Articles from May 2011



The Black Sales Professional – Closing Two Sales at Once

If you are a Black sales professional it is no secret that closing a sale is a calculated action; part of a process that we call the professional sales call.  There is no doubt that if you are in this group you will need to have a strong sense of when to close and the technique to close both sales.

Closing on Two Fronts

The close has to come on two separate fronts.

  • My company/product is the best for you and is an acceptable price to create the value and utility that your organization needs
  • Although potentially different because of my pigmentation, I am the best choice of sales professional to handle the needs of your organization now and in the future.

There will be those that may disagree that this happens.  Don’t be naïve, as it is common.  Note the examples below:

  • A young sales person has to make the sale that they are a viable option by showing that they can provide the knowledge and have access to the wisdom and experience which when coupled with the energy of youth can be the best option.  This is right and natural.
  • Several years ago women wrongly were forced to close the credibility sale by showing that they were able to prove personal credibility and dependability.  This was fundamentally wrong, and still is.

When I was a young sales professional, I found out that I had at least two items against me.  At a time when there were a much smaller number of sales professionals who were black, I was Black, and was a mere 22 years old.

I was selling in a commercial market (B2B) where there were few Blacks were experienced, and knowledge and experience were to be touted as an advantage.  I quickly learned that you had to find compensators for these “disadvantages” while at the same time I needed to keep doing the fundamental activities that give you a chance.

Learning how to close the sale and the personal/professional sales was one of those activities.

Closing the Product/Service Sale

Knowing how to close the product sale can be scientific, yet still is an art.  Recognition that the close is not always designed to get an order but can systematically be used to determine what objections are out there is important.

There are numerous books out there on closing and having read some, they all have something to add on closing techniques and styles as well as when to close.  I am not going to cover them here, yet will in a future post suggest some books and blogs on closing that you might want to consider.

The main purpose of this post is to discuss the sale that you must make even if your product/service is the best one out there.

Closing the Personal/Professional Sale

This sale is less defined.  Much of this sale is actually done as a prequalification. This is a set of activities that you undertake from the beginning of the relationship.  This set of activities is different for each customer/prospect, as each one comes with a different set of perceptions and preferences.

It is during this calculated process that you get a customer/prospect comfortable, confident, and willing to do business with you.  Is this different than with any other sales professional?  They answer is probably yes.  It is different because in many cases you are altering perceptions, and attempting to change preferences.  A big order, yet something that can be accomplished.

Female Black sales professionals who sell know this more than any other segment.  It is better than it used to be, yet still difficult.  They are challenged to hurdles.

Here are some of the items that you are trying to sell in the Personal Sale:

  • Professionalism
  • Responsiveness
  • Credibility
  • Expertise/Specialty
  • Personal Accomplishment
  • Effectiveness
  • Vision

Your customer/prospect will recognize that if you have these traits and one more, the customer’s organizations interest in mind, you have everything you need to have value for his/her organization.

Many of the items above are linked to the Black Sales Journal Article that defines them in depth.  Please take a look at them to get a fairly in depth look what these attributes entail.

Make It Work!

Now back to the issue of prequalification. This is the process of gaining the necessary credibility to make the personal sale.  It is giving the necessary information to the client in “bite sized” portions so that it can be digested and absorbed.

You will prequalify by activities such as sending your customer/prospect your newsletter regarding his businesses industry, referring him to your customers who are next door (who he knows) to get an idea of your expertise, and share with him your ideas about how companies with your profile can get benefit in the future from you product/service.

In Summary

You can correctly position a sale of a product and prepare a close, yet if you are wise, you will realize that perceptions and preferences can be overcome, yet not in a one hour meeting. Prequalifying can have success by getting agreement and clarifcation on many of the issues that would be in question at the final sales call.

These items include providing references to give confidence (professionalism, responsiveness, expertise, etc.), making suggestions for changes and visions of the future (vision, expertise, effectiveness, etc.), and developing the deep relationship that lets all of this gel together.

Don’t miss the opportunity to feed it slowly to your customer early on.  If you give references, suggestions, and expertise information all at the end, when you present your proposal, you have missed an opportunity.  It is too late.

