A manager might be  prejudiced, but if this individual does not discriminate, legally it does not make any difference.   We don’t care what people think, we care what they do!   Know the difference between these two unfortunate situations and know what might be actionable if it affects you.  When it comes to prejudice, thicken your skin  and know the rules. Be knowledgeable and … always be the professional!

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If you have read Black Sales Journal before, you recognize that I frequently comment on racial prejudice, racial preference, and the effects of negative racial perceptions.  It is natural to provide comment on these topics as they represent the 8,000-pound elephant in the room and as a result are not discussed openly in most forums.

We spend time discussing how the Black sales professional can successfully use tactics to neutralize racial preference and how we all (all Black professionals) can nullify and improve negative racial perceptions.  We also face the fact that racial prejudice is a different and difficult beast and that we may never change it.   Psychiatrists often characterize prejudice as a deep-seated attitude.  We all are aware that something negative has been cast into someone’s personal life, it can have a permanent effect.

Importantly, we should recognize the relationship between racial prejudice and racial discrimination and how they manifest themselves in sales.

The Attitude versus the Action!

For the purpose of this explanation let’s define both of these:

Prejudice – Unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.

Discrimination – Treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit:  racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

(Courtesy of Dictionary.com definitions 3/5/2012)

So there you have it, racial prejudice is an attitude.  It can reach deep into ones fiber, but an individual will never be tried in a court based on this attitude, as it is not a crime.  If a customer has this attitude, they still remain a viable customer for someone, but possibly not for a Black sales professional.  If your employer has this attitude it is unfortunate yet as long as they make objective and meritorious decisions, they are not guilty.   In other words they can be prejudice but not discriminate strange as it may sound.

Racial discrimination is a different animal as it is action oriented.  A distinction made on the basis of race can potentially be afoul of the laws and regulations, and is almost always ethnically wrong.  It goes without saying that racial discrimination is unfair and although a customer is free to do anything they want, in the case of an employer it could be legally actionable.

The Vicious Circle

The relationship between prejudice and racial discrimination is suggested to be ‘circular’; meaning one leads to the other.  You document racial discrimination but you talk about prejudice as someones disposition or attitude.  Racial discrimination might mean that you get no ‘call-in’ prospects, bad territories, or no house (orphaned by another rep leaving) accounts.  Discrimination may be hard to prove, yet there is evidence, especially when you are able to compare the situation on a relative basis between all sales professionals at a location.  Know what extras you get and how well you performed when you get the chances and if you feel aggrieved read Black Sales Journal 3/9/2011 When You Feel Screwed  – Three Steps to Getting Help.

I make the suggestion that from the standpoint of professional sales that we realize that the most important activities that we can undertake are as follows:

When Bad Gets Worse – Racial Harassment

The unfairness of racial discrimination creates frustration and ill will.  Things are even worse when there is racial harassment.  Racial harassment normally comes from the employer and can emanate from management or coworkers.  A strong example of this is the Montrelle Reese vs. ThyssenKrupp (see Black Sales Journal February 13, 2012).

Racial harassment has a primary purpose of demeaning and driving an individual out of the particular work environment.  It is akin to racial bullying and has no place anywhere, especially in the work environment.  Making someone miserable is awful, and anyone who witnesses it and does nothing is full of fault as well.  It makes no difference as to the colors involved.

Know the facts and know your options.  Most importantly, recognize that acts of discrimination, harassment, and bullying may be actionable, but prejudice is not.  It is an attitude.

Additionally, always be the professional.

Your comments are welcome.

The profession of sales is a seductive art. I did not say it was sexy.  No matter how you try may to make it sexy, it still involves the nuts and bolts and rigorous work of someone moving a product by convincing an individual to do something that they otherwise might not do.  This is the essence of the chain of distribution.

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Is All Sales Just Sales?

There are those whose job is sales, yet the audience is different; actually it is much different, as they will not be the end-user of  your product. When you are selling products and services to those who have the responsibility of selling them to others, you are in an interesting situation.  Whether you are a manufacturer’s rep, a wholesaler, a distributor selling to retail, or another like role, you have a responsibility to recognize the subtle difference in a role that exist when you are not selling to someone who will then sell your product to the end user.

In most of these cases, you are selling to sales professionals who work under various titles.  These are the people that will ultimately sell to the end user, and most likely have characteristics (as sales professionals) that we all know quite well.  It is a group with personal drive and a quest for dollars (most of the time), and recognition (quite often).

You know a great deal about them because you, as a successful sales professional,  have many of the same traits.

What is Different?

When you are selling product to sales professionals, you must recognize some simple rules:

• You are talking to the “Star” when you talk to your customer (the dealer, sales rep, or otherwise).
• Time is of the essence so respect it.  Attention spans can be short, and getting shorter once you start talking if you are not getting to the point.  They need something from you, but don’t want to spend an afternoon getting it.
• Clarity of information is essential, know this and deliver everything in the clearest format possible.  As a sales professional yourself, you recognize that vagary causes you to move to consider another offering.
• The information you leave behind must be useful and in a format which gets interest and solves problems.  The information that you leave for the customer must be useful, or you have wasted print cost or development costs.
• If he/she cannot understand it, they cannot sell it! Be precise and simple in your explanations and characterizations of your product.

Why do I say “you are talking to the Star?”  Remember, the “star” is the one with the  relationship  That is the ultimate “star” because they can present your product the way you want them to do it, or the way they want to do it.  You obviously want them to present your product the way you want it, so recognize the need to make them look good!

Other Important Strategies

There are a couple of other things to remember that might work well for you in this endeavor:

• Recognize who is your “customer”. In most cases, it is not the end user; it is the individual who makes the decision to recommend your product.  This is a huge issue.  There is a difference between customer and end user, and depending on how you run your process and present your product, you could alienate your“customer”.  Don’t make that mistake, as your competition may be solid in this distinction.
• Be the best in customer service and support. This is an area that you are in control of.  Even if yourcustomer is a “prima donna”, it is your customer, and your compensation and ratings are dependent on, most likely, several individuals like him/her.  Make them look good, and you benefit; if you are remiss in giving proper support, you both suffer.  They don’t get the sale, and you might get the criticism.
• Always document well…but don’t use it as a hammer. When a sales professional works to procure business, they often read proposals from suppliers and vendors for hours.  As a matter of fact, they see so many that they often get confused.  Be clear in your documents and your presentation, and realize that they will make a mistake at some point; you just hope it is not an expensive one.  If you can, consider helping them, yet the clarity of the information and your documentation will protect you.
• Always be discreet. Do not discuss their business or affairs with any of your other customers or contacts.  Treat them the way you would like to be treated in that regard.

Get the most out of your contacts!

Your value to your customer comes in your knowledge of your product and process, and your ability to sell to them based on your understanding of what the customer needs. Your objective is to make this person successful, and thus a believer in you…then you will meet your production goals!

In the end, they will acknowledge you and your input into their success…or at least we hope they will.  Let’s put it this way, they will recognize it, and hopefully acknowledge it. The most important thing is that they will contribute to your success.

Your comments are welcome.