In a world of tattoos, hair styles, and social media, so many want to be ‘individuals’.   If you are an entertainer or artist life can be different.  When it comes to to professionals who sell or represent a company, be yourself, but also be employed.  Sales may not be unique in its level of internal and eternal visibility, but it is special.  The customer makes it that way!

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This is an interesting topic, and that is why we would like to cover it here.  God has given us the gift of being different.  We come from so many backgrounds that it is difficult to point them all out.  There are as many variations in our culture as there are reasons to rejoice about it.

I am going to give a definition of your culture that is slightly shortened from Webster’s Online Dictionary (Definition of Culture):

The integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.  Additionally, the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social groups.

In other words, that which is part of you because of your surroundings and your past including that which is learned and absorbed, and that which you will be passing on to others.

This is a broad interpretation.  I think you will agree that it is interesting that culture, in the form of one’s diverse background can actually be a lightening rod for criticism or even a reason for exclusion in the world of corporate employment.  Comfort, likeability, even preference is affected by one’s background, color, and certainly culture.  Now these are not synonymous at all, they just blend to make a concoction that many employers avoid drinking.

Decisions on hiring, promotion, and even things as simple as who gets referrals and redistributions are done on the basis of how you are perceived.  Is it always fair?  I am more than certain that it is not!

What Are You Suppressing?

It is always wise to be yourself while in the office or work environment, as it is easier that way.  But…the self you need to be is the one that not only got you hired, but the one that can sustain your employment.  I am not saying you should be a chameleon.  You need to know how to be you, the business professional during the hours that you are selling the services and products that provide your living.

The workplace is a vessel of many principles and traditions.  You don’t have to conform to all of them, yet need to know which ones are important enough to follow so that you don’t damage your chances of success.

Suppress your culture?  Suppress it only if your culture runs afoul of the principles and traditions of your customers and your employer, and then, you only need to suppress it at work.  Should you wear your culture on your sleeve while you are at work?  I think you will agree that the answer is a resounding NO!

Let’s be Practical

Here is a brief look at some of the situations that commonly occur just to give some practical perspective.

Promotion - Your interview for a promotion is much anticipated.  You are working, in a conservative industry (commercial banking), for a conservative bank.  What do they expect from you in terms of your delivery, your approach to customers, your educational background, and your appearance?

Job Interview - You are in search of a position fitting your years of experience and your success in the past.  You are known as a solid sales professional and you want to move up in position by taking a sales manager role.  In addition to all else, your results have indicated that you are the likely candidate.  What will get you hired in this coveted position?

Reduction in Force - You are a solid performer, yet you recognize that they are considering layoffs in your sales department.  You feel you are a key performer, yet realize that there are others who have done a good job as well.  Your numbers are solid, and your product and industry knowledge are exemplary.  How are they going to make that decision as to who stays and who goes?

In each of these examples, there are two common denominators.  One is the fact that you are competing against others.  The other is that you still have a customer who has expectations from a business standpoint.

Note that you still deal with the forces of the 3P’s, Perceptions, Preference and Prejudice. Cultural diversity can and will sensitize this.  Whether you are black, brown, tan, yellow, or white, you need to recognize that if you are race neutral in your professional manner, you have a better chance of professional success.

I don’t care whether you are white or brown, if your organization has a policy against dreadlocks, braids, and Mohawks, you may want to avoid fighting it, and consider a profession or employer who does not care.  Keep your individuality, and exercise it when you are on your own time.

If tattoos and piercings are part of your culture or appearance, you should consider a sales career where those things don’t matter.  Most sales careers are not the place to be too different as there is a customer out there who will make the decision on degree of difference.

There is no doubt that you need to be the image of the consummate professional in the customer’s eyes.

Is this Selling Out?

This is a good question.  This is the business that you have chosen!  What I am actually saying is that you must play the professional role in this theater.  Be as different as you want during your off hours.  Your alternatives to conforming are self-employment and other careers.  You are not selling out by being the professional, it is what is expected.

One Last Word

You can be an activist in the street, a militant about social issues, or a pacifist about conflict. Be what you are!  I am advocating that when it comes to professional sales, be the consummate professional (while at work) and recognize that you need to be in a mode that gives the customer confidence.  Be professional in your appearance and you will make the inroads with the customer, and win in your earnings issues.

It can be done.  It is done in sports and in many other arenas.

Be the best!

Your comments are welcome. Write me at michael.parker@blacksalesjournal.com.

The date which we celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday is upon us.   Dr.  King talked of character, and I discuss a professional’s sales character  in this post.  Character is important, and it is what you will be judged by in your professional career.  It is the basis of a meaningful relationships.