Close both sales and get the order.  Good selling.

Your comments are welcome.

Friends at Work?

Friends at work

Will they toast you when they work for you?

You are the consummate sales professional, your numbers are admirable, and you are able to keep step with the best sales professionals in your organization.  Consistent goal attainment pushes you to the top of the heap and will one day could land you in the management job you covet.

This is an admirable position to be in.  Sales management is a challenging and rewarding position that is often a springboard to higher positions as knowing the customer and sales process is obviously important.

Now here is where it really gets interesting.  Your potential advancement is built on a foundation that includes many inputs and variables, of which your sales numbers is just one aspect.  Getting your numbers turns out to be the price of admission to this party.  Many of the other items can involve some sacrifices.

Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

We have had many conversations about the relationships with customers gets you the numbers.  It is important, and you need to know how to go as “deep” as possible with those relationships.

The truth is that there are some relationships that you may have which can hold you back if not treated in the right way.  These affiliations could potentially play against you when it is time to take the step upward.

As sales professional, you will undoubtedly have friends in the sales function that you associate with; this is natural, and expected.  Because of your winning personality you may have a large network of friends and associates, many of them competing with you on a day-to-day basis.  You share information, criticisms, and approvals as well as strategize on ways to approach problems with accounts and sales in general

We often address the concerns about perceptions in BSJ.  This is a little different perception issue. Here is one instance where there can be a perception about the relationships you have and your ability to remain objective if you are given that desired promotion.

What is Desired From the New Manager?

Once again, we are working with a perception.  The concerns are centered on a few important questions:

  • Can this individual be objective and avoid favoritism?
  • How will this look to the whole sales force?
  • Can I trust this individual to manage and develop my sales talent?
  • Will this choice positively affect morale?

These questions are important, and the right choice of leader is important.  A manager is a leader, and a selector and developer of talent.  Organizations are looking for someone who pulls people together, and not someone who pulls the organization apart.

Many “potential” managers have deeply invested personal relationships that may have even a worse appearance than is actually true.  I put the word “potential” in quotes because these people may never know that they were selected against because of their relationships.

Sharing and personal closeness look good, and may give the appearance of “esprit de corps”, yet in truth this can be concerning to executive management.  Confidentiality, fairness, and ability to discipline are good examples of activities that must be present when considering a candidate, and these attributes sometimes look in jeopardy when someone has close “friendships” on the sales floor.

Some Actions You Can Take

I don’t think any manager wants you to avoid having relationships, or to attempt to hide them.  The best time to observe these actions is when you start a new position.  No one suggests that you be aloof; yet try operating in this manner:

  • Have reasonable relationships. Work is work; “work friends” are just that, “work friends”, they are not integral to your existence.
  • Limit the social activities at work.  These activities can showcase your friendships, and can create perceptions about your ability to keep confidences and be fair.
  • Mind your own business.  Do not get involved in work gossip or defenses of anyone unless it is ultra-important.  There is no conflict that is calling for your participation.

Your relationships at work obviously exist because of your physical presence.  If you are all about business, much of this will take care of itself.  The best sales professionals recognize that focus is important.  This does not make you boring, or one dimensional, yet it will give the professional appearance that you need to transcend many of the sales professionals that you work with.

The Look of A Manager

Management changes happen for a variety of reasons, and happen suddenly.  These reasons include termination of existing managers, promotions, opening of new territories, retirements, death or disablement, and other reasons.  The company has the opportunity to go outside the company, or hire a manager from within.

Here is where your appearance is important.  If you appear to be too close to the staff that you would potentially be managing, the decision could be against you.  If you appear to be “one of the guys”, you may handicap yourself at this important time as well.

Your best bet is to have relationships with other sales professionals that are professional, amicable, and in some cases even more deep such as mentoring.  If you keep it to this level, you will have the professional appearance and, as was said earlier, will not appear aloof.

The time to think about it is now, not once a potential management position opens.  Give it some consideration.

Be prepared.

We welcome your comments.