Sometimes you have to face the music.  Know when to let go, and how to do it.  This post will help with this enormous task. Sometimes a situation is “just not for you!”

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In Black Sales Journal we have talked about a lot of topics, many of them being fairly sensitive.  This topic is one of those that is practical, as the profession of sales, and certainly the plight of the Black sales professional can lead to some tough decisions.

There are many solid reasons to leave a sales position at an organization, but more reasons to stay and be successful.  But if you must leave, you must leave!  Organizations are ‘organic’, meaning they change and respond to their surroundings, but these organizations, and their sales functions are far from perfect.

But don’t expect perfection, as a matter of fact, expect imperfection and find a situation that favors you.  It is natural that organizations are imperfect, because the people that run these organizations are imperfect as well.

As you may remember from past issues of Black Sales Journal, you work directly for a person, not for the whole of ABC Corporation!  Your relationship is with a supervisor, manager, or in some cases an owner/principal (if it is a smaller firm).  Remember that issue because your ability to form productive and mutually rewarding relationships is the most important activity that you can undertake.  Relationships are everything!

8 Reasons to ‘Ditch’ Your Sales Job!

These are not the only eight reasons, but they are reasons that manifest themselves in many sales organizations, and some of them specifically affect Black sales professionals.  We talked about some of it in Black Sales Journal 4/7/11, When to Consider Moving On.  Take a look at this one as well.

Let me state before showing these items that I think there are things that stem from adversity that build character and sharpen focus.  Now character building and focus sharpening do not pay the rent or house note.  Make good decisions though and don’t run from difficult situations.  Gotta Go, Gotta Go!

Here we go:

You don’t believe in your product or service anymore – If you really don’t, this is a true reason.  If you don’t believe in it, it will undoubtedly show through in your work.  Find something else to sell, or you will be a faker, a hypocrite, or even worse, a liar.  Understand, you don’t have to believe in your product to sell it, but if you don’t, you won’t necessarily defend, promote, and evangelize the merits of the product to the degree necessary to be a premier sales professional.

You don’t believe in, or respect your company’s management – If it is your belief that your management is ‘Mickey Mouse’ or even worse, you obviously can still work there.  If it grates you to a big degree that they can’t get it right, you may need new management, and thus a new company.  If they can’t define the direction of the organization, or ‘waive like a reed in the wind’ constantly changing program and direction, you may desire new leadership

Your relationship with your sales manager is strained and irreparable – This one is simple, but complicated.  Here we are in the most important relationship you can have in the workplace.  If this one does not work naturally, or does not respond to some attention on your part, you have to ask yourself one question:  “Am I able to make it at this place without managerial support?”  If you pretty much can do it and enjoy the benefits of a solid income and work conditions, even without this relationship being ‘warm’, then I would try to hang in there.  Remember, managers turn over also!

You are working ridiculous hours and have literally no family or personal life – This one does not happen as much in the sales world as in some other office settings, but when it does happen, it is usually because of not having much sales support.  If that is the case, you need to measure the positives of the organization against the detriments.  If you are leaving at 5:30A and getting home at 7:30P with regularity and at the same time you are sure you are efficient at what you do, you probably need another situation.  Maintaining work-life balance is important or your mate will be stressed and your children will miss you.

Business ethics are an issue with your sales manager or company management – If you think that your manager, or your company’s senior management is unethical in terms of they way they treat people, finances, or laws, then it is time to go.  See Black Sales Journal 12/1/2011, Are You Ethical?Make sure that you have solid justifications, and then make your decision and go.  No needs for a spectacle, but if there is an ethics problem and you feel the need to state it, do it in your exit interview or in a well-spoken memo to human resources and your manager.  This one should come from your heart and your head.  If you really feel it, then you need to do it.  We are all known by the company we keep!

You cannot make enough money at this company – If you cannot make enough money to live on because of the compensation or remuneration system, you may need to give it up.  If you cannot make enough money based on the inferiority of the product, you may have to cut ties as well.  You have to be objective regarding your abilities and your effort and you need to ask the question, “How would I fare under another system?”

Stress is taking over your life and causing you medical problems including lack of sleep – If you are stressing over your sales position in such a way that you get no requisite sleep and rest and you are losing appetite, you are either in the wrong job or the wrong profession.  Things always get worse before they get better in employment situations, so begin your assessment as to whether the job, or occupation is for you, and if you need a change, start now.

