3 Reasons High Performing Salespeople Lose Their Mojo

“When they first started they were hitting all their targets. They were the one to look out for. And now it’s all gone downhill. They’ve lost their mojo.”

Unfortunately, anyone in the sales profession has likely heard – or found themselves expressing – this sentiment at one point or another. Sometimes it’s the new trainee who jumped on board only recently, and we start to validate the situation with calls of ‘beginners luck’. Other times, colleagues watch on, mystified, as a high performing veteran starts to plateau, before the antithetical fairytale sees the superstar plummet from the top of the results ladder to near bottom.

Of course, in the land of professional sales, everyone has their ups and downs. No one has a 100% closing ratio, and everyone suffers from the occasional bad day, bad week or even bad month. But too often we see this fascinating story play out where a consistent high performer simply loses their mojo.

So why does this happen?

In my experience, here are three primary reasons a high performer will lose their mojo:

1.   They start skipping steps

When we first start selling, the processes involved are novel to us. Consequently, we will usually spend a lot of time consciously applying these steps, reviewing our performance afterwards and analysing each interaction with a fine tooth comb. Did I ask good questions? How did I handle that objection? Was I actively listening?

When we have this kind of diligent approach, we will often see great outcomes. Over time, though, the processes become less novel. As a result, we get less conscious about applying them.

This is where the risk of lost-mojo comes in. After a certain point, it’s easy to brush over the very process that made us successful in the first place. Those things we used to make sure we do, we might stop doing properly. We might start to skip steps altogether, or develop habits like rushing through the sales process and not spending much time qualifying. (In my experience, effective qualification is often the first thing to go when salespeople start skipping steps).

The result? Lost mojo.

2.   They lose their why

It has been asserted time and time again that the impact of intrinsic motivation exceeds that of external motivators. In other words, the reason we go into sales on a personal level is usually far more important than the financial and other external rewards promised by an employer.

For some, the motivation comes from creating a secure future for their children; for others it’s the sense of overcoming big challenges; for others still it’s the joy that comes with spending every day helping people. The motivators might be linked to external rewards – for example, 'I want to earn my bonus so that I can help to buy my parents that home by the water they’ve always dreamed of' – but we need to go deeper than simply saying ‘I’m in this for the money’. I am always fascinated in goal-setting sessions to discover the vast diversity in why people are motivated to do what they do.

Regardless of the reasons, a self-awareness of motivating factors is incredibly important. This is what drives us to wake up and put in our very best every day. As we know, the sales profession can be grueling – long hours, tough work, and rejection are just as prevalent for most as the satisfaction and positive energy that our work can bring. If you lose sight of why you’re in this, the dedication to your career may wane. The willingness to continue following processes and keeping positive about customer interactions may slowly start to break down, until you find yourself another professional without their mojo.

3.   They stop learning

There is a single line that tips me off about a salesperson’s future performance. If I hear it, I know that regardless of their current performance, their future results are probably destined for decline.

That line is any variation of the following:

“I don’t need training/to read that book/to shadow that person – I already know everything I need to know about selling.”

As soon as someone decides they know everything, they stop looking to progress and achieve more. Success has no room for complacence, arrogance or an unwillingness to grow. Good salespeople recognise that there is always something they could improve on. Great salespeople will actively seek upskilling opportunities in different areas. Unfortunately, some sales professionals take their success as an indication that there is nothing more for them to learn. Being closed to the possibility of being more successful through professional and personal development is a surefire way to set a path of declining performance. When we stop learning, we stop thriving.

Another great danger with this mindset is that at its most extreme it can take away accountability for our outcomes. If I already know everything, then it mustn’t be me – it must be the market, the customer, or something else that’s driving these poor results.

So how do we avoid these things happening?

Quite simply, all 3 of these mojo-killers can be avoided – and they all start and end with the self. Success requires a consistent dedication to our craft, ongoing reflection, and a positive, open mind:

·     Focus on applying yourself and your processes to every sales interaction;

·     Know what drives you, and keep those motivators front of mind; and

·     Always seek out opportunities to learn.

Salvador Dali famously said ‘Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.’ Our success in sales and life is an ongoing journey that necessitates consistent review, growth and upkeep. If we protect our process, protect our mindset and protect our dedication to development, we will be able to better maintain that sales mojo that we all hold so dearly.

Make Today the Day,

Sonia

This blog post was originally posted on my training website, Statusone.com.au, on Oct 22, 2017. I have since been moving some of my favourite blog posts from there over to here, as this is now my ‘content hub’ and I want you to have access to some of the cool stuff I’ve written about before. You can still check out the Status One site if you’re interested in corporate training if you want. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter below for updates and weekly exclusive content.