Hard Work Alone Won't Cut It: In Sales, Results Matter, Not Effort!
Introduction A salesperson who doesn't focus on performance isn't a good one. It's simple: companies need to survive first.
Sales is a career aimed at achieving results What is execution? The ability to deliver results is execution. The thinking direction and management style of excellent managers can be summed up in a simple philosophy: focus on results. Their primary, sometimes only, interest is results. For these managers who relentlessly pursue results, everything else is secondary and doesn't truly interest them.
In fact, their pursuit of results can sometimes border on the pathological, even becoming hard to tolerate. Although such managers may not be likable, they always win favor with shareholders through excellent performance. Subordinates who once disliked them come to realize that following such a leader, though sometimes tough, ultimately brings both financial rewards and personal growth. Gradually, these annoying individuals become likable.
What is sales? Essentially, sales is a profession aimed at achieving results, with the evaluation standard being the degree of completion of goals and tasks. When a boss or leader assigns you a task, you must find ways to lead your team to complete it, deliver results, satisfy shareholders, and reassure leadership; otherwise, your position is at risk.
At the competition site of CCTV's "Win in China":
Judge Shi Yuzhu asked: "If you were the boss and had a project implemented by two teams, at year-end, the first team completed the task and received the agreed high bonus, while the other team didn't complete the task but worked very hard, everyone was dedicated and did their best, just didn't finish. Would you reward this team?"
One contestant said: "Because they worked so hard, I'd encourage their diligence and reward them 20% of the bonus." Another said: "I'd check if there was a prior agreement on rewards for incomplete projects; if not, I wouldn't give it." A third said: "I'd look at the specific reasons for failure before deciding."
Shi Yuzhu said: "I wouldn't give it, but I'd treat them to a meal on the day bonuses are distributed. Results contribute to the company; effort contributes zero. I only reward results, not effort."
Hard work is not a result Result-oriented thinking sometimes challenges our conscience, and some managers may feel sympathy. Managers often hear salespeople say: "I may not have results, but I've put in effort; if not effort, then endurance! Given my years of hard work, I deserve at least a meal!" The market doesn't grant favors based on individual or company effort or investment; the market only believes in results that meet customer needs and demands.
"I come to work on time, leave on time, never late or early, so at month-end, I should get my salary." This sounds reasonable. But the question is: At month-end, if no one buys the company's products and there's no revenue, what will the company and boss use to pay salaries?
Some also think that as long as they serve the company long enough, they'll get annual raises. But those who claim to have served 10 or 20 years are often just repeating their first year's experience ten, twenty, or a hundred times. Age doesn't necessarily mean wisdom, seniority doesn't necessarily mean contribution, and certainly doesn't guarantee high pay.
In fact, no matter how hard you work, if all employees produce products through early mornings and late nights, and then you take them to market saying, "These products were made with our sweat and tears. Although they lack some features and quality isn't perfect, since we made them, you should buy them," does that make sense? If you said that, people would think you're from another planet.
"Don't tell me about the pain of childbirth; show me the baby" Zhao Wei was a regional manager at a waterproofing materials company. After the Spring Festival, he was depressed because his monthly sales target had jumped from 1.1 million to 2 million, nearly doubling. To make matters worse, real estate starts were down this year, and from January to May, he only achieved 7.07 million in sales. That meant in June, he needed to achieve 4.93 million in sales to complete the first half's target; otherwise, he'd be eliminated in the semi-annual review. This 4.93 million was more than double the monthly target and nearly five times the same month last year. It seemed elimination was inevitable.
At the end of May, I was invited to this company for the second phase of a management action learning course. Zhao Wei raised his issue, saying, "I'll treat a dead horse as a live one," indicating he had given up and prepared for the worst. After he posed his question, I asked the trainees: "What's the difference between completing 4.93 million in a month versus 2 million?" Many were puzzled, and after a long silence, someone answered: "You can't use the same methods and approaches."
"Right!" I immediately prompted: "Extraordinary goals require extraordinary measures to accomplish extraordinary tasks! Zhao Wei, you must adopt new methods and channels to revive the dead horse. Everyone, brainstorm to help Zhao Wei escape!" Through brainstorming, the conclusion was: Zhao Wei had to abandon passively relying on distributors and take proactive action to survive.
As it turned out, in June, Zhao Wei used a new patented product as a breakthrough and secured a direct supply project worth 5.3 million from a corporate group. Near month-end, he signed contracts with three real estate companies for initial supplies totaling 2.8 million. In other words, Zhao Wei achieved monthly contract sales of 8.1 million, setting a company record for regional monthly sales. At the semi-annual business review, Zhao Wei became the national sales champion. In his speech, he concluded: "Goals are meant to be surpassed; plans are meant to be broken!"
An American entrepreneur once said: "Don't tell me about the pain of childbirth; show me the baby." A company exists to maximize profits, reward shareholders, benefit society, and develop employees. Investing the same resources to generate maximum value is the highest operational realm. Value must be created by employees' efforts, and employees must prove their worth through performance. Companies should help employees realize their value and enhance their ability to create results, not sympathize with their fruitless hard work.
Results are an internal exchange Doing work means achieving results. More work, more reward; less work, less reward; no work, no reward—everyone understands these principles. Labor and work are just processes; the ultimate goal is the outcome.
As the saying goes: "Take money, eliminate disasters; take from others, be short-handed; eat from others, be soft-mouthed." As employees, at month-end, you ask the company or boss for a result—your salary. Conversely, the boss asks employees for results: "Why should I pay you?" Employees say: "Because I completed my work goals." The boss happily pays. If employees say: "I worked hard for a month," the boss would be unhappy and ask: "Does hard work alone warrant pay? Did you implement the work plan? Did you secure orders? Did you complete tasks? Did you handle assigned matters?" These are all results. Without achieving these, your own desired results are out of reach.
In sales, only by delivering results can you speak with confidence, secure your position, protect your team, and safeguard your subordinates. Otherwise, many things become difficult to discuss.
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