Imagine this scenario. A potential customer walks into a car showroom. The customer is already committed to buying the particular brand of car offered by this dealership. He or she encounters a salesperson who half-heartedly answers a few questions. During the conversation, the customer asks about used cars. In response, the salesperson replies that another employee takes care of used cars, but offers no introduction. Further along in the conversation, the salesperson asks the customer if he or she is “seriously looking.”

This interaction represents a missed opportunity to strengthen the customer's belief that this brand of car is the best purchase and to encourage repeat contact with this salesperson. How would you rate the performance of this salesperson on a performance management scale?

Alternatively, if the salesperson introduced the potential client to the used car salesperson, explained the advantages of purchasing this particular brand of car and went out of the way to answer questions, in all likelihood the chances of a future sale would increase. The problem, however, may be that this particular salesperson may not be the one who will receive compensation for the eventual sale.

What changes are necessary to make sure that representatives are not solely motivated by their own sales record?

-a change to the compensation plan?
-increased communication about how potential customers make purchasing decisions?
-education and research about the impact of interaction with a potential customer on final sales
-increased management presence and team building?

Scenarios like this also surface in settings other than retail environments. What do you suggest organizations can do to encourage a team-focused approach to selling?