Black Sales Journal

There is nothing more rewarding than helping another sales professional reach their dream of having success in reaching their goals.

It is not easy to be a sales professional, so it is really not easy being a Black sales professional attempting to sell in a tough market.  It is actually a real “gut check” because you are dealing with a difficult economy, blurred lines of product differentiation, and in some cases competing distribution systems like the web.

If you are reaching your goals consistently and feeling success, then you need to think about the impact you could have on others.  You need to reckon with the fact that you could make a true difference in the life of a sales professional that might need some guidance.

Two Types of Mentors

The Definition of Mentor -  “A trusted counselor or guide” (Webster’s Online Dictionary).

In Black Sales Journal 1/27 – Do You Need A Mentor? – Actually You Probably Need Two! I suggested that there are two types of mentors that an aspirant sales professional might need.  Of course, someone needs to fill that void.

Below is an excerpt from Black Sales Journal 1/27 describing mentoring for those who might be seeking out a mentor.

Organizational mentor – An organizational mentor is someone who is employed in your organization. This individual walks the same halls and knows the “players” and the “game” in your company. It would be good if he or she has position power (front line manager or middle manager), yet not required.  A deep knowledge of the organization and its’ politics is important.  As with the sales mentor, it would be nice if this individual were Black, yet it is more important that this individual be willing to help regardless of color.

Sales mentor – A sales mentor is someone who has been there.  This individual has prospected, sold, and closed accounts.  He or she has developed a personal sales strategy, failed, repositioned, and succeeded.  This individual’s invaluable knowledge of the sales process and the sales environment will help the Black sales professional in the areas of realistically evaluating his/her sales effort, style, and results.  As a result of pigmentation being a game changer, it would be good if this individual were Black, yet not always possible.

Can You Play One of These Roles?

So for those of you with the skills, knowledge, presence, and willingness to help, which of these roles can you play?  Can you play both?  If you fit both descriptions, you can be both, yet the important thing is to be something more than a colleague to someone.

It is a fact that the role of mentoring does take time and effort, yet it is all well spent.  If there is a sales professional who is a colleague that is working hard to figure out sales, and the organization, and your skills are there, you should step in.  You get an opportunity to help, without any definition of the role, and in the process you hone your skills as a mentor.

With this in mind, I am suggesting that you mentor someone regardless of race or ethnicity.  You will find that when you are asked professional questions, that your answers get better each and every time.  You learn to say, “I don’t know”, and you learn to coach as opposed to provide answers.  You begin to think through things when no one is asking questions, in anticipation of a question being asked at some point.

Your understanding of how to explain the organization and the sales process within the organization becomes generally stronger, and this process gets you ready for a well-defined mentoring opportunity when the time comes that you need to be prepared.

Mentoring a Black Sales Professional

Best of all, when you have the opportunity to mentor someone who has the challenges that you had when you were a fledgling sales representative, you are prepared.  You know not to give all the answers, but to coach.  To allow them to use reason, cogent thought, and sound logistics in coming up with a course of action.  You know that being able to convey an understanding of the organization and the organization’s dynamics is as required as an intimate knowledge of the sales compensation plan.

Too many aspirant sales professionals come in and desire to work the system without understanding why the system exists.  You can do your part in giving frank and enriching conversation to someone new, and give him or her a start.

A Launching Pad for Management

As was discussed in Black Sales Journal 3/24, Are You Sales Management Material? there is no better start than mentoring.  Coaching and training in terms of sales and sales techniques, or even assisting one with their understanding of the organization is a way to be in line for a manager’s position.  There is no better endorsement for the job than to be in good standing on your role, while getting credit for helping others to get results as well.

A Reason Why

Many Black sales professionals quietly leave a job when things are not going right.  What am I saying when I say ‘quietly’?  You will look around and find out that they have left the organization, and no one even knows why.   This happens when someone new feel that all of the cards are a stacked against them.

In most situations the cards are not stacked against you as much as the organization, and the sales process are frankly difficult to understand without help.  Your help can be a career changer for someone in need.

Always remember, the process of mentoring can be done no matter what the color or sex of the individual.  The important thing is to give so that others have a chance.  If you are doing it already, you should be commended.  If not, it is never too late.

Go out there and make a difference

Sales will continue to be a difficult, but rewarding position.  We have had an opportunity to cover issues regarding the Black sales professional, the customer, and the employer, and their interactions in the course of business.  This is a complex relationship.

The effects of the 3Ps often have a role in the relationship.  For a refresher, the 3Ps play into the relationship in varying degrees; sometimes just below the surface, and sometimes playing a much more prominent role.  Today we will cover the reaction of the employer when prejudice rears its ugly head in the customer relationship, and how you might be affected.

