Are YOUR Salespeople Professionals?

When I think of a professional, my mind is instantly drawn to doctors, lawyers, accountants, dentists, musician, architects, athletes or any other occupation that requires extensive education, training and specific practice of skills and knowledge prior to engaging in a particular trade. Additionally, professionals are typically rewarded with a high level of financial compensation and universal respect. Respect comes from the understanding of the price they have paid in time, effort and financial investment to achieve their specific skills. The dictionary describes a professional as “a person engaged or qualified in a profession: professionals such as lawyers and doctors. A person engaged in a specified activity, esp. a sport or branch of the performing arts, as a main paid occupation rather than as a pastime. A person competent or skilled in a particular activity, having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully, such as a highly competent surgeon.”

When we hire salespeople we think in terms of hiring the very best; someone who can get the job done. We are looking for professionals who can bring profitable sales to our company. Management is dependant upon their salespeople to drive the success of their company. Success begins with the sale. If nothing is sold, nothing is produced. Simply stated, management is held captive by their sales force. However, they have hired professional salespeople so they shouldn’t be a concerned, or should they? Professionals by definition are qualified, competent, skilled, having the ability and knowledge to do something successfully. Professionals are educated and trained in medical schools, dental schools, law schools, business schools, music schools, etc., but I’m totally unaware of the existence of a sales school designed for the specific purpose of teaching, training practicing and qualifying individuals for the profession of selling.

Several months ago many of the salespeople we train at The Business Performance Group qualified for a sales incentive trip to Peru. While there we visited a tiny elementary school in an isolated Indian village in the jungle along the banks of the mighty Amazon River. We participated in a cultural exchange with these children. “What do you want to become when you grow up?” was one of the questions we asked each of the children. Many responded that they wanted to become teachers. Others wanted to become doctors or nurses. A few thought a farmer would be a noble profession. Interestingly, no one said they wanted to be a salesperson. Quite frankly, even in this country I have never met anyone who told me they wanted to specifically pursue a career in selling. Many people study business, accounting, marketing, management, but not sales. Isn’t it interesting that selling is not a profession where people study and practice specific skills and knowledge prior to engaging in the trade.

How many people would consult with a doctor who didn’t have a degree from a qualified medical school? How many people would engage an attorney who had never attended, let alone graduated from law school. How many people would trust their finances to someone who was not certified in the field of finance? And yet, business owners and executives running both large and small companies put the financial success of their businesses in the hands of men and women who have no formal training in the knowledge and application of the skills necessary to achieve sales success. Theses executives assume that someone who claims to be salesperson can actually produce the sales necessary to achieve profitability. When these salespeople fall short of the task, there are plenty of excuses. Do any of these statements sound familiar? The market is down. It just takes a while to learn the market. People just aren’t buying now. I’m doing my best. I don’t have the right sales tools. The company sales goals are unrealistic. Our prices are too high. We don’t have what the customer is looking for. The competition is selling at a loss – and the list goes on.

Are owners and executives in a “no win” situation? Absolutely not! Here is the answer plain and simple in terms that everyone should be able to understand. TRAIN YOUR SALESPEOPLE. Training is not a cost; it is an investment. Why train your salespeople? Training is the only way you can guarantee that your salespeople will gain the skills, knowledge, experience and practice necessary to become the professionals you expect. There is no school to teach salespeople their profession. It doesn’t exist at a college or institutional level. It should, but it doesn’t. Wouldn’t you just love to have a salesperson that was classroom educated, trained by experienced professionals, coached in the trenches of the trade and certified to exceed their peers in performance and profit? Those salespeople who have experienced some degree of training have attended a few seminars and read a books or two during their career. Think about it for a moment. Does a few days of sales training really compare to four years of medical school, internships and residency? Does it equal a college degree, three years of law school, internships and clerking for judges? Does a few days of training measure up to the years of training and practice necessary to become a professional musician or an athlete? Sales training, to be successful, should be consistent and long-term. If management will make this level of investment in their salespeople they will receive a more lucrative return on their investment than any other area within their business. Trained professional salespeople do not hold corporate profits captive.

