I recognize that the best sales jobs are still hard to come by.  There are still sales professionals that are changing jobs, and make no doubt about it, they are having to negotiate their salary.  I think these tips will help you whether you new or a veteran.  Good proven techniques for you to benefit from!

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The interview skills that you honed have been superb, and your ability to stay focused during the group interview was exemplary. The list of accomplishments on your resume gave you credibility, and your vision showed well.

Now, you have the pleasure of being selected for the job you coveted. Job one now is to make sure that you get a “deal” that you can live with. Too many sales professionals have avoided the discomfort of negotiating, which should be what you do best, and have settled for something that they later regret.

Salary- Know the Landscape

There is nothing more compelling for a sales professional than getting paid what they are worth. In order for this to happen for you, you need a brief education and awareness of the salary landscape. Getting what you deserve requires this understanding, as it is the basis for your ability to effectively negotiate. This requires some background, some homework, and a little bit of intuition.

The good part is that if you’re currently an employee of the desired company, you most likely have knowledge of their compensation. Also, the databank of information that you have accumulated during your business and sales career, no matter how long it has been, is useful.

One useful yet controversial “tool” that will help to define the landscape is called Glass Door. Many professionals from numerous occupations use this tool, and it is abused by just as many. One of the most common uses is to determine a baseline and as I explain further you will have better understanding of Glass Doors’ worth and veracity. I will provide a link to Glass Door’s site below, but first let me give you some caveats.

Glass Door depends on user/member reporting to build its database of information. Each participant must give up some information on himself or herself before having full access to the information provided by others in this database. It is extremely popular at this time, yet is probably to some degree a good place for “liars poker” as well. With that in mind, I suggest you take it with a “grain of salt.” It does not mean that you can’t use this in your quest for information, but you do need to do it with an understanding of the limitations of the tool.  You can get to Glass Door by using this link, or putting http://www.glassdoor.com in your browser.

Glass Door gives you salary information on a number of different positions, including those involving sales and service. Interestingly enough, that may include sales positions at your current employer, as well as sales positions at your prospective employer. It also factors in your geographic area as well.

This gives you a jumping off point, as you look to understand what sales professionals of like experience and position will make. Keep in mind the Glass Door is not limited to sales.  This tool gives you more information than salary, but…keep it in perspective.

Before we leave this brief discussion on salary expectations and requests we should also recognize that the salary probably should not be your driving issue. You’re driving issue probably should be total compensation, and that should will be driven by the strength or weakness of the sales compensation plan that you are on. You will need a solid review of the plan to get an idea of your earning potential.  You should ask questions liberally, and I would suggest that you see the mechanics of the plan using some real sales situations.

You should get this in spoken to in the offer letter.

Lock in your “Conditions”

I will simplify this to avoid confusion. Your “conditions” would be anything that is not salary and not employee benefit driven. This will include the following items:

• Territory
• Goal Expectations
• Expense allowance–per diem
• Company Vehicle
• Inherited business
• Inherited prospects
• Issues regarding assistance and support
• Expectations on any legal costs and issues regarding any non-competes or contracts

These items are important as well, and need to be negotiated just like the salary. I call them conditions because they are a condition of the agreement that should be observed by either party.  These are part of the employment agreement and should be discussed and recorded.

Above all, get it in writing.

Lock-in your benefits

This is ultra important, not because it makes the job any less difficult, but because it makes the working conditions palatable.

I would include in that discussion the following items:

Vacation
Personal days
Employee Benefit Issues

You may not be negotiating employee benefit issues as they should be going “by the book”, yet you should get definite clarification on these issues and have a meeting of the minds as you will feel abused if you lose a dispute about these in the future.

Above all, get it in writing as no one wants to hear what you understood to be the deal; they want to see the agreement.  Remember, as you have heard before, it is not what you know; it is what you can prove!

The Power of Commitment

I think that you know my sentiments reducing all agreements to writing.  It is best for both sides.  You should also be prepared to live with it.  You negotiate for a living, and this is the most important negotiation that you are going to be involved with for years to come.

Do your homework, and be knowledgeable.  Close the deal and get to the business of selling.  No one likes surprises!

Next Post will cover the actual salary negotiation.  Knowing the landscape definitely puts you in position.

Good luck and good selling.

We welcome your comments.  You can reach me at Michael.Parker@blacksalesjournal.com.

Sales professionals know that after the tortuous process of winning customers, account-by-account, it would be literally sinful to have your competitors wrest them from you.  There is truth to that, yet with it comes the fact that the only way that you can keep it from happening is to have a product that no one else offers.  Very few of you are fortunate enough to be able to say that.

