As they say, nice guys finish last. This can be very true when it comes to sales. This is not to say that all sales recruiters and professionals need to be aggressive and pushy, but sometimes being too nice could hurt your ability to close deals and interact with customers.

If you have a sales rep on your team who is too nice, it’s something you’ll need to address, especially if their performance metrics are not up to par.

Why Being Too Nice Can Hurt Sales

Sales reps who are too nice often lose sight of the fact that it’s just business. As a result, performance can suffer.

• They are worried about potentially offending a prospect
• Reps often fail to get a commitment from customers
• They often don’t ask the hard questions
• They often extend or prolong the sales process
• There is a reluctance to ask for the close

4 Ways How to Handle Sales Reps Who Are Too Nice

Use these 4 tips to help your sales reps break bad habits and improve sales performance:

1. Bring it to their attention:

Some sales reps may not be aware they are being too nice. Making them aware of their approach is the first step to helping them make adjustments in how they interact with customers.

2. Listen to calls with them:

Listening in on some of the rep’s sales calls is a great way to identify instances of them being too nice. Have them assess their performance and identify ways they are being too nice. Talk about better ways to approach these situations.

3. Provide coaching and advice:

Once a rep has identified when and how they are being too nice, as a sales manager, it’s important for you to coach them how to change their behaviours. Provide coaching, tips, advice, and even a script to help them make the transition.

4. Review performance:

Once the rep has had a chance to implement a new sales approach, review some more calls and look for the areas of improvement and things they still need to work on. Things won’t change overnight. It’s a process.

More Recruiter Tips to Manage Your Sales Reps

Get more effective tips for how to help your sales reps meet their potential. Check out these blog posts by our expert sales recruiters:

Do Good Salespeople Have to Be Outgoing and Have a Big Personality?

4 Ways to Properly Evaluate Your Sales Team and Make Them Even Better

6 Tips to Respectfully Fire a Sales Rep

SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.