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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke eloquently regarding the future saying:

“…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King 8/28/1963

This speech delivered by this iconic individual symbolizes that there will be a day when skin color and race are not used as determinants of a ‘man’, but strength of mind, morality, independence, individuality, and other qualitative factors would be the measure used for judgment.

Obviously we are not there yet, or there would be no need for Black Sales Journal.  Progress has been made no doubt, yet there is still significant work to do.

Black Sales professionals have a lot to offer, and I will quickly define what I will call “sales character” which makes a real difference in professionals.  When you examine sales character, you are looking at some qualities that make a real difference in any sales professional.

The Attributes

I would describe these characteristics or attributes as those that greatly contribute to the content of one’s sales character:

• Ethical
• Mentally Tough
• Persistent
• Responsive
• Innovative
• Humility

There are probably more that qualify; yet these are high on the list.

Ethical – Solid ethics are important in everything, but extremely important in sales, where trust and honesty have high relative importance.  I went in depth on this subject in Black Sales Journal 12/1/2011- Are You Ethical?

Mentally Tough– Strength and toughness are qualities that make up the sales persona of any true professional.  It is so important in this ‘lonely’ profession that if you don’t have it, you should consider another professiona.  Rejection, most of which is not personal, abounds, and this requires a business stubbornness that is somewhat unique to this profession.  Visit Black Sales Journal 12/29 Mental Toughness – Asset For the Black Sales Professional for a review of this valuable topic.

Persistent – Persistence is a trait that makes the sales professional special.  Prospecting activities that bear no fruit are an obstacle to many.  The persistent sales professional who makes 24 calls knows that the 25th may result in an appointment, and also knows that the 26th may bear fruit as he knows his or her metrics and success ratio with making appointments.  I worked at a place once that had a monetary Persistency Bonus for those who kept pushing and pushing.

Responsive – You are responsive because you have customers and an employer who depend on you.  Customers have needs and expectations and deserve a sales professional who can make them a priority.  The employer counts on the sales professional for more than just sales, as service and territory coverage are important as well.  A great reference would be BSJ 6/16 Responsiveness – The Objective of the Sales Professional.

Innovative – The ability to come up with solutions that work in real time is what innovation gives.  Sales professionals also suggest changes in product and process that benefit the customers.

Humility – This one is tough for many sales professionals whose confidence level and sense of being the integral cog overshadows all else.  Being able to credit an associate or sales team is a must.  It is difficult for many professionals even though it should not be.  An associate who dances on the desk after a significant sale does not get it!  Spend that time crediting your associates and act like you have been in the end-zone before.

Real Life

Real life gives you things that you can’t even make up.  Truth be told, it can also give you characters could be on the silver screen.

I gave this example in Black Sales Journal, in Are you Ethical? The Question for All (12/1/2011).  This section was entitled “Even When No One Is Looking!”

I was once riding in a company vehicle with a sales rep and the customer to a business lunch in the Chicago area.  We were coming to a toll both and the rep reached into a bag and grabs a coin, which he deposited in the automatic toll basket and we were allowed to proceed.  At that time the toll was 25 cents.  On the way back from the successful lunch, he did the same.  As he did it, I looked at the bag, which must have had 200 or more coins and inquired as to how he got that many quarters.  He indicated that they were not quarters, but after a recent trip to Mexico he had a bag of centavos that were essentially worthless here.

Remember, this is in front of the customer.  Our customer heard him admit to using worthless foreign coins in the toll basket.  If you were the customer, how would you feel about this reps credibility?  What would you think about the organization that you were doing business with as you witnessed him doing it in front of his manager?

We had to terminate the rep (I refuse to call him a sales professional).  Let’s look at it from an employer’s view.  This unethical individual did the following:

• Sullied his image and the organization’s image in front of the customer creating doubt as to our ethics and credibility
• Engaged in a civil wrong which might have carried criminal penalties as well
• Committed expense fraud as he also received reimbursement for fraudulent expenses

I contacted the customer as I introduced the new sales rep.  I apologized for the fact that our representative did what he did, and explained that I had someone who was solid who would take care of him.  The customer said the following to me, “I really wondered about what organization would allow its employee to cheat like that.  I liked [him] but realized that I did not know him well enough to trust him.”  The customer was watching my response as much as he was watching the actions of the rep.

Summary

I know there are other traits and characteristics, yet these are truly important.  I say we all will be judged by the “content of character” as sales professionals at some point.  Our customer’s and our employer’s notice our character.

Be the best!

Your comments are welcome.  Write me at michael.parker@blacksalesjournal.com.