Here are five suggestions for business owners and executives who want to grow their profits through sales:

1. Analyze the performance of all of your salespeople. Eliminate those who shouldn’t be in sales and then train the rest.
2. Sales training is very specific to the skills and principles of selling. Don’t confuse sales training with product training.
3. Sales training is not “hit and miss”. It is a specific program of principles and skills centered on daily activity and focused effort.
4. Doctors and lawyers spend years training and practicing for their careers. To become a sales professional also takes years of consistent training and effort.
5. If you don’t make the investment in training your salespeople who will? People don’t learn sales in school, it is an education you must provide. If you will make the investment in your salespeople, you will absolutely receive the reward.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T AFRAID?

This question was raised by Haw, one of the little people in Spencer Johnson’s classic parable, Who Moved My Cheese. For salespeople everywhere let me pose the question to you, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Fear is one of the greatest roadblocks to sales success. Edmund Burke a British statesman said of fear, “No passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” There are many varieties of fear and you are familiar with most of them. Salespeople deal with these fears every day. The fear of failing, the fear of looking foolish, the fear of working on your own and even the fear of success are all known factors that impact your ability to be successful in sales.

You will never achieve your highest level of sales success until you are willing to take a risk. I’m not talking about being reckless in your activities. I’m talking about taking calculated risks like moving out of your comfort zone and doing those things that have proven successful even though you might feel uncomfortable at first. You must be willing to create a habit of doing those things you fear most until you systematically over come your fears. There is nothing wrong with being afraid; we all have our fears. But, once you have formed the habit of standing up to fear, it will lose its power over you. To quote Albert Gray, “The common denominator of success, the secret of success of every man who has ever been successful lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.” I believe this statement encompasses overcoming your fears. Those salespeople who are successful have risen above their fears unlike those who are unsuccessful.

I remember vividly my greatest sales fear. I had just completed graduate school and was working as a salesperson in my first “real” sales job with the M.A. Hanna Company in Cleveland, Ohio. At that time, Hanna was the world’s second largest producer and marketer of iron ore for the steel industry. My sales territory was North America and I was responsible for the sale of iron ore to the fourteen integrated steel mills in the United States and Canada. My degree was in International Business not steel making, so naturally I felt a little intimidated working in an industry where I had zero experience. My boss had given me a copy of the book The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel, published by US Steel, hoping to give me the technical knowledge I so desperately needed. If you understood everything within the covers of that huge book, you would have the knowledge equivalent to a Master Degree in metallurgy.

With that lengthy introduction, my fear was making phone calls. I needed to make frequent contact with the executives responsible for purchasing the millions of tons of iron ore that was consumed annually in the gigantic blast furnaces throughout North America. I would pick up the phone with great fear and intimidation only to hang up before I had completed dialing the number. I would try again as large drops of perspiration would bead up on my forehead and then cancel the call before the phone was answered. I can’t explain how frightened I was to talk to those men who were typically twice my age having a wealth of knowledge and me, still green behind the ears. I would get these huge perspiration stains under my armpits that would go down to my waste and run around the back of my shirt. I would sit and stare at the phone mentally making the call and imagining what to say and what the responses might be. I find myself reliving that pain and fear just by thinking and talking about it. For months I struggled silently with my fear and then one day I decided to meet it head-on. I decided that those experienced and wise men, just like me, got up every morning and put their pants on one leg at a time. Just like me, there was a time in their lives when they too, didn’t know a lot about the steel industry. Slowly I overcame my fear of calling and talking to my customers and prospects.

I mention that experience early in my sales career for two reasons. First, I have empathy for any salesperson that experiences fear and second, because I know first hand how real and paralyzing fear can be in the mind and body of a salesperson. One of the side effects of fear is a lack of belief or self worth. You believe that others are more qualified than you or they are better suited for success than you. When you doubt your abilities you are defeated before you even begin. In William Shakespeare’s play, Measure for Measure he is quoted as saying, “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” Here are five things you can do to eliminate the effects of fear in your sales career:

You are not alone. Understand that everyone has fears, not just you.

