Black Sales Journal

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, and 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!

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.

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.