THE 80/20 RULE
Most of us in the sales profession have heard of the “80/20 Rule.” The rule states that 80% of the business in a given industry is done by 20% of the salespeople. After 32 years as a salesperson and sales leader, I’ve found this rule, as a rule, is true. In my role as a sales trainer and consultant I’ve taught many salespeople across several markets and these stats have held true. What separates the 20% from the 80%? Do they put in more hours? Maybe. Are they smarter? Sometimes. Is it company politics as the 80% often believe? Rarely. Sales winners share a common set of fundamental skills that get them to the top and keep them there. What are these sales fundamentals and what role do they play in getting a salesperson to elite status? Let’s take a look at what I like to call the “L’s” of professional selling. LISTENING It might come as a surprise to many sales folks that the 80/20 rule comes into play here too. Elite salespeople spend 80% of their time listening and only 20% of