Meet your fears “head-on”. Deal with them directly and immediately.

Believe in yourself. You have talents and abilities that are of worth. Your abilities may be different than someone else but different has nothing to do with value; value yourself.

Act as if you weren’t afraid. Develop an attitude of optimism that will restrain your fears.

Think beyond your fears. Visualize those things you would do if you weren’t afraid.

What would I do differently in sales if you weren’t afraid? I would talk to everyone about my products and services. I would get up early and work hard and smart each day. I would set goals for success believing that I could achieve them. I would ask for the opportunity to do business with everyone I met, believing they would say yes. I would welcome rejection for the opportunity it would present to resolve concerns. I would thank my lucky stars every day for the privilege of being a salesperson.

Don’t Take “No” For An Answer

People have been programmed from infancy to dread the word “No”. I’ve never met a salesperson that didn’t quiver and shake at the sound of “No”. I’ve known salespeople who have quit their profession over the persistent exclamation, “No”. The most painful of all two-letter words, (there are one hundred and twelve, bye-the-way), none rival “No” for its absolute fear factor. I can’t think a profession so rampant with the word “No”. Most people never recover from being traumatized by the word as children. My own children knew the meaning of and could speak the word “No” before any other word. They heard it said so often, they called everything “No”.

In sales there are two words that should be equally welcomed by salespeople; the forever sought after “Yes” and the universally loathed “No”. For some reason salespeople seem to be comfortable with “Maybe”, the biggest deception in the entire English language. The common interpretation suggests that it isn’t “No” so it must be all right. Nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe just hangs out there in limbo, you can’t do anything with a maybe, there is not resolution. You assume that there will be something forthcoming but nothing ever materializes and you are left paralyzed for resolution.

“No”, on the other hand can be resolved, a critical point that most salespeople overlook. They hear the word “No” and everything seems to shut down. It’s over, final, no opportunity here, they hate me, I’m a failure, and why did I ever get into sales? “No” has many meanings, most of which salespeople never considers once they hear the dreaded word. Some of the meanings of “No” are: I’m busy, I don’t think I need your product, I’ve talked to enough salespeople today, I have concerns, It’s not the right time, I don’t know or trust you, I’m not willing to take the time to learn the value of your product, I had a fight with my spouse, things aren’t going my way right now, I’ve never heard of your company, I’m just on my way out the door, I’m not the decision maker, and dozens more. The majority of the time, “No” doesn’t mean I’m not going to buy from you. In fact, “No” means I’m not going to buy from you only 16% of the time.

Do you realize that 84% of people say “No” before they eventually say yes in a sales situation. Think of all the sales you have lost by turning on your heals at the sound of the word “No”. Salespeople are so focused on listening for a yes that they totally discount the value of the “No” response. They silently cheer with a yes and welcome a “maybe” because it isn’t a “No”. And yet, the vast majority of all people who buy said “No” before they said yes. Here is the lesson that every sales person should take to heart. Even those salespeople who have left the profession for fear of the dreaded word “No”. The word “No” is a conditioned response, one that flows easily from the tongue requiring very little time or thought. It’s easy, lazy and for generations has thwarted off the persistent hoards of salespeople. However, the few salespeople who know the secret power of “No” make the majority of all the sales.

Every “No” deserves an explanation and if you will ask at the appropriate time in the appropriate way you will be given an explanation. You need to politely ask if there would be a better time. If time is not the issue you might ask if there is a specific reason for the “No” response. Ask if the “No” response is to everything or to just a part of what you said. You might suggest that it is your fault for not clearly explaining the product. You could also suggest that if you better understood their specific situation you could better present your product as a solution, maybe even one they hadn’t considered. Keep the dialogue flowing and provoke their interest. Discover their concerns and objections and then seek to resolve them. Some concerns can’t be resolved quickly so suggest that you will respond within the next day or so. People don’t buy if they have concerns or objections and they believe that whatever objections they may have can’t be resolved. Your persistence to discover and show the prospect a resolution to their concerns will turn “No” responses into a yes. A “No” can be just as positive as a yes if you will spend the time to resolve the buyers concerns.
Remember and never forget:

84% OF ALL PEOPLE WHO BUY A PRODUCT OR SERVICE SAY “NO”
BEFORE THEY EVENTUALLY SAY "YES".

