Sales Is a Numbers Game

There Is No Myth to Debunk; It Is a Numbers Game

“You can't improve what you don't measure.”

attributed to Peter Drucker

There are authors promoting the idea that sales is not a numbers game.

Liz Wendling makes the case by promoting “productive conversations” with “x amount of qualified prospects.”

While “x” clearly indicates a number, the rest indicates the misconception that quantity is somehow disconnected from quality. Just making calls for the sake of hitting a number does not make sense, does not lead to success, and better not be part of a sales process.

In a well-functioning process, numbers are used to standardize, clearly identify the success factors, and measure outcomes of not just the end result but every step along the way. You can define what constitutes a "productive conversation," give it a numeric score and then measure the outcome. You can define what a "qualified prospect" is, give it a numeric score, and then only insert those into the sales process that meet or exceed the score.

Then you have created a level playing field for the numbers game to begin: George Dudley, a world-renowned behavioral scientist and book author, concludes what salespeople have realized for years—success in sales is determined by the number of contacts initiated with prospective buyers on a consistent basis.

Jill Konrath states that “sales isn’t a numbers game anymore; it’s an effectiveness game. … What if we could generate more sales with fewer prospects? … Top sellers spend more time thinking critically about:

The goals and objectives of their target audience.
What they can do to guide prospects through the sales cycle.
How to add value with every single interaction.”

Knowing your audience and adding value are indeed traits of successful salespeople. And it still remains a numbers game: The outcomes of the different approaches are measured and compared; the value provided in an interaction like an email or a phone call is measured, both using AI and outcomes; faster close rates are recorded. And if a new process proves more effective, its metrics become the new standard.

And then there are authors who ask whether sales is “just a numbers game.” Or they equate numbers to luck and chance.

To me, numbers allow to compare, i.e., the different members on a sales team.
And to standardize in an objective manner around best practices, not the opinion of the loudest voice in the room.
To me, numbers also represent the fact that you can measure and improve, just like the quote often attributed to Peter Drucker states.

A great sales leader wants to be able to measure every aspect of the sales process. It is the essential C in the PDCA cycle of the continuous improvement loop or planning, doing, checking, and acting.

And here are a few more reasons why I think sales is a numbers game:

Last day of the month vs. the first day of the following month. For the customer, it is just one day; for the salesperson, this means a world of difference.
2% commission at 99%, 4% at 100% of goal. A revenue difference of a few dollars makes a big difference in the bonus payout.
The ultimate quantitative goal? The quota a salesperson carries! The one number that makes or breaks success.

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Liz Wendling – Selling Is a Numbers Game Myth: Debunked

Jill Konrath – If You Think Sales is a Numbers Game – You’re Wrong

SalesPop – Sales is Much More than Just a Numbers Game

Wikipedia - PDCA

Photo by Anne Gosewehr