Are You Gaslighting Yourself and Your Sales Team?
In the past few years, you have likely heard the term “gaslighting” come up in a number of conversations. But did you know that the word dates back to a 1938 play? The production, entitled “Gaslight,” involves a man who attempts to convince his wife that her memories are false and that she is suffering from insanity in order to steal her fortune.
This play, and the popular film that followed, introduced the term “gaslighting” into the popular consciousness, and the story still serves as one of the most effective explainers for what exactly gaslighting is and how it can be utilized by bad actors. In short, gaslighting is an attempt to obscure, twist, and deny objective truth in the service of convincing another person that the false narrative you have constructed is a reflection of reality. In this process, the other person may begin to doubt their own perception of the truth.
And while we do not believe that the vast majority of sales leaders do this intentionally, we have witnessed the effects of sales leaders inadvertently gaslighting themselves and their sales teams in ways they may not fully realize. In this post, we want to explore how sales leaders fall into the trap of inadvertently gaslighting themselves and their team, the impact this gaslighting can have on the firm, and how these situations can be resolved or avoided altogether.
Are You Spinning a False Story?
While we do not have total control over the facts, figures, and financial statements of a firm, we do have control over the personal narrative we construct around these numbers. Whether a manager responds to downward sales trends with a sense of optimism (“This is only a slight bump in the road.”) or with a sense of dread (“Our business is in a tailspin.”), these narratives can have a trickle-down effect on sales teams, especially when the numbers are not shared internally with the entire team.
Sales teams trust their leaders to set the tone and deliver news about the state of the firm with clarity and honesty. A personal narrative that paints a false picture of the firm’s future based on subjective extrapolation of data can indeed be a form of gaslighting. And when this form of gaslighting spreads outwards, it affects the performance and productivity of a sales team.
Is Blind Optimism Holding Your Team Back?
When sales leaders are not entirely realistic about the state and performance of the sales team, they may be setting their team up for failure. Is your "optimism" or "oversight" causing your sales team to lag and not be successful? Bottlenecks usually start at the top, after all.
We all want to believe that our firm is healthy and ready to face the current challenges of the market, and infusing your office culture with a sense of optimism can be a powerful motivator for your team. However, even with the best intentions in the world, struggling businesses do not benefit from the “everything is coming up roses” mindset if such positivity actively denies the realities of their current situation. If nothing else, sales teams deserve honesty and integrity from their leaders, solely by virtue of their hard work and sacrifice for the firm.
Are You Making Excuses for a Process That Does Not Work?
False narratives do more than just provide personal comfort or dread, they can also serve as an excuse to refuse to make significant operational changes in regard to outmoded strategies and processes. In the past, we have seen sales leaders unintentionally gaslight their sales team into believing that their current sales process does not require a refresh. Simply because they were not willing to face the challenges inherent in enacting necessary change.
Even for sales leaders who do not gaslight their sales teams, a firm’s sales process should be regularly re-examined and reassessed in accordance with the current market, as well as the capabilities of the sales team.
Is it Time to Seek Help from an Objective Third Party?
Gaslighting yourself and your sales team into believing a version of reality that is incongruous with your firm’s current situation may seem like an easy, short-term fix for low morale and productivity. But no matter how long we decide to ignore these problems, eventually, they will be impossible to deny. Do you really want to be caught unprepared when the inevitable finally happens?
At Sebastian Lane Consulting, we can provide sales leaders with an unbiased, objective 3rd party assessment to assess their current issue(s) and provide guidance on how to solve them. Our fractional sales leaders work with your firm to build strategies and sales processes that will last. As little or as much as you need for about 1/4th the annual cost of a Chief Sales Officer.
If you are interested in hiring a virtual or fractional assistant for your firm, we here at Sebastian Lane can help point you in the right direction. Feel free to reach out for further information, resources, and recommendations. Call Sebastian Lane Consulting at 443-534-6783 or email us at jesse@sebastianlaneconsulting.com.