The Processionary Caterpillar Syndrome Costs You Sales?

Some years ago I read and interesting story that illustrated why many of the sales and service industry professionals that invest their time and money in my personal telephone coaching sessions ( http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/personalCoaching.htm ) have until the coaching sessions have failed to move beyond an intellectual understanding of sound selling principles. Do you have the processionary caterpillar syndrome?

The renowned French Naturalist, Jean-Henri Fabre, in an experiment with processionary caterpillars was able to entice them on to the rim of a large flowerpot. Processionary caterpillars move through the forest in a long procession feeding on pine needles. They derive their name from their habit of following a lead caterpillar, each with its eyes half closed and head fitted snugly against the rear end of the preceding caterpillar.

Fabre succeeded in getting the lead caterpillar to connect up with the last one, creating a complete circle, which moved around the pot in a never ending procession. He thought that after a few circles of the pot, the caterpillars would discover their predicament or tire of their endless progression and move off in another direction. But they never varied their movements.

Through force of habit, the caterpillars kept moving relentlessly around the pot at about the same pace for a period of seven days. They would have continued even longer if they had not stopped from sheer exhaustion and hunger. As part of the experiment, food had been placed close by in sight of the group, but because it was out of the path of the circle, they continued in their procession to what could have been their ultimate destruction.

In their procession around the pot, they were blindly following their instincts, habits, past experience, tradition, custom and precedent-the way they always had done things. In reality, they got nowhere. As the adage states, "It is a form of insanity to do the same things over and over and then expect different results."

Like the caterpillars, many sales and service industry professionals mistake daily activity for accomplishment, working hard for working smart. In my coaching sessions we use self-directed learning manuals and weekly discussions about proven selling techniques and systems to help participants change their behavior and selling activities so they can sell more products or services. To change your sales behavior you need a plan and a program to move to a new level of sales excellence like the system we use to help our clients change their sales activities.

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Pilot, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by the Thompson Learning, Crisp Learning division. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. Check them out at:http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/Book1.htm.

Vi rden teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University at Lubbock, Texas and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com. or learn more about him at: http://TheSellingEdge.com

---

Being Politically Correct When Selling Can Cost You Sales

In our culture it is basically un-American for a prospective... Read More

Quiz: What Kind of Sales Shoe Are You?

Have you ever wondered what type of saleswoman you are?... Read More

Busting Your Assumptions: Effective Probing Techniques for Sales Professionals

Do you find yourself making these kinds of assumptions?- "I... Read More

Simple Technique for Isolating Objections

To isolate any objection quickly you can use this effective... Read More

Invite Questions to Boost Your Sales

Do you invite your prospective customers to ask questions ...or... Read More

Body Language, Five Key Ingredients

When making your living in the sales industry, and working... Read More

Is It Time To Rethink Your Sales Training Program or Is Your Sales Training Delivering Results?

Sales is still a must for any company who wishes... Read More

10 Expressions to Avoid in Sales Communication

Keeping up with what words are in and out isn't... Read More

The Makings of a Salesman

Salesmanship is the force that moves business. Without it all... Read More

5 Small Steps To Ultimate Sales Success

"Selling worth doing is worth doing badly ? at first!"... Read More

How To Become A Sales Superstar And Have Fun Winning More Business - Start Here!

One of the interesting things about being a coach and... Read More

Are You Risking The Relationship for the Sale -- And Then Losing the Sale Anyway?

Losing a sale can be disheartening, especially if you lose... Read More

The Top 7 Sales Blunders

We all make mistakes when selling our product or service.... Read More

How To Write A Solution - Savvy Sales Letter to To Get Clients

Too many sales letters are shaped into paper airplanes and... Read More

How a Best Buy Sales Clerk Taught Me the Simple 6 Step Formula to Close ANY Sale!

Follow this story...I went to Best Buy today to get... Read More

Sales Performance and Motivation: How to Get Your Edge Back

Performance and motivation are like chocolate & peanut butter; the... Read More

Ideal Clients - Who are They and Where Do You Find Them?

Ideal clients are the ones who are perfect for you.... Read More

How One Simple Concept Can Increase Your Sales

We all want to belong. As humans we feel the... Read More

The Power of Confidence

My experience has taught me that people want to buy... Read More

10 Great Ways To Generate More Sales

1. Negotiate with e-zine publishers to get free or discounted... Read More

Increase Your Selling Confidence

1. Be on time. In fact, arrive a few minutes... Read More

Increase Your Sales With an Incredible Offer

What are you selling?Coaching? Consulting? Professional services? A product? Information?To... Read More

How to Achieve Sales Goals by Focusing on Activities

When I broke into sales in 1986, I read several... Read More

Sales Skills for the Non Sales Professional

Have you ever wondered how in the heck you're going... Read More

Sales Marketing: 10 Sales Marketing Tricks To Explode Your Profits

Sales marketing online is an art that you must keep... Read More

Pressure Washer Business; Cleaning Composite Decks

There is a new trend in the way wood decks... Read More

Four Ways To Increase Your Sales Fast... In 2-4 Weeks?

You built a very good web site...You have a great... Read More

How Can A Smelly, Hissing Goose Teach You To Be A Business Leader?

In the 1990's we lived on a farm in Iowa.... Read More

Really WINNING Over Customers

Three qualities are needed to sell anything in life. They... Read More

The Road to Achieving Training Success: What Holds the Key?

As a trainer, you will be able to see a... Read More

Get Over Your Resistance to Sales

I have found that there are two best ways to... Read More

Your Sales Process Isnt

A lot of energy is expended within selling organizations as... Read More

Getting People to Buy Without Selling

In my youth I landed a job selling encyclopedias door... Read More