The Methodical Magic of Sales 

By Todd Youngblood

Every sales rep will attest to the "magic" of sales. That feeling of exhilaration when the prospect says, "Yes", and completes the transformation to customer can only come as a result of our own unique, in-born talent. Achieving that feeling is out of reach for the mere mortals. Sure the product training was needed, and OK, those couple of books had a few worthwhile tips, but it was pure wizardry, my personal brand of magic, that made it all happen. Without that, you just cannot cut it in sales. Right?

Well, maybe... A few successful silver-tongued-devil types will probably be with us forever. In fact, there is absolutely no doubt that inspiration, creativity and
individual uniqueness are all essential components of the successful, professional sales rep. For most of us, however, those things alone will not generate the kind of commission checks we "deserve". 

The difference maker is the methodical part of Methodical Magic.

Becoming a methodical magician (aka sales rep of the year candidate) is simple. Remaining one requires a great deal of perseverance. The first step is a painfully
honest assessment of the quality of your current personal sales process. No roadmap to stardom just yet. If you don't know where you are a map won't help! So where are you, Novice, Journeyman, Master, Methomagician or a Genius?

At the Novice level, sales occur as a result of either luck or heroic individual effort. There is no real sales "process" per se. The novice has some idea about desired results and may have seen others execute some of the requisite tasks for achieving goals. To progress to the next level, examination of what has worked for us and for others is the key ingredient.

The Journeyman rep should strive to be a copycat. Did some technique work before? If so, do it again. In fact, seek out tactic after tactic and repeat, repeat,
repeat. What works for you? What works for your peers? What works for the old pros? What works for the boss? Try it and try it again (and again and again).
Focus on getting better, and remember that (perfect) practice makes perfect. Also, and this is critical, start naming and writing down the things that click and
consistently generate orders.

The Master rep has embraced " holistic formality". He or she is one who has taken the time to examine sales success one step at a time and to document each of those steps - in the optimum sequence - in significant detail. Those written down steps get followed for every sales opportunity. There's also a wariness of creeping bureaucracy. Blindly following the rulebook of the past is too dangerous. It doesn't happen very often, but the master knows when it's time to break the rules. That's also when the master updates the rulebook. Next, a master is one who shares his or her wisdom. There is no better way to learn anything than to shoulder the responsibility of teaching others. Finally, a master enters the realm of "external awareness". He or she has a sense of factors that affect sales, but are not easily controlled. (Actions of competitors, customers and partners are examples of arbitrary events that could have enormous impact.)

The Methomagician measures everything. As a master, it was only necessary to document and update the sales process in meticulous detail. This stage is tougher
because now, metrics rule. Metrics for everything. Metrics for each sales process, sub-process and task are defined and tracked. Remedial actions are triggered and undertaken when the numbers are out of acceptable ranges. Feedback loops are in place and therefore constant tuning of both the sales process and the metrics occurs. And those external factors? The methomagician anticipates them and takes action to influence their nature, timing and impact and, sometimes, even prevents them.

I am not a Genius. I have, however, seen a few in action. They've got a functioning process that somehow executes, develops, measures and tunes the sales process itself - automatically. They no longer need to spend their time acting on or anticipating external influences. They are the external influences. They also make a ton of money. When I get to this stage myself, I'll pass on some more of the details!

So where do you fit? Be honest with yourself! Demonstrating a methomagician-like behavior or two doesn't make you one. It might only mean that you're a master working on the next level or a journeyman with great potential or a determined, lucky novice. My research shows that 40% of us live in the Novice category, 40% Journeyman, 15% Master, 4% Methomagician and 1% Genius.

On the one hand, those statistics are a bit depressing. On the other hand, they point to a tremendous opportunity. Documenting and maintaining the details of your personal sales process will move you into the top 20%. Start writing!

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