The Horror of Hubris
Why don't professionals attend college to become salespeople? If they did, when they started a job with a new company, they like most, wouldn't lack the persuasive skills necessary to be effective. Why? Again, because they have no formal education in the actual job of selling. Therefore, their chances of being productive are exceptionally low. The realities of a career shift to the sales profession will, in most cases, overwhelm a new member of a sales team since they are at best a novice. Therefore, when faced with the actual day-to-day requirements and adversity of their job, it usually leads to an unsatisfactory conclusion.
Additionally, overconfidence kicks in, and they usually underestimate what it is going to take to make it. With this, they are not ready to perform at a high level, and in many cases, there is a form of hubris that often seems to creep into these situations. Yes, new salespeople often act just like new untrained soldiers since both want to appear confident and self-assured, and sales managers start to buy in as they are hopeful for the best outcome and then fall into the trap of overconfidence as well.
To understand how overconfidence, or hubris, comes into play in these situations, consider the following. According to Merriam-Webster, the English language picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the tragic hero’s fall. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of his or her mortality.
Take the old saying into consideration “pride goes before a fall” which is referencing hubris and certainly applies to salespeople and sales managers too. Unfortunately, this unjustified overconfidence hurts future chances of success and is often the cause of failure. There are several lessons we can take away from this catastrophic historical event. It is evident because of overconfidence that individuals can often underestimate what it will take to accomplish necessary tasks and be ill-prepared.
What can you do to get your team better prepared to perform on the sales field of battle and reduce your sales personnel turnover rate? First and foremost, do not fall into the trap of being overconfident, be realistic about new sales recruits’ skills and limited experience, and realize that they will need much more education. They must first embrace the fundamentals of persuasion. This will ensure your team understands the foundation of selling and the science of human behavior.
This type of education takes scheduled instruction over weeks, months, and ongoing reinforcement. By taking these steps, you can prepare your sales team adequately to have sufficient readiness to perform and survive in the field of sales. If you focus your people on sales fundamentals, you can substantially reduce the effects of overconfidence, and lower turnover in your business. Schedule a call or message me and we can discuss "The Art of Persuasion" in more detail. Thanks for reading
The Sales Professor