I remember the first time I heard this – You get/have what you tolerate. I tried to fight it and deny it, but it is very true.

Sucks, because that means I am responsible for what is in my life. Yes – you guessed it, that applies to everything in your life as well – especially as a leader.

You Are Tolerating It

Whatever you tolerate is what you will get/have. Someone treating you bad (more than once)? It’s because you tolerate it.
Someone not doing their job? Someone not following your sales process or scripting?

Yup – you are tolerating it.

By default and definition, you are allowing it to occur.

Otherwise, you would set the standard and ensure your team met that standard, or else there would be consequences.

Like I said – tough to hear. But the sooner you accept it as a truth, the sooner you can ensure you have a team that follows the proven sales playbook the company has created.

Sales Process Accountability

I have seen countless times where a sales manager is listening and/or watching a salesperson who is literally not following the required process.

And I don’t mean a recommended process, or suggested best practices, or tips and tricks that could help. I mean a required process.

And the manager does nothing about it. Like a police officer sitting on the side of the road with their speed detector pointed at traffic watching someone go 72 in a 35.

Think that cop is thinking ‘oh, we can’t hold people accountable to traffic laws…they know what they are doing.’

Anyone on the other end of that radar gun knows that is 100% NOT the conversation that occurs when they pull you over.

Enforce the Rules

So why is it that you think salespeople are magically excluded from following the required sales process or scripting?

If you are going to have rules and requirements in place, enforce them. Coach to them. Train on them. Hold the team accountable. Put in consequences for those who do not follow it.

Fire the ones that show a pattern of ignoring your rules (in the same way the police take away your driver’s license if you get enough speeding tickets because you have proven you don’t care about the rules).

If you don’t like the rules or sales process, put together a compelling argument with your leadership about what should change. Or quit and go somewhere else that has different rules and sales processes.

Conclusion

Stop tolerating disobedience of the company’s sales requirements. Otherwise, you will keep getting the results you have, and I promise that those results are not helping them, you, or the company achieve its revenue or sales volume goals.

You cannot scale and succeed with a bunch of lone wolf salespeople doing and saying whatever they want, while you have the winning playbook available.