One of the more fun parts of my job is talking to sales managers who refuse to admit that the results that their sales force gets indeed 'suck.' What do I mean by this statement?

First of all, let's face it, I use that word to get your attention and now that I have it let me explain. When any frontline sales professional in your company does not produce the results needed to pay for all the overhead, benefits, pay, education and everything else needed to pay for there fair share of these expenses, then they are 'sucking' these valuable resources at the expense of other employees who ARE pulling their weight.

There is an imbalance at many companies that is created by some of the sales crew performing at a high level while others do not. Many business owners perceive this as just a fact of life and they refuse to believe that EVERYBODY could achieve profitable numbers.

A company in the new millennium cannot sustain this type of imbalance for very long before a financial toll is paid. This will result in fewer profits for the owner and less benefits and pay for the employees. Many companies have high performers who cannot receive raises because others are not performing and therefore suck the resources from everyone.

That is what makes my job so much fun. Getting owners to realize that this thinking is flawed logic and that there ARE companies out there where everyone makes money. When I can get owners to think this way, some pretty great things happen for them.

What are the reasons that these 'money-suckers' exist?

Here is my observation...

REASON #1 - Most of the poor performers have a chromosome missing when it comes to believing that most people given a choice would PREFER to pay more for great service.

Don't believe it yourself? Find the finest hotel in your city and try to book a room the same day. You will find it is filled. The Motel 6? Always has a light on for you.

How about the best steak house in town? Try to walk in on Friday night around dinner time. It is packed even though the average meal is over $50 per person. The Denny's restaurant across the street has a 21 ounce T-Bone steak for only $9.99 and you can walk in anytime and get a seat.

Why do we prefer the top-of-the-line services and products? Because in this service economy of ours we ALL work too hard and so when we do buy something for ourselves or our family, we want the best because we deserve it.

They don't know what service means. Poor performers rarely treat themselves to the finest service because they are usually too broke to ever experience it. Therefore, they don't know what it is. Great service is defined by its root word - To serve.

Sales people that suck, never offer more service. They only offer the minimum needed to get the problem solved today. No planned service for the future and no packaging of other products or services that are directly related to the issue as well.

Great service cuts through the tough times like a knife through butter. Live by this motto: Always default to more service when selling your services.