Black Sales Journal

I was gifted by having a good sales manager in my career, and I considered myself a solid responsive sales manager when it was my turn.  Remember, you will not know every reason why your sales manager does something, but you will be intuitive as to whether your manager is working in your interest.  Read this and give it some thought.

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Your sales manager can be your biggest asset.  They can have a profound effect on your income, your job title, and your longevity in your position.  If they are a successful manager, they do many activities that help you find success, yet by text book definition, the role of management is to plan, organize, lead, and control (POLC).

That description is certainly not a listing of activities that they do as much as the categories that the tasks would be assigned to.  The management role can be the most positive thing about a sales job, or it could be one of the most negative.  The person in the role will make all of the difference.

The unit sales manager or field sales manager will find and hire talent, provide important training, and will manage the ‘troops’ in the effort to make quotas.  No one is more important in the role of a new sales professional.  Additionally, if this person is good at the job, no one is more instrumental in the role of a successful sales professional, even if it’s because he removes obstacles, and stays out of the way.

I am going to share three key points that one of my former managers taught me in the course of his management of my early sales career.  I am not saying that I agreed with all of these points when I worked for him, yet it was amazing in how clear the logic was once I got into sales management.

Do the Most Important Things First!

When I was a young sales professional, I had a manager (I will call him Jim) who always had stellar sales results.  He constantly challenged the sales professionals and could mix in this motivation with some rather ‘pointy’ jabs about your performance.

He was in sales management for well over 30 years, and he knew the turf.  He was hopelessly impatient and let you know it at every turn.  His knowledge of the sales process well exceeded his product knowledge, yet believe me, he was extremely effective.

We would have meetings about our sales funnel prospects that would rival scenes from some of the greatest sales movies (such as Glengarry Glen Ross, 1992, David Mamet) and there was no doubt as to who was in charge.  The process was fluid and the expectation was simple…sell, sell, and sell.

Here are three primary points that he paid attention to:

Pay attention to the most important factors and work them!

He knew that a couple of the items that were most important were prospecting and quoting, and you could not find a rock to hide under that could shield you if you did not do these activities.  It was clear evidence that if you were doing the ‘grunt’ work, that you could have some success even if other facets were weak.

Jim would shield you from upper management, to a degree, if you were doing the most important things and making money for you and him.  The practice was successful as his units had the highest sales numbers, and he provided the highest amount of challenge, sarcasm, and support.  Eventually you would have to do some things that he did not think were important either, yet the real testament to his flexibility was that he knew when it was important to ‘show’ well.

Pay attention to your most productive sales professionals, and get the most out of them while you groom the next star for your unit.

Jim qualified for all of the sales trips because he know this important fact that.  His power and influence came from having the unit be on top.  I cannot say that I always agreed with the approach, yet it worked for him.  He knew that he had some ‘horses’ that he could ride in the present, and he would need more firepower in the future, and that was a constant vigil.  In the beginning, I was obviously opposed because when I was one of those ‘newbies’ who needed help as I found my time pre-empted by some of the veteran sales professionals.

I learned that the unit had to survive, and be on top, and that was to all of our benefit.  Having a conversation about it would not have helped, as no one wants to hear that someone else was more important.  In the end I eventually got my time, and made the most of it.

‘Smell the Breath’ of the Customer!

Be on as many calls as you can reasonably do, so that you can bring the message from the customer back to the organization.  Jim knew that if he stayed at the office that he would never have a complete feel for why sales efforts fail.  He decided that attention would be given to those who took him out to present quotations, or even to develop key prospects.

He knew that he could better explain our weaknesses in program and pricing to upper management if he heard it from the buyer without filter.  Additionally, relationships were out there to make, and being in front of the buyer allowed this to happen.

The best sales manager leads in this way, and controls in this way.  Leading sales professionals from the office does not work.  You have got to go out and ‘smell the breath of the customer’, and Jim did not take that lightly.

Relationships happen for good reason when there is a ‘connection’, and Jim was able to make connections that I was not able to make.

The Wrap-up

So when you ask that inevitable set of questions:

Why the heck is she always on me about prospects?  I feel as if I have a babysitter!

Or

What do I have to do to get some attention here?  This is ridiculous.  He spends way too much time with those two guys.

Or

What is going on with this pressure to go out on calls with me, does he not trust me?  I can’t believe that he wants to go with me…again!

You may have the answers above.

Your comments are always welcome.

Think about the best sales professional that you know!  This person does those vital things differently, and does some of them in different amounts.  Overall, they have determined what is important, and they execute them things better. Read this and touch the links to see a great picture of the true sales professional.

