My daughter is getting ready to take her driving test, so she soon will be joining the millions of other Americans on the Boston metro area roads and highways. As part of her preparation, she has been enrolled in a driver's education class which requires that parents attend an orientation class. As they discussed the most common dangers and problems which new drivers experience, I couldn't help but see the similarity to sales:

• Inexperience - Maybe you have new reps or maybe you have reps with 30 years of "experience". Unfortunately, Kurlan and Associates, Inc.'s analysis of sales organizations indicates that there isn't as much of a difference as many people think! Most veterans still struggle to sell consultatively. They might have 30 years of experience taking orders or presenting, but in reality, it is often one years' worth of experience repeated 30 times.
• Distractions - Cell phones, cigarettes, music and food all cause accidents on the roads. What distractions are causing your sales team to take their eye off the ball? Is their focus on the right things every day?
• Speed - Most reps are moving too quickly when it comes to the most important part of the sales cycle - qualification. They slow down to present and share a solution, but they usually rush through the discovery process and end up offering a "solution" that is loosely based on customer needs, but not their individual compelling reasons.
• Fatigue - Many drivers underestimate the power of fatigue, but the data says "the effects of driving while tired are similar to the effects of drinking and driving." When reps get tired, de-motivated or worn out, they also make mistakes and often crash. The impact of rejection, resistance and stress can create sales fatigue in even the strongest of reps.

So, the question you have to ask as a sales person is this: How have I been affected by any of these problems and what can I do to get back on track? As a sales leader, you might be wondering how capable your sales team is and how much impact some of these factors is having on them individually.

We help companies get some of these answers when we evaluate a sales force and the outcomes are always interesting. Usually, the executive team with whom we share these findings are surpised and amazed at how many "risks" their sales people are taking as they manage their pipeline.