Sales Training: Why Do Good Reps Resist Sales Process Improvement

Sales Training: Why Do Good Reps Resist Sales Process Improvement:Originally published by John Kenney, Sales Benchmark Index (SBI)

Sales Training Article: Why Do Your Good Reps Resist Sales Process Improvement?

Originally published by John Kenney, Sales Benchmark Index (SBI)
According to a study conducted by McKinsey & Company, nearly 75% of new sales process implementations are not adopted by the sales force. This is because human beings instinctively react negatively to change. Changing the sales process touches every aspect of the life of the sales rep, so resistance is a natural and expected part of the implementation process. Without proactive measures, your implementation will most likely fall among the 75% group of failures. Here's what we have seen to be most effective.
Resistance: Passive & Active
Resistance comes in two varieties, Passive and Active. When the new sales process initiative is announced, some sales reps will react with skepticism that it will ever happen. Past experience tells them that this is just a pipe dream, and they won't waste any energy to deal with it. They passively resist the change. Here are some common examples:

• Avoiding offers to participate in planning
• Ignoring requests for input in the design
• Minimal compliance with assigned tasks

After launch and training on the new process is completed, passive resistance becomes more obvious:

• Explaining to customers that job aids are just a new corporate formality
• Entering inaccurate data in CRM
• Bad-mouthing the process to peers, but not offering suggestions for improvement

Eventually the passive resistance of some reps becomes more active. Examples of active resistance include:

• Purposely reporting activities that did not happen
• Refusing to use job aids
• Entering false information in the CRM system

Why Do They Resist?
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