Few things irritate me more than hearing managers spout truisms like “sales is a numbers game” or “this is a people business.”  Well, duh.  Football is a game of yard lines and turf.  Saying so doesn’t tell you anything helpful.

Pithy words of wisdom can be beneficial, but too much of what you hear about sales is neither wise nor revelatory.  Most often the problem is generality.  Saying that sales is a numbers game doesn’t point me in any direction or prompt me toward any particular action.

You have to give your team something to go on. Something concrete that they can hear, recite, memorize, and put into practice.  Literally, practice.  If your team doesn’t practice, no amount of insight will get them anywhere.