HARDISON’S TIPS – NOVEMBER 3, 2021 – Peer Pressure is Just What the Doctor Ordered (PT.2)
Benchmark Your Activity
A surprising number of small businesses do not have a defined sales process nor do they identify key sales performance metrics for their sales reps. Your peer group can help fill in this gap. By exploring how your peers are spending their time and what activities are the most productive, you can develop your own set of key performance metrics. Sharing activity levels and results will enable a rep to find the key activities needed to drive top performance.
Share Best Practices
Your peer group is an ideal source of best practice data. Learning what works for other reps can be invaluable. If one of your peers has found a new lead source that is delivering great results, a better process to identify customer needs, or an application that works well for certain types of businesses, you can immediately improve your sales results. Almost as important is the fact that your peer group members will share practices that do not work, thus allowing you to avoid wasting time and resources.
Hold Each Other Accountable
In my experience, when I bring a problem to my peer group, I am very motivated to implement the proposed solution. I feel peer pressure from this group, but the peer pressure I experience is self-imposed. It comes from the respect I have for my group. I don’t want to waste their time. Since they are investing their time to help me, I want to make sure that I work hard to implement suggested solutions. A successful group will push its members forward. If you bring a problem to the group, the group will want to know how you resolved the issue. If you continue to talk about the situation without doing anything about it, group members will press you to confront your problem and take action. You also run the risk of group members no longer investing in your growth if you have a history of not taking action.
Many small and mid-size business owners have benefited from participation in Peer Groups. Facilitating organizations such as Vistage, The Alternative Board, and CEO Focus, work with thousands of business owners around the country. The Boards offer business owners the chance to discuss current problems and explore solutions. For sales professionals, creating your own peer group provides similar benefits.
Bottom Line
Peer groups will challenge you. They also provide a source of motivation, push you and create a healthy desire to better yourself. Whether you are a sales professional or a business owner, peer groups offer an environment to facilitate growth. Need suggestions as to where to find a group in your area or how to start one of your own?
