Behaviour V Metrics. What’s the score?

“Metrics aren’t everything, so what should salespeople focus on?”

Sales teams are trained to chase the numbers:

Calls made

Demos booked

Pipeline value

Win rate

Time to close 

All useful. All measurable. All easy to present at the Monday morning meetings. But here’s a consideration: Metrics are lagging indicators, a reflection of the results of past actions and events. All they can tell you is what happened. Behaviour, well, that is the one that is going to tell you what is happening in the future. 

What should salespeople really be thinking about?
1. Quality of Conversation
Not just “Did I make the call?” but: “Did I ask something that made them stop and think?” What is an example of this? How about asking, “Even if they are doing almost everything right, what is the one problem your supplier does not solve?”

What does this question show? Well, quite a lot if you examine it and how it is delivered:

1. A polite doff of the cap to your opposition. You acknowledge them sportingly.

2. The question causes reflection.

3. You have shown that you know that there is complexity involved.

4. Creates space for an honest answer as you have acknowledged the opposition’s ability without criticising them.

5. Opens the door to your differentiator. Did you learn something about their context, their pressure, their politics?

2. Progress of Trust
“Did I earn the right to ask a harder question next time?” Metrics can’t measure trust, but trust moves deals forward.

3. Buyer Energy
Is the buyer getting more engaged, or withdrawing politely? (Veterans know the danger of “great meetings” that never call back.) Actually, let's come back to great meetings in another post!

4. Personal Discipline
Did I prep properly, follow up quickly, and handle rejection professionally? These are not logged in the CRM, but they define consistency.

5. Pattern Recognition
Is there a real reason deals stall at proposal? Is there a pattern to the kind of champions who get us in the door? Metrics don’t surface this; people do.

Final Thought
Metrics tell you where you’ve been. Behavioural intelligence tells you where you’re going. Smart salespeople don’t ignore metrics; they just know they’re the scoreboard, not the game.