Is Your Sales Team’s Performance Fixed—or Can It Be Changed?
What does a podcast about marshmallows, rats, and personality theory have to do with sales and marketing? A lot more than you might think.
The NPR podcast Invisibilia explores the invisible forces that shape human behaviour—our beliefs, assumptions, and social cues. One particular episode, "Is Your Personality Fixed, or Can You Change Who You Are?" raises some fascinating ideas that are highly relevant to sales leadership and the development of salespeople.
It prompts three critical questions for any sales manager or business leader:
- How important is correct framing in determining performance?
- Are the behaviours of your salespeople fixed or flexible?
- How do a manager’s expectations affect the outcomes of their team?
Let’s take a look at how these psychological insights apply to managing and developing high-performing sales teams.
1. The Power of Framing: How You Shape Sales Performance
The Mirage of Personality Traits
Psychologist Walter Mischel’s early work revealed something surprising: personality traits don’t consistently predict behaviour across different situations. He argued that what we often call "personality" is more flexible than fixed—it’s shaped by how people interpret and respond to their environment.
His famous Marshmallow Test—in which children were offered one marshmallow now or two later seemed to suggest that early self-control predicted future success. But Mischel argued the real lesson was about reframing: when kids were taught to think about the marshmallow differently (e.g., pretending it wasn’t real), they were far more successful at waiting.
The takeaway: People change when they reinterpret the situation around them.
In sales coaching, this concept is critical. When salespeople are given new ways to think about challenges—reframed as opportunities, or stress reframed as excitement—their performance can shift dramatically.
Tip: Next time you hold a sales meeting, consider how you're framing the message. Are you presenting targets as threats or as achievable goals? Is a tough quarter being positioned as a failure or a turning point?
This subtle difference in framing can unlock motivation and shift performance.
2. Sales Behaviour Isn’t Fixed—It’s Situational
Why average performers shine in new environments
Psychologist Lee Ross built on Mischel’s work, arguing that we often mistake consistent behaviour for fixed traits when in fact, it's the consistency of the environment that drives repeat behaviours.
This helps explain why an average performer may suddenly shine at a conference, on a different type of sales call, or when paired with a new manager.
If you want to improve performance, change the circumstances. This doesn’t need to be expensive or dramatic. Subtle variations can have a big impact.
Practical ways to change the sales environment:
- Pair team members on calls to enable peer learning
- Offer field coaching with senior managers or outsourced sales leaders
- Rotate exposure to new customer types, industries, or sales regions
- Change meeting formats or locations to shift energy and tone
- Assign rotating responsibilities in team meetings (e.g. competitor research, industry updates)
- Run light-hearted in-house competitions to reinforce product knowledge
- Balance one-on-one and group development sessions
The goal: Avoid salespeople falling into predictable patterns by giving them fresh opportunities to grow and respond differently.
3. The Pygmalion Effect: Why Expectations Matter
You get what you expect—or fear
In a well-known study, Harvard psychologist Bob Rosenthal gave groups of students identical lab rats. One group was told their rats were bred to be smart; the other group was told theirs were “dumb.” In reality, all rats were the same. But those believed to be smart performed better—because they were treated with more care and higher expectations.
This is the Pygmalion Effect, the phenomenon where higher expectations lead to better performance. The inverse, the Golem Effect, shows how low expectations can suppress performance.
Sales managers must be mindful of how their perceptions and beliefs shape how they interact with team members.
Try this exercise:
- Write down your sales team members.
- Rate each on perceived intelligence or potential.
- Then rate them on current performance.
- Now circle the names where there's a mismatch—those you rated lower on potential than performance.
These are your hidden opportunities. Your expectations may be capping their growth.
While you may have valid reasons for past judgments, the role of a sales leader is to draw out the best in every individual. Even small shifts in belief and encouragement can create measurable performance improvements.
Summary: What Sales Managers Can Learn from Psychology
To unlock better performance in your sales team:
- Reframe how tasks and targets are presented. Mindset drives motivation
- Change the context—small shifts in routine can produce big behavioural change
- Raise your expectations—people often rise (or fall) to meet them
If you're looking for tailored ways to develop your sales team or want to reframe your own leadership approach, an outsourced Sales Manager or coaching program may be the missing piece.
MJH Group is a specialist sales and marketing consultancy based in Melbourne, helping businesses develop smarter sales channels, coaching strategies, and growth plans.
For support with growing your sales performance or team capability, contact us at 1300 905 116 or email enquiries@mjhgroup.com.au.
