I welcome you to the inaugural post of Black Sales Journal! This journal is dedicated to the success of Black Sales Professionals.  You will find information here that you will not find in any other publication.  Information that you can use in attaining success and prosperity.  I am Michael L. Parker.  I will serve as author, host, moderator, and whatever role is necessary to help you get to the “promised land” of success in your efforts in sales.  Read a little more about me by clicking the “About” tab.

This is no ordinary blog

The Black Sales Journal is here to render sales tactics and strategies, career advice, account development tips, and a general ear to those in one of the most exciting, yet difficult occupations that exist.  I will look to highlight those tactics and strategies that generate success in the sales profession, B2B and B2P.

The 3Ps – The ‘X’ Factor

We will discuss the 3Ps in depth in many of our posts.  With that in mind let’s start now with what it is.  It changes everything.  More importantly, we will discuss how to recognize it, how to work through it, and otherwise the tactics and gambits to lessen and neutralize the effects.  In simplified form, here are the 3Ps:

• Perceptions
• Preferences
• Prejudices

Perceptions are hard to change, yet they are based on ones background, mindset, and their seat in the arena of life.

Preferences, quite simply, are what a person leans toward in their relationships, where their comfort level lies.

Prejudices are deep, often fueled by perceptions and ones past, that are deep enough to be actionable and problematic.

Everyone of us have two of them.  Most of us have all three! The degrees vary, and our mindset (open minded or closed minded) play a large role in how we work in this triangle.  As a result of the 3Ps a buyer can be sensitive, empathetic, or hardened and calloused regarding the issues of race, ethnicity, and gender in their business relationships.  These exist both in workplace and in the sales theater.

I think you will agree that this will shape up as a powerfully informative post!

Our Contributors

We will use the following sources for input, clarification and advice:

• Experts - We will share suggestions from some powerful current and past sales professionals and sales managers on these practical issues
• Community – Our comments from our readership of sales professionals will be shared and used to solve many issues
• Empirical Research – from articles, books, citations and otherwise in print that examine our important topics
• Moderator input – I will look forward to providing input on those issues that I can help

There is a world of input out there and it will be my pleasure to bring as much of it as possible to your attention.  Tell me the type of things you want to talk about.  Ask the questions you cannot ask anywhere else. The goal is to provide you with the essentials to help you get success in the tough world of sales.

Keep tabs on us, there is much more to come.