The issues of racial fairness, and gender equity exist, and all means for remedies are shut down. – This is a big one.  If your manager, or managers are inherently unfair, at least, or potentially prejudiced or discriminatory, you have some decisions to make.  Note BSJ 12/20/2010 Preference, Perceptions, Prejudice, and Your Employer and recognize that the solutions get decidedly slim when you are dealing with the unfairness of racial discrimination.  Racial preference is one thing; prejudice is a whole different ‘ballgame’.  Put up the good and dignified fight, but if you sense the imperative to vacate, then it is understandable.

No matter what you do, leave with dignity, and as a professional. Never succumb to the pettiness of spite.  You are better than that.  In the near future, we will once again discuss remedies for injustices, but in most cases these items above are not injustices, just a bad systems and poor management.

Keep reading over the next few weeks and you will find out how to deal with many of these issues.

Your comments are welcome. You can reach me at Michael.Parker@BlackSalesJournal.com.

Are you objective enough to give yourself an accurate evaluation about your last sales call? In the end, your customer will give you the most important evaluation, but your ability to be true soon after the moment is a big part of continuous improvement. Don’t take it lightly!

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I once finished an important sales call at an important client with my manager.  I thought the sales call went well, but after the call, on the way back to the office, my manager said to me, “How do you think it went?”.  I quickly responded, “I thought it went well.  How do you think it went?”

My manager looked at me and said, “I thought you did a good job.  We will know what the customer thinks soon.”

He was right, we would know soon, but by then, the sales call might only be a memory.  We needed to do our sales post mortem (BSJ 9/22,The ‘Successful’ Post Mortem) then as an individual, you need to evaluate your performance as you look for ways to continuously improve (BSJ 4/19 Continuous Improvement – Get Better or Lose You Job).

I thought about it for a while, and envisioned a report card to use after major sales calls.  I just thought about it, and did nothing other than that.  I told a coworker about it, and he actually used the elements that I thought about and constructed something that I eventually re-developed and will show you.

The most important thing is to keep it as simple as possible.

To the Point

This is as simple as it gets.  A word document that scores some major categories and gives a letter grade of A, B, C, or D.  This simple scoring allows a numerical grade to be levied in this fashion:

A = 4

B = 3

C = 2

D = 1

What are you measuring?  Well we will define the categories shortly, but the important thing is that you self-grade based on your opinion of your performance in the following areas:

• Preparation & Organization
• Presentation
• Relationship Development
• Close
• Follow-up

Preparation and Organization– Did you do your homework, gather your information, and research the client, as you need to do?  Were you organized by having all of the information at your fingertips?

Presentation – Did you do a good job presenting to the prospect including the presentation documents, including sales collateral that you left behind.  Did you support your claims and offer proof statements, references, and testimonials as was necessary?

Relationship Development – Every touch to the prospect should enhance the relationship!  Did you enhance the relationship today?  Did you find out any more about your customer’s business than you knew before? Did you make yourself even more memorable?

Close – The close is obviously an important portion of the sales process.  Your technique, timing, and effectiveness are all important.  How did you technically do on the close?

Follow-Up – Did you close this out with a letter, card, or perhaps an email?  Did you complete any takeaways from the meeting quickly and responsively?  The job is not over until the takeaways are done.

Being Objective

So now that you have a system, you need to be objective.  You have 5 categories, but you can add more.  Remember, you need to keep it simple.  Grading 4 – 1 for each category and totaling your points cumulatively, and you will show a total score fore each self-evaluation.

Here is an example:

Preparation & Organization    4 points

Presentation                               3 points

Relationship Development      2 points

Close                                            3 points

Follow-up                                    2 points

Total                                            14 points/out of 20 Points

Clearly, your self-evaluation shows that you have some work to do, and you know it.  If you are willing to lie to yourself, you will never improve.  If you will remember the BSJ post on continuous improvement (Black Sales Journal 4/19 – Continuous Improvement – Get Better or Lose Your Job!), here are the weak points that you can focus on.

You may think this is overly simplistic, and will not work; yet I will disagree.  Any time you can focus on getting better, you are changing something!

Black sales professionals have significant challenges, and have much to do.  So why should you add to that?  Yes, it is the continuous effort to be the best.  Being the best comes from continuous improvement.   How do you know if you are improving?  You measure it.

If you are able to get consistent self-scoring of 18-20, you are maximizing your situations. Knowing that you are improving in the ways that will increase your future sales is important.  Yes, the ultimate measure is whether you make your sales goals.  This is meant to help you evaluate your weaknesses so you can consistently reach that goal.

I know several people who are using this or a similar grading system, and they like it.

Evaluate yourself and ‘keep score’.

Your comments are welcome. You can reach me at michael.parker@blacksalesjournal.com.