Sales results are all too often a point ofcontention for organizations, and insurance agencies in particular.And sales goals are usually some function of just putting out anumber to make the accounting department go away.

There is a rarely a plan for how these pretend goals areactually going to be met. Finally, the accountability for followingthe pretend plan to hit the pretend numbers is non-existent. Andyet we still wonder why we rarely hit sales goals.

The gut reaction to missed goals almost always takes us to thetactical/process issues:

• How many calls did you make?

• How many prospects are in your pipeline?

If we truly want to drive more predictable sales results, wehave to start by addressing the cultural issues within theorganization.

1. Leaders who lead by example – In mostagencies, the leaders still have sales responsibilities. If theleaders aren't doing the right things, nobody else will either.

2. Accountability – Every other position in theagency is held accountable for driving their respective results.Because everything is driven off of revenue, producers should beheld more accountable than anyone.

3. Have everyone in the right role – I don'tcare how hard you (or they) try, some people just aren'tproducers.

4. Properly define success and celebrate theprogress – Success in each step of your sales systemshould be defined as getting the prospect to the next step.Celebrate each of these victories, not just the final sale.

5. Producer confidence – Selling is a transferof confidence; confidence that you are offering a better solution.But you can't give away what you don't have. Producer confidence isa combination of:

• Being able to take a prospect through a value-driven salesprocess.

• A full pipeline of prospects.

• Knowing that you have the team and solutions to make adifference for the future client.

6. Proactive versus reactive – We have to do abetter job of planning what we will do to drive results, ratherthan focusing on what has already taken place.

7. Understanding the “why” – Until a producertruly understands his/her motivation, it will be difficult, atbest, to keep the proper focus and determination. (Hint: Themotivation is never money. It may be what money can allow you todo, but it isn't the money.)

Until the appropriate cultural foundation is laid down, noamount of tactical or process-driven solutions will ever make asustainable difference.

Which of the cultural issues I've mentioned gives you a sickfeeling in your stomach? I'd love to know which one and what yourfirst step will be to address that issue. Just by addressing andanswering that question here, you are much more likely to make ithappen there.

Game on!

Related: Prospecting techniques: The best of past &present

Kevin Trokey is founding partner and coach at St.Louis-based Q4intelligence, abusiness, sales and marketing consulting firm working withinsurance agencies. Contact him at (314) 436-7171 and check outhis LinkedInprofile and follow him on Twitter @kevintrokey.