Weaknesses vs. strengths: What should salespeople focus on?

by Ben Lai | Aug 6, 2019

Transcript by Rev.com. Hi, this is Ben Lai from Sales Ethos. Today, I’m going to address the question, “Weaknesses vs. strengths: What should salespeople focus on?” This is a really interesting question because there are a lot of tests out there that can measure your aptitude for certain job roles. I mentioned in the past the Caliper Report, which I’m proudly partnered with to provide for clients to measure sales aptitude. Feel free to visit the link below if you’re interested in checking them out.

But it’s an interesting question because on the one hand, focusing on our strengths makes absolute sense. We’re going to get the best result for the amount of effort we put into that area. However, on the flip side, if we ignore our weaknesses … let’s just say you’re weak at prospecting, then it’s going to severely inhibit your ability to sell as a well rounded sales professional. What should we do? My answer is yes, you should, but no at the same time.

Weaknesses vs. strengths: When it makes sense to focus on strengths

Let me qualify that. When it comes to focusing on your strengths, if you are particularly good at farming, such as key account management, then by all means, you should find yourself a role in key account management. It is going to work against you if you go into a hunting role rather than a farming role as a key account manager. When it comes to macro skills, you’re far better off if you go into something that you are strong at than something that you’re weak at.

Weaknesses vs. strengths: When it makes sense to focus on weaknesses

However, when it comes to essential skills that you can’t avoid and you can’t delegate to someone else, you have no choice but to work on those weaknesses. For example, if you are a BDM, you’re responsible for getting new business only, then you cannot make the excuse that you are weak at making cold calls. You have no choice, you have to do it. You can’t outsource that to someone else. So you must work on at whether you are strong at it or not.

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Conclusion

To close up, I want to give you this analogy. When it comes to our sales results, it’s a lot like a pipeline. Wherever the thinnest part of the pipe becomes the choking point for your overall performance. So let’s just say that you have a very thin entrance to the pipe but the rest of the pipe is very wide. Then your results are going to be limited by that choking point at the very beginning of the pipe. Therefore, you need to have a well rounded pipe; in other words, you need to be good at all of the skills that are necessary for your role in order to get the maximum output.

Failing that, find some way to delegate that responsibility if you have that option. Otherwise, you need to work hard at improving your weaknesses. So yes, focus on your strengths, but focus on the weaknesses that you cannot avoid doing and you will free up your performance and your results.

What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment below. Don’t forget to like and subscribe, and remember that integrity plus skills equals success.

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