Make This Sales Year Better Than Last

With the arrival of the New Year you might ask yourself, “What will be different this year in my sales from last?” To that question may I appropriately answer with the response, “Nothing!” unless you are willing to make some changes in your life. One year will pretty much mirror the last unless you alter your activities and performance. Many salespeople choose a career in sales because it provides an easy income with little preparation, minimal discipline and maximum workplace freedom. Let me make a few suggestions of some changes that will dramatically improve your sales during this New Year.

Decide What You Want – The majority of all people in this world have no idea what they really want in life. They get up every morning, they do “stuff” and they go to bed at night. Their actions are dictated by the demands of the current situation. They are much like a leaf in the wind. They go where the wind blows taking no effort to direct their course. What do you want to achieve this year in sales? What amount of money do you want to earn? What things do you want to buy? Where do you want to vacation? Don’t just settle for whatever happens, you decide what you want and then do what it takes to achieve it. You have the right to want something and you have the ability to achieve it. It may not be easy, but you have the potential to achieve your dreams. I love this saying. I wish I knew its origin. “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.” Commit that saying to memory and live each day to fulfill its meaning.

Become Goal Oriented and Goal Focused
Having decided what you want in your life, set a goal to achieve it. Goals are specific objectives you want to achieve. Goals must be time specific. Goals must be broken down into detailed steps of action that culminate in the achievement of the goal. Goals must be something that you want and are willing to put forth the required time and effort. It is through the achievement of goals that individuals become great and experience all of the joy and satisfaction that life has to offer. Salespeople become successful through the regular establishment and achievement of goals. Goal setting is the only way you can monitor your activities and calculate your success. Goal setting allows you to keep score while motivating you when times are tough.

Develop A Plan – Success does not come as the result of a series of random events, but as the result of executing the steps of a specifically designed set of actions. Developing and following a plan of action will keep you focused on doing the right activities at the right time for the right reason in the specified amount of time to achieve the right result. Sales success is not found in just being busy or in doing a lot of stuff. Sales success always begins with a plan and concludes with properly executing the plan. One of my favorite quotes, attributed to Lavelle Edwards, the legendary football coach at BYU says, “If you see a man on top of a mountain, he didn’t just fall there.” Successful salespeople are successful because they have a plan and by following their plan they find success. Nothing is quite so motivating as achieving a well thought out plan.

Plan, Schedule and Manage Your Time – Nothing in this world has greater value than time. Time is the mother of all success and ultimately of all life. Your ability to control your time is your ability to achieve success. Selling is nothing more than a well-orchestrated performance involving time, activity and money. If you cannot effectively manage your time you will never achieve sales success. Several years ago I was working with a Dentist trying to improve the profitability of his practice. He was having difficulty paying his bills and had questioned his decision to become a Dentist based on his financial return. One of the key elements I evaluated was his use of time relating to the number of patients he saw each day. He was regularly seeing eight patients per day. There was time to see more but he didn’t want to rush or feel the stress of a larger patient load. After conducting an in depth evaluation of his practice and looking specifically at time, activity and money, I concluded that by seeing just one more patient each day he could increase his “bottom line income” by three thousand dollars per month. You can’t create more time but you can do a much better job in planning, scheduling and managing the time you do have. I have clients that have increased their income ten times by achieving more with the same amount of time.

Take Action – Nothing happens until you do something. You must become physically engaged if you want to have sales success. Sales increases do not happen because you think about it and talk about it. Increases happen as the result of doing something about it. What actions should you be taking? Here are just a few ideas that all successful salespeople implement daily.

1. Get up early
2. Be to work on time
3. Prospect
4. Be in front of decision makers
5. Prepare quotes or proposals
6. Ask for referrals
7. Look for additional opportunities with existing customers
8. Plan and schedule your time
9. Believe in yourself
10. Be passionate about selling

Be resolute in incorporating these changes into your daily activities and this year will be the most successful year of your life.