This post helps you confirm your position in the sales hierarchy.  You will continue to develop and grow, but at some point your skills, process, and attributes are in place.  Read all three in order and construct the sale persona that fits you best.  Always be the professional.

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I hope you had an opportunity to read the Ultimate Sales Professional Part Part I and II as they covered much ground. Ultimate Sales Professional Part I (6/6) systematically covered the traits that the ultimate sales professional utilizes to his or her advantage. Ultimate Sales Professional, Part II (6/10) covered the activities that this consummate sales professional employs every day.

In Part III we will draw it together as we talk about those finishing touches that make this individual coveted by customers and sales organizations alike. These items by themselves don’t close the deal, but when coupled with the traits and activities we’ve covered previously, they change the game.

The Difference Makers….

This professional is a difference maker.  These items below are a sampling of some of the most important activities and strengths that are undertaken:

Closing Two Sales at Once – The individuals strengths and character allows the concepts of closing two sales at one time.  One sale is based on the company you represent and its arsenal of products and services.  The next all important sale is that although you are different because of your pigmentation, you are the best sales professional to handle the needs of the customer’s organization now and in the future. Master this skill and you begin the process.  (Black Sales Journal 5/26/2011, The Black Sales Professional – Closing Two Sales at Once.)

Knowledge of the Sales Environment - This individual knows about the 3Ps Perceptions, Preference, and Prejudice, and knows how to handle them.  This is a stable business environment for Black sales professional. It is very slow to change.   For this seasoned professional, there are no excuses, and no time wasted trying to convince those who are stalwart against progress that they should listen.  Energy is spent in the right place, with the right customers, and money is made. With quotas and goals, time is of the essence.  (Black Sales Journal 5/19/2011, A Deep Dive on the Issue of Customer Perceptions, Preference, and Prejudice)

Mastery of Selling Styles – I am saying “styles” for a reason, as mastery of numerous styles is necessary serves to make this professional ‘ready for primetime’.  Knowing when to be a technical seller, relationship seller, consultative seller and other well know styles will make this individual versatile, and eventually successful.  Remember that all buying styles are not the same, and all selling styles follow that same simple fact.  (Black Sales Journal 5/12/2011, Selling Styles – Which One is Right for You?)

Believes He/She is the Difference – This professional recognizes that even if you are selling a commodity, the difference is “YOU!” A recognition of the ways that the professional can “Package” the product is important, and the sales professional who stands behind it can be the real difference.  Know your product, and ‘design’ your packaging.  The difference really is “YOU.”  (Black Sales Journal 2/24/2011 – Selling a Commodity? – the Difference is You!)

Knows Management Expectations – This individual knows his/her manager, and recognizes the true importance of that relationship. This professional knows that ‘managing’ the sales manager is a necessary reality and doing it is intelligent and necessary.  This is nothing devious or wrong by any means, and it is underpinned by strong and solid communications.  This is the most important relationship you will have at your job, and mastering this relationship changes your plight.  On top of all else, you always must perform. (Black Sales Journal 8/18, 6 Tips on ‘Managing’ Your Sales Manager)

Manages Relationships at Work – This individual does not get so close to anyone that it could hamper the possibility of promotion or additional responsibilities.  Relationships are managed, and reasonable, and the social activities are above  question by anyone.  This professional is about business and has knows the need to “mind his/her own business.”  It does ‘worlds’ for the professional persona.  (Black Sales Journal 5/23, Friends at Work)

Changes Racial Perceptions – This professional helps to change racial perceptions by being the consummate professional, showing superior performance in all aspects of manners, skills, and personal interactions.  Coupled with being more responsive than other professionals, you have an individual whose exemplary performance “opens doors” for other Black sales professionals, and Black professionals from all walks of life.  (Black Sales Journal 6/9, Changing Racial Perceptions)

No matter how hard any of us work, we can always be improving these skills and attributes.  Always remember that the strength of a true professional is that they engage in continuous improvement.

In Summary

I could have constructed more posts on this subject, yet I think that you get the hint.  The most accomplished sales professional of any color is working on these items.  Only a slight few would ever have all of them conquered.  What is more important is that if you realize the power in these items and the last few posts, you will know that moving toward it is a great step in itself.

I certainly did not have all of these as sales professional.  I had enough of them to be good at my profession, yet I was not the Ultimate Sales Professional. I qualified for sales conferences and received bonuses, as well as got recognition and a set of  promotions.  Frankly it felt good.  I could not see the whole picture.  Some of that lack of vision was my business immaturity, and the other was seeing the whole picture from so many other positions and angles.

