How is Your Flexibility As a Sales Professional?

Do you view flexibility as a talent or necessary salesthinking as they can no longer rely on the traffic light
skill? And more importantly is being flexible necessaryturning red, yellow or green. Previously, the traffic
in your current selling role? These are two criticallight was doing all the thinking because it handled the
questions that salespersons need to be able tochange. People could proceed forth on automatic pilot
answer.(conditioned response) since red mean stop, yellow
The reason is due to the ongoing exponential explainindicated to slow down or caution and green was go.
of information the future roads of 1, 5 to 20 yearsNow, the traffic circle is no longer doing the thinking
are truly unknown. Hence, being flexible appears toand the burden is on their shoulders. Oh, my!
be an ever increasing needed skill set. So what doesWhen we look to the future, changes such as the
it mean to have flexibility as a talent? In one of thetraffic circle will become far more common place.
most accurate and revealing assessment theBeing flexible and adaptive to change will become the
Attribute Index published by Innermetrix, flexibility isstandard operating procedures (SOP). With
defined as:knowledge continuing to expand almost exponentially,
"evaluates people's ability to readily integrate, modify,learning how to be flexible without significant physical
and respond to changes with minimal personalnegative reactions will be one of the new
resistance. This deals with their ability to be open toexpectations in the business and personal worlds. If
new avenues, not become locked into a rigidyou are engaged in any selling activities, you will
approach to a situation, and be willing to changeprobably be exposed to more change in a shorter
direction without significant stress or pressure."time frame than most other folks excluding possibly
Being flexible is being open to change. And given thethe technology sector.
human brain is designed not to be open to changeThis talent of flexibility will need to partner with your
presents a challenge for many individuals includingother talents including: evaluating with is said, freedom
sales professionals. Sales Coaching Tip: To learn morefrom prejudices, project and goal focus, concrete
about the brain and how it makes decision this is aorganizations, practical thinking, problem solving,
great book - Why Choose This Book by Readproblem and situation analysis, self starting ability,
Montague.emotional control, persuading others, proactive
Here is a simple example of how people are resistantthinking, confidence and balanced decision making.
to change. In Valparaiso, IN a fairly common MidwestThrough this partnership, sales professionals will learn
city with a well known university, a higher thanto focus on what they do well and reinforce those
average annual income and educational levels, the citytalents.
decided to install a roundabout or traffic circle toRemember the first key to success is awareness.
expedite traffic congestion. You would have thoughtWhen you are aware, you can move from where
the world had come to an end. Even after 2 years,you are now to where you want to be. Or in other
people are still complaining about this horrendouswords, you can change with grace and be flexible
"boon doggle." Why all this moaning and groaning overabout your future.
something that hundreds of other cities use? TheThe alternative of staying where you are may just
simple answer is change. People are not comfortablecause you to be run over by someone who
with change and because change makes people thinkunderstands the traffic circles of business, life and
and herein lies the problem.sales. These folks looks forward with eager
Continuing with the example of the traffic circle,anticipation to the next change and use that to their
drivers now have to invest a couple of secondsadvantage to increase sales.