3 Point Shot - Random Thoughts on Selling #1

I probably have dozens of article drafts on selling that have never been fully developed to the point where they are fit for publication. I might get started writing them and then lose interest or, there might not be enough meat in the topic to meet my standards for a complete article.

All these partial posts are like annoying threads that keep popping up on the edges of my favorite worn out bell-bottom jeans. Well, I’m getting out the scissors and here are three and we’ll follow up with three more on a regular basis. Bon appetite![Tweet “Here are three of my random thoughts on selling!”]

How Important is Your Commitment?

You have made a commitment to somebody else, we will use me as an example, and then something comes up. What do you do? If you cancel with me, I feel a bit like chopped liver. On the other hand … do you dare suggest to this other person that you have a prior commitment and risk asking if you could schedule another time?

If you were leaving on your dream vacation to an exotic island, would you cancel those plans with your family to attend this other meeting? Ah then. Your vacation is too important but, I am not. Chopped liver.

I can tell you that I have never lost a customer, or an opportunity, when I did not accept their suggested meeting time because I had a prior commitment. Hell, I regularly turn down appointments even if I am open. Please ignore the fact that I’m a wee bit of a control freak.

Your customer is likely a busy person and, guess what? Busy people respect, and want to work with, other busy people. The perception is that busy people are in demand and, if this is true, they are probably in demand because they are very good at what they do. Is that a perception of you that you would find to be desirable?

Of course you would! You display confidence in addition to your perceived value. Add to this. If you are looking for referrals, when you cancel on others it is only fair for them to assume that you would likely do the same disservice to whoever they may have referred you to. Sobering.

The Only Sales Job I Ever Loved

I have been fortunate enough to spend just about the entirety of my life in sales. While in retail, I sold …

Men’s clothing and accessories (hippies through disco)
Pet Rocks and mood rings
Fine jewelry including watches (including the first digitals) and clocks
Studio photography
Photographic art to businesses

In business to business selling …

Calculators
Accounting systems
Finance systems
Small business computers
Copiers
Fax machines
Scanners
Offset printing equipment
Telephone systems
Audio visual systems

Still, there has been nothing that can compare to the sheer joy I felt working in the custom sign business. This is a business that had everything going for it …

Almost everything was custom so you rarely were apples to apples against a competitor
Every job was different and very visual
There is no such thing as suggested retail
It was fairly simple to identify prospective clients as most new businesses, particularly retail, need a sign
They could be placed indoors as well as outdoors
Signs are expensive and they get more expensive every year
It’s very cool to see something go from design to public display
Made in America and largely made by hand
The process created a delicate balancing act between what the customer wanted, what they could afford, what a municipality or landlord would allow, and what could be built
The business lends itself to strong salesmanship and product knowledge

On the flip side, you were constantly looking for new business as most companies will invest in a sign and then that might last them 10 years or more. However, if you could hook up with a major company who had and opened many locations … yummy.

Are You a Sales Mercenary?

I was thinking this morning about Millennials in sales. Two of the most frequent knocks that you will hear about this generation is that they are entitled and in search of gigs rather than careers. While I think that painting any group in broad brush strokes is inherently unfair, then it hit me.

Most salespeople that I know are already prima donnas with an employment record that features multiple deployments with multiple armies. They/we are mercenaries by nature and this is not limited by the quality of that salesperson. Winners or losers, we are all available for hire to the highest bidder. That is the nature of our beast.

Most, not all, salespeople are motivated by money. Likely even greed. This certainly holds true for those of us who have been raised on and, in fact prefer, commission-based programs. Straight commission means something else. Freedom. In our minds, and this is not necessarily valid, we are already free agents who are working on a contract basis. In that sense, selling is a gig vs. … that other thing.

11 years ago, after over 25 years in sales management, I chose to re-enter the market strictly as a salesperson. I did not want to be managed any more than I wanted to manage others. The only thing that would be fair to all parties, and something that I insisted on, would be a straight commission gig. No benefits, no draw, no expenses, and I didn’t even want leads. Of course, this also meant no reports.

My goal was to be beholdin’ to no one and to be free to pursue any avenues that my heart desired. And, I did and … it was awesome! But, this path is not right for everyone or for every company.

So, given the mercenary nature of salespeople, how do you keep them in the fold? Are all salespeople … Millennials?

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Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services

Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!