Black Sales Journal

You have managed to get a return call, then an appointment.  Your ultimate goal is a sale, yet the buyer does not know you from “the man on the moon.”  You know that your company is good, your product superlative, and you are a darn good sales professional.  So what is missing?  Sometimes it is credibility.  That bit of assurance that you know what you are talking about, will act in the interest of the customer, and will be there for the tough times.

There Are Some Things Money Can’t Buy

You cannot buy credibility.  It is something that you earn.  It is an aura that will exude from your persona and it will seldom be questioned if you do the right things.  It is impossible for you to claim it.  That label will have to be bestowed on you by the people you sell to and sell for.

Someone has to believe that you are believable, accept your instructions with minimal concerns, and write a check or surrender a charge card without seeing a product in many cases.

Earning Credibility

You make the sales process easier by establishing strong credibility.  Chances are you already have it with some of your customers.  The trick is that you should be able to expect it by all as you work the sale process.  It is something that starts with you, and is enhanced by familiarity if you make every interaction a quality interaction.

Sources of Credibility:

Appearance – Appearance is important.  Dress as a professional.  No one takes a clown seriously, and if you don’t dress properly, they won’t give more than a laugh either.  Always be presentable.  Remember, you represent your organization and yourself…there is no casual day.  Don your uniform, it will keep you in character, and set you apart from those that don’t know the drill.

Be Client Focused – Use every interaction, Meetings and phone to reinforce that you are client focused.  Know your clients needs and anticipate the ones they will need in the future, and exhibit it.  If you take care of your clients, they will take care of your company, and you!

Be Responsive – Do what you say you are going to do, by when you say you are going to do it.  Answer the phone, return phone calls, and be on time for appointments.

Communicate Often and Early – Don’t assume anything and deliver bad news as soon as possible.

Be discreet – Never share customer information with other customers…never.  Once you do, in an effort to drop names or seem important, your customer will assume that you will share information about their operation with others as well.  Your quest will be over before it starts if you do that.

Exhibit integrity – Always tell the truth.  If you don’t know the answers, then admit it.  Always be the corporate citizen that you would like to work with.  No jokes about race, disability, ethnicity or otherwise.

Be an Expert – Always know your own product or service.  Know your customer’s industry

Be a Master of the Sales Process – Know how to probe, support, summarize, and close, and when to do it.  Moving the process along, without heavy pressure helps to create urgency without seeming like a “used car salesperson.”

Always Have References – It gives credibility when you can show who believes in you.  It shows preparedness to have references including phone, address, and titles ready to hand to a customer.  Make sure you have references

Have Proof Sources – It is wise to always have proof sources for the claims of your company’s product.  A buyer/customer will be impressed when you can provide names of customers, especially customers within your prospect’s industry.  Make sure you have permission from those who you will use.

A Real Example

Much business is done over the phone.  As a matter of fact as a result of travel costs and increases in territory many professionals work many states, and numerous customers by phone, they may never see you in person.  I was in charge of an operation and was solicited by a sales professional (I will say that loosely) from a software firm who was selling a prospect management system.  I listened to the sales pitch even though I was not going to make the final decision on a system like that.  The individual then told a joke about marriage that offended me in the way it referred to women.

Was his product good? Was he a product expert? Was he client focused?  The answers to this might have been yes, but I was not going to refer him to our buyer.

The lesson is that not paying attention to several of the items above can remove you from contention as a business partner for an organization.

Summary

You have seen most of these items at some point or other in Black Sales Journal posts.  I cannot be more serious about the fact that after you work hard to get credibility, that you can lose it quickly by doing the wrong thing.  Now the best part is that many of you are there already.  You know how hard it was to get the credibility that you deserve.

Your references are in place, and your product knowledge superb.  You have an opportunity to benefit from all of that work.

Always be your best.

Your comments are welcome.

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