Achieve Sales Focus with the FinxS Sales Excuse Index

Selling is a tough profession. Those who are not motivated or fulfilled by sales can easily divert their attention to other tasks. FinxS Sales Excuse Index® tells us if we're on top of our game or lacking in focus.

Having focus is essential in sales. We are more likely to succeed when we spend our time on activities that produce results and develop business potential. However, there are times we procrastinate or prefer to focus our energy on non-sales related tasks. From analysing previous sales results, preparing for the next call, to finalising presentations, salespeople who do not know how to shift their focus or become bogged down in the sales process, will not achieve maximum results.

What is the FinxS Sales Excuse® Index?

The FinxS Sales Excuse Index® is based on the answers from the FinxS Sales Competence questionnaire. The FinxS Sales questionnaire calculates an Excuses Index® by providing the respondent with possible choices that would lead to the avoidance of sales related activities. The Excuse Index® measures a person’s tendency to look for excuses or distractions. The lower the Excuse Index® percentage is, the more likely the person is to ignore non-sales activities and instead focus on actions that directly produce sales results. On the other hand, the higher the result, the more likely a person is to look for excuses.

The current average Sales Excuse Index® of salespeople in Australia 37%. This means the average sales professional spends 37% of their time on non-sales related activities and 63% of their time focused on the sales process. If a salesperson has a lower Sales Excuse Index® they are more likely to focus directly on sales related activities.

The Sales Excuse Index® is a great place to start when reviewing the Sales Competence results. If one of your sales people has a higher than average Excuse Index®, this could be an indicator that additional support, coaching or training may be needed.

What is a high Sales Excuse Index®?

If a sales professional has a higher than average Excuse Index®, a great cause of action is to eliminate distractions. Clarity, focus and concentration are essential to personal management. Brian Tracey and co-author, Michael Tracey of Unlimited Sales Success recommend creating clear goals, if you are clear about what you want to accomplish and focusing on doing one thing at a time, you can produce up to 5x the amount of the average person. Such discipline can dramatically increase productivity.

However, a high Excuse Index® score is not always an indicator of sales ability. A sales professional could have other responsibilities tied to their role, which means they cannot focus directly on sales all of the time. For example, a Sales Manager may receive a high Excuse Index® score. This reflects their position as manager rather than as a sales professional who is focused only on sales tasks.

What is a low Sales Excuse Index®?

A person with a low Excuse Index® is likely to minimise distractions and focus soley on activities that directly produce sales related outcomes. 

Sales Excuse Index® for Teams

The Sales Excuse Index® is a powerful tool to identify the potential of each team member. It can also be used to calculate an average Excuse Index® across a sales team. A team with a low average Excuse Index® score can signal a productive successful sale team. However, if the average Excuse Index® is higher than expected, this could highlight a need for training and development. Understanding the average team Sales Excuse Index will help managers recognise whether they need to develop the efficiency of their teams.

Good salespeople understand the importance of focus. A team comprised of sales professional that are motivated to achieve sales tasks are more effective in achieving the desired goals. Regular workplace assessmentssales training and coaching are vital to keep your sales professionals up-skilled and motivated. FinxS Sales Excuse Index® is a great starting point to recognise where to focus development needs.

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