“Sometimes good is not good enough” If you are a black sales professional in B2B or B2P you understand the premise. It is not good enough to be a solid sales person.  It is factual that it does not matter that you are good, or even the best of the professionals courting this company, you have a little more pigmentation.  This changes the playing field. Whether you embrace this theory are not, it is tough being a Black sales professional in a White business world.   As a matter of fact, sometimes, yet not all of the time, it is downright unfair.

Remember… You are selling to an individual!

Embrace the fact that you are selling to an individual, no matter whether  the business is a machine shop down the street, or a Fortune 1000 company. Yes, an individual.  We cannot speak of these companies as if they are monolithic, there is an individual who is the “Gatekeeper” who is going to reject or receive you. As a result we will discuss the tactics that will help you be successful.

The 3Ps – Perceptions, Preferences, Prejudices

If you will recall last week’s inaugural blog, the 3Ps where introduced.  Each individual who is a “Gatekeeper” comes with their own set of concerns. This is natural. You will be initially assessed on the basis of what I call “The 3Ps”:

• Preferences–  based on their level of comfort of who they want to work with
• Perceptions–  based on their life experiences, good and bad
• Prejudices–  based on their life experiences and their level of comfort

All decision-makers are subject to the 3P’s. It does not matter whether they are white, black, or otherwise, the 3P’s will have an effect on their decisions about who they allow “inside.”  In most cases, in B2B sales, your “Gatekeeper” will be White.  Although you cannot change the 3P’s  of this buyer in one stroke, there are tactics that you can employ which aid change process.

7  Success Essentials for Black Sales Professionals

Having these will give confidence, assurance, and credibility that you can be an answer to their problems and needs:

1. Be the product expert – the ‘go to’ person for your customers and your own organization
2. Be a consummate professional – Timely, responsive, quick to communicate
3. Be an industry expert – Know your customer’s business better than all of your competitors
4. Develop deep solid business relationships – garner high levels of commitment from your customer
5. Be a true expert of the sales process – Be an expert of the sales process
6. Give superior, unparalleled service – Set the standard for all others
7. Be a “Visionary” – Anticipate your customer’s needs as your customer’s organization changes and your own organization changes as well

At first blush, these may seem oversimplified.  In the upcoming posts of this blog, we will be in depth in our coverage of the tactics and how they relate to the 3P’s.

In the Weeks to Come

If you are a committed professional I hope you will follow this journal through the posts that follow as well as the upcoming posts regarding timely and significant topics for the Black Sales professional.  Please check the tab showing “Upcoming Posts” for Your comments are welcome, and I am counting on them.  I will be sharing them with the readership, and collectively we can provide the answers.

Please feel free to comment, we need your input.