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As difficult as the process of retaining customers can be, it is a luxury that others would be envious of.  The objective is to have that process be filled with relationship building, as well as experience sharing, coupled with unmatched service.  As far as your competitors, it will make the act of robbing you of your income and your customer so much more difficult.

Most Black sales professionals are working so hard to achieve general acceptance and get past the issues that constitute preference and perception that they are glad for the victory when they reach that goal.  Strengthening the relationship in the following ways could be the difference between being a good sales professional and being a ‘star’ sales performer.

Building that Wall Block by Block

Building that wall is a process.  Whether you are in B2B or B2P, the process is very similar.  Here are some of the main attributes:

• Make the buying experience memorable
• Master the Relationship
• Give unparalleled service
• Expose them to vertical relationships
• Treat them to horizontal relationships
• Give Recognition – Nominate them for Acclaim
• Communicate
• Call in Favors

Don’t think for a moment that relationship building is easy.  It is however the forte’ of the best sales professionals.  Why not you?

Make The Buying Experience Memorable – You cannot just win, you have to look good in doing so.  Gaining the account in the face of strong competition is great.  Winning because you are what the customer needs creates a value that others might not have.  If all else is equal, and you win because the customer perceives that his organization is better off because you are the expert that they need (BSJ – 12/20 Your Customer Needs an Expert) you can now begin the process of securing other sides to the structure you are building.  Being the Consummate Professional (BSJ – 3/7 Be the Consummate Professional) throughout the buying process is just as important.  Buyers may buy for a number of reasons, yet the composite is that they got a great value.  Part of that value is you.

Master the Relationship – You will need to excel in the relationship.  As stated in BSJ January 13th and January 20th, Deepening Your Customer Relationship 1&2, your job is to be the expert on this customer.  Establish a customer profile, and work it.  Know the buyer’s family, and his or her most important preferences.  Achieve the level of a  “business friend”, and “business consultant”, during the workday and a social acquaintance during off hours.  This constructs walls that generate a preference all their own.

Give Unparalleled Service – We have talked about giving unparalleled service before in BSJ (Black Sales Journal 1/13 – Deepening Your Customer Relationships).  It will separate you from the other sales professionals.  Remember, this is about being responsive.  Solid follow-up is at the heart of this one.  Do what you say you are going to do; by when you say you are going to do it.

Expose them to Vertical Relationships – You may shutter at this one because you shield your accounts from management, yet it works in a way that cannot be duplicated.  Your confidence as the quarterback will allow you to introduce them to your organizations upper, and in some cases top management.  They will not only feel important, they will feel privileged.  Arrange for them to meet the highest level you can muster.  Lunch or Dinner (if appropriate) could serve as solid forums to give them the feel they need for the organization.  Even a meeting in the office works.   The more important people you clients “know” the better off you are at their time of need.

Expose them to Horizontal and External Relationships – The horizontal relationships can be enriching as well.  Your service team, your sales assistant, and anyone else who helps you make it happen.  I also include in this your ability to include introductions to key accounts that have a like interest in business pursuits including suppliers, Chamber sand other membership groups, etc.  Be the resource that no one else can be for them.  Break the ice for them in relationships with other “like thinking” customers of yours that could benefit them, and build your wall.  They could increase their profits because of you.

Give them Recognition – Sometimes, recognition can go a long way.  An honor bestowed in the form of a luncheon for a customer’s management staff, and a $40.00 plaque can go a long way toward locking them in.  Sincerity in this award is important; yet even more important is doing it correctly.  Be there in person and give some amount of notoriety.  If covered correctly by their newsletter, you might be surprised how far it will go.  In your customer’s mundane world of supplying nuts and bolts, to be recognized as an innovator in warehousing, logistics, safety, and other notable areas is a proud moment.

Communicate, Communicate, And Communicate – You are never at a risk of over communicating.  Communicate early and often, monitoring your communications by summarizing and reducing it to writing.  Give bad news as early as you have it confirmed, and give your good information with the same pattern.  You will be rewarded with credibility, credibility, and more credibility.

Call In Favors – If there was ever some one to do if for, your best customers are it.  Call in favors for your best customers when necessary.  This means you need make sure that when you need it, you have the “capital” in your operation to get something done for your best customers whether it is exceptions or pricing influence.

The Best Value

If you do all of these things, it will represent the best value imaginable for your customer.  The customer will have an engaged, resourceful sales professional.  You will have a client who will always be a  “hard target” for any other sales professional to pick off.  You will need to be competitive, but not always low in price.  You will need a good product, yet not necessarily the industry leader.

The best is that so much of this focuses on you, the sales professional.  Over time, this is almost all about you.

Thanks for reading Black Sales Journal.  We welcome your comments. Reach me at Michael.Parker@BlackSalesJournal.com.