Disruption – Create the Storm Outside

Disruption – Create the Storm Outside Today a potential salesperson I was speaking with told me that there was too much disruption in their current position. When I tried to get them to elaborate, all they would say is there were too many meetings and interruptions. This got me thinking about our sales team and our work environment. Are we too disruptive? Do we create interruptions and chaos that hinder a sales rep's success? But doesn’t disruption shake things up and get you to the next level? I believe that great salespeople absolutely should create disruption in their market. That's a core part of modern selling, especially in competitive or commoditized industries. But here's the key distinction: [YES!] Salespeople should create disruption in the customer's status quo. [NO] They shouldn't be overwhelmed by disruption inside their own organization. * Why Creating Disruption is Powerful in Sales: Sales reps often succeed by: -Challenging a prospect’s current way of doing things. -Highlighting risks or inefficiencies the customer hasn’t recognized. -Introducing a new vision or solution that reframes the customer’s priorities. This is the essence of the Challenger Sale methodology: Teach, Tailor, Take control. Examples of productive disruption: -Showing a CFO how their current procurement process is costing 20% more than industry peers. -Helping a CTO realize their infrastructure is outdated and vulnerable. -Encouraging a buyer to move away from legacy vendors to gain a competitive advantage. But Reps Still Need Stability to Do That Does internal disruption prevent them from selling effectively? —Is there constant product changes, unclear messaging, or poor pipeline support? When a good sales rep says “there’s too much disruption,” they may not be talking about their ability to disrupt customers. So, to sum up: Yes, sales reps should disrupt customer thinking. No, they shouldn’t be bogged down by chaos that keeps them from doing that job well. If you're leading a team, the goal is to create calm inside so they can create a storm outside.