| Take two office furniture salespeople that work for | | | | home run would.Back to the two office furniture |
| the same company. One has a sales closing ratio of | | | | sales reps. Let's say that the rep with the 25 percent |
| 25 percent and one has a sales closing ratio of 10 | | | | sales closing ratio sells a lot of single chairs. And, let's |
| percent. Which of the two do you think is a better | | | | say that the rep with the 10 percent closing ratio |
| salesperson?Of course, everybody will choose the | | | | manages to sell entire office furniture sets on a |
| first salesperson with the closing ratio of 25 | | | | consistent basis, including chairs desks, cubicles, file |
| percent.But, just as in most statistics one stat, taken | | | | cabinets, water coolers, meeting tables, copiers, fax |
| on its own, cannot be representative of the big | | | | machines, and lamps. The second rep's commissions, |
| picture. The salesperson with the 10 percent closing | | | | on average, are 20 times the first rep's commissions. |
| ratio may not be the better salesperson.Take, for | | | | Now who is the better salesperson? The second |
| example, two baseball hitters. One bats with a .270 | | | | salesperson hits more home runs. He is better.The |
| batting average and one bats with a .280 batting | | | | bottom line is that too many salespeople are focusing |
| average. Your team is down by three runs in the | | | | solely on improving their sales closing ratios when |
| bottom of the ninth inning. Which batter do you want | | | | they may not really need to. Perhaps this is egged on |
| to come to the plate? If you are a baseball fan, you | | | | by sales consultants or their sales managers? But it |
| know you need more information than this. Let us | | | | probably need not be the case. Perhaps there is |
| add another statistic to the mix. The batter with a | | | | nothing wrong with your sales closing techniques? |
| .270 average only hits singles. The batter with the | | | | Perhaps you don't need to generate more sales |
| .280 batting average is a power hitter and the | | | | leads?Just as in baseball, one sales statistic, taken on |
| reigning league home run champ. Now who do you | | | | it own, cannot tell the whole story. |
| want at the plate? A single won't win the game. A | | | | |