My greatest skills reside in corporate finance, business analytics, daily/weekly/monthly management reporting, and driver-based financial modeling.  Yet, I've spent my fair share of time this year helping my clients evaluate, motivate, and coach their sales forces.

During some of this work, I've noticed a trend across some of these businesses relative to their respective sales forces--weak to underachieving sales performance.

In every situation, I know the cause of this undesirable performance.  The cause can be traced to two of the most critical requirements to be successful in sales according to Ron Willingham, author of Integrity Selling for the 21st Century:

Strong goal clarity

High achievement drive (to reach goals above) 

 If your sales team members are not performing to par, start with their goals.  While you may provide them targets each month, are they going the next step by setting clear personal goals to make sure they reach the corporate targets?  If not, you have a coaching opportunity to make sure that happens.

Regarding achievement drive, a sales team member either has it, or they do not.  Such drive cannot be taught or driven (no pun intended).  If the drive does not exist in the sales team member, do not let that situation linger.  Make a change quickly.

By the way, I cannot say enough about Integrity Selling for the 21st Century.  More than a book, Ron Willingham's sales method has been taught to some 2 million students worldwide.  As a proud graduate of this system, I highly recommend it.  Joe Worth, another partner in our firm, is a certified facilitator of this sales training, and I'm sure he would field your questions if you would like to learn more.