6 ways to escape “the job from hell”
Posted by Geoff Alexander on Mon, Mar 07, 2011 @ 10:02 AM
Several times over the past few months, my blog readers have contacted me because they have untenable job situations. It usually arises from poor management practices, and we’ve heard it all: management stealing their commissions, gossipy co-workers and management, products that are buggy, unattainable KPIs (key performance indicators).
So why don’t they leave? Sometimes it’s a tough job market in their geographical localities, but much of the time, it comes down to underperforming. Bottom line: they don’t have a favorable track record for the job market. I got a call last week from Phil, fundamentally a pretty good rep, who wanted my assistance in finding a new company. I asked him how his sales numbers stacked up with others on his team, and they’re low. I told him I could eventually probably be of assistance, but only when he got his sales numbers so high that he was a top performer at this company. My clients only want top performers. So I gave him some ideas on how he could do this in a short time. These are some of the things I discuss in my inside sales courses, too. If you’re in Phil’s situation, take a look:
1) Stop complaining about things you can’t change. Most managers are pretty good about situations in which you come to them with solutions, not problems. But some aren’t. You may not be able to change a gossipy work environment. But you can avoid doing it yourself, ignore all the junk talk, and go about your business. And your business is becoming the top sales rep.
2) Come into work an hour early, if you can get more calls in. You can focus on your territory in relative peace, and more calls will eventually equal more sales.
3) Establish 8 am to noon as your “don’t bother me, I’m making calls” time. Tell your family and friends to avoid calling at these times, too. This not only helps you to make your KPIs early in the day, but also sets your afternoon up, as well. It’s easy to get distracted by nonsense when you’re on a roll, so try to keep interruptions only to management interactions, and stuff that directly affects your sales numbers.
4) Work through lunch. Instead of going out, microwave a quick meal, eat it in 5 or ten minutes, then get back to work. You’ve just acquired nearly an hour of business time.
5) When you talk with prospects, focus on how your solution can either make them money, or stop them from losing money. Become a consultant for their successes, not a salesperson trying to push a product. Your sales will improve when you focus on what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.
6) Take an hour of “home time” to prepare for your next work day. At night, I still do a lot of research on people I’ll be calling the next day. I check their websites, their LinkedIn profiles, takes notes, put them in my CRM, then schedule my next day’s calls. This practice will allow you to hit the ground running when you get into work the next day.
You can’t successfully escape an unfavorable job situation by being a low performer. But if you can string together six months of being the top performer in your office, you’ll have the “juice” to move onward, and the numbers and skillset that will impress your next prospective employer. To be the top performer, you’ve got to take steps that others in your office won’t take. Take those 6 steps I’ve outlined, add them to your Best Practices Playbook, become the top rep in your company, then leverage your new success into a position that fits you better.