I once conducted an in-depth analysis of field sales performance for a B2B client, and the results were staggering.
I shadowed a sample of sales professionals through a typical working day — observing how they planned, prepared, and performed in customer calls. Every notable sales behaviour was captured and analysed.
There were plenty of coaching opportunities, some of which were addressed on the day, but most issues were resolved with a very successful sales training programme, which closed the most common (and most critical) gaps.
But one finding stood out — and it’s stayed with me.
On average, salespeople were spending only 13% of a 40-hour work week in front of customers, selling.
Let that sink in.
With so little face-to-face time, there is no margin for slow starts. Rapport has to be built immediately.
And that requires one thing above all else: 👉 The ability to recognise different People Styles and adapt your approach accordingly.
You simply cannot treat every customer the same. It does not work.
That’s why, alongside developing technical sales skills, the biggest payback came from running a programme focused on identifying the four core people styles — and showing how to flex your communication and approach to suit each one.
The impact was transformative.
This insight is even more critical in 2026, when so much selling happens remotely and direct interactions are even more limited. If you’re responsible for sales performance, ask yourself:
- How quickly do your people build rapport?
- How effectively do they adapt to different customer personalities?
- How able are they to spot key customer signals and respond to them?
If you are unsure as to the answers to any of the above, and you want to improve your sales performance ratios this year, there is no time to waste.
Get in touch, and let’s make that 13% really count.