The 3Ps Revisited

The 3Ps represent the untold in the workplace, beliefs, attitudes, and practices that can make it more difficult to succeed.  I will draw from the Inaugural Post of Black Sales Journal 11/2010, when they were first discussed.  Specifically, I termed it the “X” factor.

The 3Ps are:

• Perceptions
• Preferences
• Prejudices

Perceptions are hard to change, yet they are based on ones background, mindset, and their seat in the arena of life.

Preferences, quite simply, are what a person leans toward in their relationships, where their comfort level lies.

Prejudices are deep, often fueled by perceptions and one’s past, are deep enough to be actionable and problematic.

We went on to talk about the effect of these on your customer in Black Sales Journal – Preference, Prejudice, Perceptions and Your Customer) .  This post covered how you can work with your customer when one or all of the 3Ps are evident.

The most striking statement in the post was that of the elements of the 3Ps, the most insidious is Prejudice. It is the most problematic of the 3Ps, mainly because there is little that can be done about it. Take a moment to review The Inaugural Post of Black Sales Journal and you will see that when it comes to the customer and the 3Ps, prejudice has little or no solutions.

When Prejudice Rears Its Ugly Head

There is always a possibility that a new sales relationship can go south because of Prejudice and its effects.  When and if things go wrong, you will be faced with being in a ‘sandwich’ between an employer who wants to satisfy a customer, continue to reap revenue, and hopefully, wants to support their sales professional.

Your employer’s reactions will obviously be affected by his or her own 3Ps, and you should expect that will be a factor (Black Sales Journal 12/30/2011 Preference, Perceptions, Prejudice, and Your Employer).  As a matter of fact, Prejudice sometimes is unmasked when customers and prospects are handed out to a Black sales professional.  No one has an idea of how receptive the customer will be to the new relationship unless the customer has made statements or taken actions that reveal it.  I would rather see this distribution of business to the Black sales representative than have the employer avoid giving them the best prospects to others in anticipation of a negative response.

When the customer reacts unfavorably, you will get an education, as you will get an opportunity to see whether your employer stands behind you.

An Real Example

I was a Black sales representative in B2B sales who was assigned an account to service and hopefully sell additional business.  I was more than willing to accept, and take a chance on, any reassigned account, as it was a way to increase sales revenue.  I needed the account badly.

The account was medium in size, and although complicated, well within my capabilities as a sales representative.  After much preparation I made my first visit to the account to make my introduction and discuss a change in pricing on the account.  My sales manager accompanied me on the call as making changing pricing at that time was a touchy issue.

After the introduction it was obvious that the call was not going to be warm and fuzzy.  The customer, who was an older individual, sat motionless with a foul expression even before the increase in price was discussed. Once pricing was discussed, the customer slammed his hand down on the desk “This is bull _ _ _ _ , you are trying to put me out of business!”.  “I will not accept this!  Get the hell out of my office!” he ranted.  We made a feeble attempt to explain the pricing but were told again to “Get out now!”

We gathered our materials and made a hasty retreat.  The buyer followed us through the open office, full of his employees, ranting at us.

On our drive back to the office, my manager and I discussed the call and it was obvious that neither of us expected the reaction, price increases were happening everywhere and ours was modest compared to others.

Upon arriving at the office the Regional Sales Manager (my sales managers boss) called me to discuss.  The customer had called him and advised that he was ticked  and that they were going to move their business if a change was not made.   I told the Regional Sales Manager that I had done everything possible on the pricing.  He said to me “It is not the pricing that he wants to change, he wants you off of the account.  He advised that he was not going to work with you based on your race.”  I knew from the conversation that he was sparing me the actual comments made.

Then came a statement that changed my life.  He indicated that he told the account that if that is the way you feel, “He is our sales representative, and if you work with us, you will work with Michael.  If not, we will, at your suggestion, terminate your account.”  The account ‘fired us’ later that day he indicated that he was moving his business and never would return.

It was a modest loss of business for my company but a huge boost in my confidence.  My company had stood behind me!  Quite frankly, I appreciate what the sales manager did and I will never forget it.  There is no greater endorsement of a professional than to have the support of their employer.

Conclusion

I know that this example is unlike others, yet in backing a business resource, a devoted employee, I tend to think that the employer made out well.

Every situation and every company are different.  When I managed sales professionals, my actions had a sympathy to the sales professional involved as well as the customer.

Lesson learned:  Customers are always important, but the customer is not always right!

We appreciate your responses.