted at a very young age and re-enforced over a long period of time - which is why they are so hard to "dislodge".

Use following exercise to help your team members identify their limiting beliefs and feelings. Then explain how those beliefs and feelings directly impact (positively and negatively) their bottom-line results. Before we proceed, keep following quote in mind - it's a powerful reminder of why it is so important to complete sales management activities.

"Successful people DO, what unsuccessful people are not willing to do." - Unknown

Here are Four Steps to Overcome Conceptual Barriers:

Step One - Uncover Negative Self-Talk

Ask employee to tell you what he or she "least" enjoys about each step of sales management process. Follow up by asking how that particular aspect of process makes employee feel. For example: - Prospecting/Cold Calling - (feels like I am intruding) - Asking for Business - (feels like I am being pushy) - Cross-Selling/Up-Selling - (feels like I am taking advantage) - Assumptive Closing - (feels like I am being presumptuous)

Step Two - Identify Beliefs that are root source of negative feelings toward sales management practices. Go back to our prior examples of Old Beliefs that get in way of our progress in sales management process: - Don't talk to strangers - It is impolite to talk about money - Never interrupt important people - Wait to be asked

Help employee understand and be aware of why it is that they may feel way they do.

Employees should understand that they feel way they do for a reason. Once they understand this it can be much easier for them to make a decision to overcome their old belief(s).

Step Three - Turn Limiting Beliefs into Unlimited Possibility!

Forget The "Sandwich" Technique by Alan Fairweather

(c) Alan Fairweather - All Rights reserved http://www.howtogetmoresales.com/ ==========================================================

Forget The "Sandwich" Technique

Do you remember being told to use "sandwich" technique when you needed to reprimand someone? Let me give you an example: "Fred, I'm really pleased with how you've been progressing since you joined us and you're doing a great job. However you're not getting your reports in on time and we're missing deadlines. I'd like you to tighten up a bit on this. Anyway,thanks for all you've done so far and keep up good work."

Have you ever said something along these lines? You probably needed Fred to sort out his reporting but you didn't want to upset or demoralise him. The only problem is that Fred may not get message. The importance of it may be seriously diluted. He may hear it as, "Fred, you're doing a brilliant job, you just need to sort out reporting bit but it's not really that important." What happens then is, Fred continues to fail with his reports.

The "sandwich" technique doesn't work, it lets you off hook and it's mealy mouthed. Be direct with your people and they'll respect you more for it. You are also much more likely to get a change in behaviour. If you are unhappy with some aspect of an employee's performance then you need to tell them so. The skill is in doing it in a way that's effective and doesn't lower morale of individual.

Firstly, it's not acceptable to speak to your people just when you're unhappy about something. Tell them good news as well. As Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson say in their book The One Minute Manager - "Catch people doing something right" and tell them about it.

Some managers and employers still have this daft notion that if people are doing things right then that's what they're paid for and they don't need complimented. Ask almost any employee in Industries throughout world and they'll tell you that they don't feel appreciated by their manager.