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In previous posts of Black Sales Journal, such as Black Sales Journal 12/16/2010, The Seven Success Essentials of the Black Sales Professional, we examined being the Consummate Professional.  Many of you are very professional already, and this will be a refresher.  This is a great step to being the best and most effective sales professional possible!

Let me first advise, being the consummate professional will never be easy, as it involves preparation, study, forethought, and an exhaustive effort to be “the best” at what you do.  The more difficult aspect of being the best is sustainability and consistency.  You will know that you are ‘the consummate professional’ when you sustain it as part of your personal culture.  The Black sales professional who sustains this culture will be successful!

Being the Consummate Professional is Important

The consummate professional is someone who is effective, efficient, relationship driven, and visionary.  Promises are made, commitments are kept, and there is empathy for the problems of the customers.  Solutions are adequate and on time, because the professional has ‘actively listened’ as opposed to having ‘heard’ the problems, and has prioritized the delivery of the response properly.

Here is my version of the Consummate Professional Checklist:

The Consummate Professional is:

• Punctual
• Empathetic
• Attentive
• Knowledgeable
• Organized
• Responsive
• Visionary

This checklist forms the foundation for the most solid professional performance for the sales professional, and it also benefits the customer, and the organization.

Let’s Look at Each One

Punctual – Most of you know this, but the punctual professional is seldom if ever late.  Recognize that there is a psychological advantage to being the one that is on time.  It never hurts to have your prospect or customer start out with a brief apology for their tardiness, as it indicates you mean business.  Be punctual to a fault.  Treat your prospects and customers with respect; value their time.

Empathetic – Be genuine in your empathy.  Know enough about your customer’s business to be empathetic.  Recognize why they need your product, why they are hesitant to buy, and how to rephrase and restructure your product explanations to make a consultative sale.  The customer’s business model, market, or timing could get in the way of your sales process, the more you know the better opportunity you have to show the attributes of your product.

Attentive – This means being an ‘active listener’.  When you couple this with empathy, you get someone who is aware and understands the situation.  This gives a powerful edge.  The sales professional that understands proposes the right solutions at the right time.  Practice listening actively with all of your customers and potential clients.

Knowledgeable – This area speaks volumes.  There are many areas of knowledge that you should excel in:

• Product
• Territory
• Industry
• Process
• Competition

You might think this too much to master, yet it is a continuous process of learning and retaining.  You might refer to Black Sales Journal 12/20/2010, Your Customer Needs an Expert where we discussed being an expert in Product, Industry, and Territory.  Also note that knowing the competition is an extremely effective strategy.  The competitive landscape changes constantly.  The customer may not give you 100% credibility, yet your views will be listened to.

Organized – Being organized is essential.  Plan your appointments, your workday, and your workweek to the max.  Nothing ever goes totally as planned, yet in reality being organized allows one to prioritize well and be more effective.  Prospects and customers know when you are unorganized by the condition of your briefcase, and sometimes by your delivery.

Responsive – This is a big one!  There are many components that define responsiveness.  Many of the issues have to do with communications, timeliness, and solving problems. You need to return phone calls within less than 24 Hours.  This is a must.  Nothing ‘frosts’ a potential customer like not being able to receive a response to a call or email.  Communicate early and often.  Deliver your bad news as soon as you are sure of the response.  Work to find solutions, and when you cannot produce the desired result, frankly and honestly let your customer know.

Responsiveness also involves responding to customer requests for new products, new services, as well as improvements and betterments in the current offerings.   Listening and working to solve issues exhibits responsiveness.

Visionary – The more knowledge you have of all types, and the more understanding you have regarding your customer and your own company, the better chance you have to find creative real-time solutions.  Being able to see down the road is important.  Anticipate your customer’s needs well in advance as your customer’s organization, and your organization changes over time.  As an example, anticipate the move to retail outlets by your manufacturing customer and be prepared to respond.  Forecast your customer’s need to manufacture in less labor costly areas, and give distribution and supply suggestions that will make them profitable, and you a star.

Be up to date on current events here and abroad, and by all means know what is happening with their competition.  This might sound like a lot, yet in this age of electronic media, it can be done.

In Summary

As a Black sales professional, there are few tactics that will have as much impact as being “the Consummate Professional”.  You might want to check out the following items for a little more “in depth” discussion.  These are links to past Black Sales Journal posts that cover them in detail:

• 7 Success Essentials for the Black Sales Professional (12/16/2010)
• Your Customer Needs an Expert – Make It You! (12/20/2010)
• Preference, Perceptions, and Prejudice and Your Customer (12/27/2010)

Always remember, your customer wants to work with a professional.  It can be you!

We would love your comments.