top challenges faced by sales reps on a day to day basis

Can anyone help with this?

I just added a poll to this question, please take the time to vote!

In a lot of organizations, I'm sure it is a challenge to overcome the old-school "copier dealer" mentality of slinging boxes. Week 1-3: Sell services & solutions.  Week 4: How many units are you going to sell?

Management is now to the point that they are asking me weekly to update my forecast, it's getting to be a real drag going over every account on the opportunity list and what happened with them on a weekly basis.  Isn't that the reason why I keep my CRM updated on a daily basis? 

Agreed forecasting is a part of the job, nitpicking is not. 

The biggest obstacle and it isn't on your list is time!  If we are honest with ourselves the amount of time we are actually selling versus so called non selling activities creates my biggest limiting factor to increasing my success.

Bend:

Nice one, I guess you are referring to slacking off and not doing the work right?

I have my moments also... although I do like to make the dough!

The biggest challenge I see is that you have to sell so much more to make the same money you have in years past. It used to be that if someone needed duplexing, or stapling, or speed, etc. they had to pay for higher scale equipment. Now they can get for $3,000 what they used to have to pay $10,000 for. It used to be that everyone was a profitable prospect. Now only the upper 20-30% represent a potential revenue capable of earning over $1,000. Even solution sales are hard to build profit in and tend to be more time consuming.

Old Glory

I agree!!  Solutions take longer, I've been working on a secure print solution for almost 4 months. I'm lucky if the deal will top 40K and even luckier if I get the deal.

I've tried to focus on higher end hardware and multiple units. The multiple units is tough because everyone is involved and margins are so so at best.  MY only saving grace has been the wide format stuff.

The Obama Economy is the biggest obstacle any of us face........He fixed it all right.

One of the biggest obstacles up until recently, was having to answer to a Sales Manager, who was totally incompetent, and the micro management he adopted in trying to gain kudos with management for his failure to produce a winning team formula was ridiculous. Fortunately, they have since given him the boot, and life is starting to get back to normal.

Wow. No poll answer regarding the rep’s activity…interesting. Over the years I have learned that if you work hard and SMART, you’ll hit your numbers. 

I also think that there is a condition that affects a lot of sales reps in virtually all industries. It is a type of an iron deficiency disorder.  It is when iron in your blood is transformed into lead that forms in your rear end.

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