It was not until having the vantage point of being a field sales manager, regional sales manager and other roles all the way up to an executive vice president that I could see the most successful sales professionals and their undeniable strengths.  Couple that with the knowledge and scars which come the difficulties of selling as a Black sales professional leads me to the assertions in the last three posts in this journal.

You don’t need to wait to formulate that vision.  It is being shared with you.  Add to this your own special traits and it truly can be done, and “You” are the one that can do it.  I hope you will use these points to help get you there.

I appreciate your comments.

Many of us have been there before, and thus the need for this post.  A tough interim or mid-term review is sobering, and if you are in sales it is easy to have a couple of tough quarters.  The importance of this is apparent when it gets to writing.  Use this post, to prepare for this important upcoming event, or to respond to a difficult mid term that has already happened.

Are you currently on a performance program? Remember, you must be on top of your game, and working all of the time.  You might refer to BSJ 4/30/2011, Are You on A Sales Performance Program? Can You Beat it?

Remember, this is the mid-term, and there is some time left to get goals, but you must do something different, or the results will be the same. This post was from last July but applies now as much as any interm period.

Never give up.

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If you are with a fairly large organization, you have probably recently experienced an interim or mid-term review.  As trite as it sounds, you knew it was coming; yet it is one of the least enjoyable activities for a sales professional.  Having someone tell you where you stand in comparison to a goal that you had no choice but  agree to.

Historically, that is the nature of sales.  Review Black Sales Journal – 1/10 Preparing for the Performance Appraisal that discusses the performance appraisal process and the sales professional.  These points are applicable here, yet I am highlighting “what is after the interim appraisal” as a result of the urgency getting on track, meeting goals, and having a successful last 5 months.

Do Something Different!

This is not an issue if you had a great interim review as you are on track, although you need to remain there.  The problem comes when the interim or mid-term was problematic, exposing what even you have to agree are sub-par sales results and as a result low attainment.

When you are in that mode you have reasons to despair and frankly, I can tell you I have been there. It is a place that you don’t want to be as you are up against a clock (actually the calendar) and you know something has got to change, or you won’t be there down the road.

The real deal is that you might not be doing anything wrong, yet you might not be doing enough right.  Something new has to be tried, and now is the time to do it.  I will propose a few things that may help; yet you cannot stop the normal sales process while you execute them.

Those items are as follows:

• You must increase your prospecting effectiveness.  It is a proper activity for even those who are having success.  Please to refer to Black Sales Journal 2/10, Prospecting Tips For Black Sales Professionals.  Making your prospecting activities most effective will include changing, yet it is still an activity that is basically short-term that will yield dividends.
• Reckon with the numbers game that prospecting represents.  There is no doubt that there is a formula that successful prospecting continually requires.  See this in Black Sales Journal 2/28, How Many Prospects Do You Really Need? You must know your success formula, and make it happen.  The formula is different based on your own effectiveness.  I might be able to make my numbers with fewer prospects, based on my own approach and characteristics.
• Continue to work hard.  There is no magic in this statement.  You can increase your effectiveness and recognize your prospecting formula and the numbers that make it work; yet you still can do more.  Here is where you put it into high gear.

Here are some activities that you can do that you might not be doing right now:

• Utilize networking as a prospect source
• Use seminars as a prospecting tool

Networking can be a very effective prospecting source.  It does take work and some planning, yet proper networking will change the prospect base you are exposed to as well as create face-to-face opportunities for prospecting intimacy.  I went deep in this topic in Black Sales Journal 2/21, Networking for the Black Sales Professional.  Using networking effectively is possible in the short term and can be done while the normal prospecting activities continue.

Seminars can be extremely effective.  Done correctly, this activity can be more effective that networking, yet require more preparation, and potentially some resources.  Black Sales Journal 3/24, Finding Prospects Though A Seminar gets deep into this activity that I am partial to.  Now to make this activity work, you do need to have a group that has some has some commonality in buying habits, product needs, industry type, or other characteristics just as the 3/24 post describes.  Once you pull a group together like this, and deliver a message a message with value, you will potentially have followers, prospects, and some customers that you may never have been exposed to.  It would help to be an expert, or regarded as one, yet not necessary.  If you are not an expert, you should engage one to speak to your group, and as is described in the post, keep meticulous records and do not let anyone in, or out, without their contact information, especially their email.

In Summary

These are tactical activities.  They do not replace normal prospecting but can supplement that activity.  You cannot make it in sales without prospecting and need to face that important issue if you have problems there.

Prospecting is the price of admission to being successful sales professional.  Prospecting Tips For Black Sales Professionals were designed specifically for up and coming Black sales professionals in recognition that if you are going to be in this profession, you will need them to smooth out the difficulties of sourcing prospects.

Be effective and prosper.

We welcome your comments.