Top selling salespeople are surprisingly flawed in many ways. How? Some create sloppy paperwork. Others are constantly "at war" with their internal technical and support resources. Many hate their CRM. The list goes on.
Then what makes them 
so successful? They manage big accounts that buy a lot.
On the other hand, why are so many skilled salespeople NOT among the top performers?
They may be new in their role, or haven't won accounts with repeat business. Oftentimes, they spend their time and attention on unimportant things. Plain old luck is an under-rated factor. In any case, skill does not equal success!
Superpowers
I've worked with a number of salespeople who will earn seven figure incomes. Yes, $1,000,000 in a
good year. These superstars have the same flaws as mentioned above. How do they succeed? By being extraordinarily skilled and gifted in an important area. There are many superpowers out there, but the top people generally only have ONE. For instance:
- Vertical Market Expertise
- Strategic Business Skills
- Strong Professional Network
- Account Management & Development
- Technology Evangelism
Sales Skills
Take a minute and look at the list below of ten sales skills and five professional attributes. Picture in your mind a top salesperson. What superpower does this person have? How many of these areas are actually weaknesses?
Many times, there have far more weaknesses than strengths. Yet, this doesn't stop top performers.
Kryptonite
We all know from comic books and movies that Kryptonite is the substance that causes a superpower to lose 
it's effectiveness. In sales, a weakness in an important area could render the rest of a person's skills meaningless.
How many of these weaknesses have you seen?
- Poor Time Management
- Weak Technical Knowledge
- Inability to Open New Accounts
- Working with Low Organizational Levels
- Focusing on Low Value Opportunities
When your salespeople play too often with Kryptonite, it doesn't matter what superpowers they may have.
Pairs
Often, great salespeople have common patterns of strengths and weaknesses. A great prospector is lousy with CRM. A great relationship person might be weak on business strategy. Here are some common pairs:
So What? Now What?
The key to top performance is to focus on the Superpower, and find a way to unleash it to it's full potential. Top people focus on what they do best, and focus on that skill set for maximum impact.
Even the best salespeople have significant deficiencies and weaknesses.
The questions for you:
- What is YOUR Superpower?
- What is YOUR Kryptonite?
- How can you focus your power to save the world and kill your number?
