Black Sales Journal

Some times you have to face the music.  Know when to let go, and how to do it.  This post will help with this enormous task. Sometimes a situation is “just not for you!”

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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 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. You can reach me at Michael.Parker@BlackSalesJournal.com.

Amazingly enough, it is still not too late to be the first! Being the first is an important role in American society.  It is equally important in business.

I am going to use cite one iconic American company as an example. As a matter of fact, it is more than symbolic, because this organization took a leadership role.  This is a brief study in how an organization handles diversity.

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Let’s revisit a true sales pioneer and trailblazer, Thomas J. Laster. His ability to deal with racial preference, racial discrimination, and acts of racial prejudice are legendary.  We cannot avoid giving kudos to International Business Machines (IBM) in their effort to promote diversity.

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A Leader in More Ways than One

In 1946 International Business Machines, also known as IBM, hired its first black sales representative. It was an individual named Tom (T.J.) Laster. This was well before the Civil Rights Act of 1963.  This act was also well before the Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier inprofessional baseball.  This was not a beauty products company, or someone selling durable goods products to the Black community, this was a business products company that was on the technical leading edge, and selling their product to basic ‘white’ America’s businesses.

The audience that Laster was something to was decidedly in the majority. If we think we see racial prejudice and racial preference, we need to recognize that we see nothing like this gentleman was faced with during his tenure as a sales professional.  A couple of years later, Laster joined the 100% Club, an honor for reaching his sales quota.  This was affirmation to many that this individual was a qualified and accomplished sales professional.

The 40s, 50s, and 60s were decidedly difficult time even dream of being “the first” in B2B sales, but someone had to do it.  Soon after Laster, IBM hired their first Black marketing representative (Lionel Fultz) in 1951, their first Black engineer in 1952 (Harry Cochraine), and their first Black engineering manager, (Calvin Waite) in 1956.  Lionel Fultz also was named branch manager in 1964.

This made IBM a leader in both business machines as well as employment diversity.  It also made Tom Laster a pioneer in the sales diversity situation.  He was willing, and obviously began destroying the racial perceptions that Blacks, or Negros as we were referred to in that time, could not handle the technical nature and business relationship issues related to B2B sales to a white business populace.  I would believe that partially as a result, many others Black professionals followed through the doors that were opened.

There was no greater a threshold in business sales as this one!  This was certainly important.  Although you probably won’t read books about it there is no doubt as to the impact.

Following this, IBM, assuming the leadership role again, penned and enacted its Equal Opportunity Policy through the Thomas Watson’s (the president of IBM) letter to his organization termed as Policy Letter # Four.  This September 21, 1953 letter directed his managers to “…hire people regardless of race, color, or creed.”  We wish it was as easy this declaration, but this was a start.

This is Significant, But Why is it Important?

I hope you see the significance in the story of Laster. He is truly a pioneer, and really knows what it feels like to be the first.  What is equally important is that you still can be the first Black sales professional in many organizations.

By the same token, you still can be that individual the changes everyone’s ideas about the abilities and work ethic of black professionals.  It would be nice not to worry about that, but it is significant.

I was not the first Black sale professional in the organization that I came up in. I was actually the third. I was the first Black sales manager, and the first Black vice president, senior vice president, and executive vice president.  I had some interesting experiences, which I try to share in this ‘journal’, but I am certain that many of these assertions would have paled in comparison to the stories that Laster could tell.

Be the Best

There are many small and medium sized organizations that have avoided, for whatever reason, employment diversity.  They could have avoided it because of their small size, or because they purposely have not hired Black sales professionals.  They may have other Blacks and minorities working for the company.  It does not matter what the reason might be, embrace that opportunity to work for and to change those organizations.  Show your stuff!

Your only requirement is to do be best that you can be at what you do.  By being the best, you increase your opportunities for success, as well as destroy ridiculous and erroneous racial perceptions.  Your success will be rewarded with a high compensation rate, but also in the pride you have in being the first!

Be the Best!  Your comments are appreciated.