When noting the reasons why people don’t like to sell, I mentioned that selling isn’t secure. In reality, salespeople are very secure if they understand and practice their profession. I believe that sales skills are industry transferable. If a salesperson changes companies or industries, they do need to learn their new environment, but they will not have forgotten the principles of selling.
Outside Factors
Things go wrong in business and industry. There are a variety of outside factors that can upset sales careers. In April of 2009, if your job is selling capital equipment to General Motors, you are probably having a tough time making quota. Does that mean that you don’t understand or have forgotten how to sell? Not exactly. How are typewriter ribbon sales these days? Carbon paper salespeople are non-existent. They moved on.
Good Salespeople Adapt to Change.
In the mid-1980’s I sold computer systems to doctors. The first few systems we delivered did not have hard drives. They had a floppy drive for programs and one for data. As time went on, bigger capacity hard drives were introduced to computers for more data storage. These were exciting times. First there was a 5 mega-byte hard drive, then 10, 20, 40 and 80 mega-byte drives. One day we were introduced to the new 190 mega-byte hard drive. It was incredible. The retail price was $9,750 each. We sold them as fast as we could get them in stock and made a bundle. Over the years the prices of computer hardware fell to a point where there wasn’t enough profit in them to even sell hardware anymore. The irony of it all is that I can buy a 4 giga-byte thumb drive at the check out counter at my local drug store for about $20. One day they will be free. What did the evolution of computer hardware pricing have to do with sales skills? Nothing.
Bad Company
When things go wrong salespeople are the first to get flashlights shined into their faces. They get blamed for just about everything. In reality a bad economy, an evolving industry, a weak company or bad leadership can torpedo the progress of the best salespeople. Job security depends as much on the sales environment as on the person.
Who Needs Security?
If you can sell, you are employable. What business can you think of that doesn’t want or need revenue? Revenue occurs when sales are made. Salespeople are indispensable to business.
The Answer
If you are a skilled and hard working salesperson who is underachieving or displaced, step back and evaluate the lay of the land. Are you working for the wrong company in the wrong industry? Healthcare, government and energy are running on all cylinders these days. There are other segments that are thriving. Pick one and go there. Sometimes the problem is not you.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sales Jobs Are Secure
I watched a television news show that featured a man who lost his job as a salesman and is having problems making ends meet. In the spirit of kind understanding, I still have a tough time comprehending why salespeople are unemployed. I understand that the economy is soft and there are a lot of factors in play, but there is always opportunity for salespeople who can sell. America hasn’t shut down and people are still buying and selling.
Selling During The Good Times
In the 1980’s and early 1990’s I was a partner in a technology company that sold patient and insurance billing systems to physicians. The market was strong. There was a real need and we were the leading provider in the space.
Growing My Company
I followed a simple plan to grow the company. I hired a new salesperson every ninety days. They received a guaranteed salary and expenses for a 90 day period. At the end of 90 days, the guarantee became a draw versus commission pay plan, freeing up the guarantee budget for the next hire’s ramp-up. Salespeople who sold systems at my company made a lot of money under this program. There was no cap on earnings. The sky was the limit. Because of the open ended earnings opportunity, I attracted hard working, ambitious men and women. Our sales force was the best in the business, hands down.
Hands on Sales Management
As a Sales Manager, I stayed very close to my sales team. We were in constant communication. Everyone was a required to attend a weekly sales meeting followed by a short private meeting with me to go over their sales report. The report was a simple pipeline report that gave me the information I needed to evaluate the person’s performance. Of course, the ultimate metric was a sales contract and deposit check.
Ramping–up a Newbie
One of my new sales hires was inexperienced. He had never sold before I hired him. It didn’t bother me because he was well educated, a good communicator and presented well. When I hired him it was understood that he was inexperienced in sales, but was very interested in learning and would give it his best shot. I did not think it was too much of a risk because of his background and the straightforward nature of our products and services.
Extra Attention
New sales hires were required to meet with me every day, in addition to the weekly meetings. I wanted to make sure that the person succeeded and was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Sales is a Hard Job
OK, not everyone is cut out to sell. Remember, selling is hard work, it’s competitive, you mostly get rejected, things are always changing and there isn’t job security for those who don’t perform.
Code Red Alert
It took about eight weeks for me to question if I was getting the kind of effort I needed out of this fellow. He was saying the right things and produced all required reports and information on time. Early in his tenure he reported a handful of doctors who will be placing their orders anytime. That’s was great news. What eventually got my attention, and put me on alert, as the weeks went by, was that these same names continued to show up on reports with no movement. There were no new names. Red flag!
Check the Facts
As the ninety day ramp-up started to wind down, it was clear that if he didn’t close one of the deals on his report he would fail. He didn’t have anything else in his pipeline. I decided to find out the truth for myself. I called each prospect on the list. I introduced myself as the salesman’s supervisor and inquired about their pending purchase. “I there anything I can do to help your purchase decision along?” Very sadly none of them intended to buy a computer system from us, at least not anytime soon.
Tough Love
I had to fire him. It was tough love. He squandered his opportunity either by not working or not working smart. Either way, he had to go. He cried, I cried and then I walked him out. I wasted time and money, but moved on to the next hire and continued to build my sales staff and my company.
Lack of Work
A few weeks later, I opened a letter from our local unemployment office. This fellow had applied for unemployment insurance. The reason was lack of work. Lack of work? That upset me. Salespeople make work. Incredibly, I fought the claim and won.
Sales Jobs Are Secure
The lesson for aspiring salespeople is that you are measured, and will always be measured, by your production. If you sell your products and services and earn money for yourself and your employer you are very, very secure.
Selling During The Good Times
In the 1980’s and early 1990’s I was a partner in a technology company that sold patient and insurance billing systems to physicians. The market was strong. There was a real need and we were the leading provider in the space.
Growing My Company
I followed a simple plan to grow the company. I hired a new salesperson every ninety days. They received a guaranteed salary and expenses for a 90 day period. At the end of 90 days, the guarantee became a draw versus commission pay plan, freeing up the guarantee budget for the next hire’s ramp-up. Salespeople who sold systems at my company made a lot of money under this program. There was no cap on earnings. The sky was the limit. Because of the open ended earnings opportunity, I attracted hard working, ambitious men and women. Our sales force was the best in the business, hands down.
Hands on Sales Management
As a Sales Manager, I stayed very close to my sales team. We were in constant communication. Everyone was a required to attend a weekly sales meeting followed by a short private meeting with me to go over their sales report. The report was a simple pipeline report that gave me the information I needed to evaluate the person’s performance. Of course, the ultimate metric was a sales contract and deposit check.
Ramping–up a Newbie
One of my new sales hires was inexperienced. He had never sold before I hired him. It didn’t bother me because he was well educated, a good communicator and presented well. When I hired him it was understood that he was inexperienced in sales, but was very interested in learning and would give it his best shot. I did not think it was too much of a risk because of his background and the straightforward nature of our products and services.
Extra Attention
New sales hires were required to meet with me every day, in addition to the weekly meetings. I wanted to make sure that the person succeeded and was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Sales is a Hard Job
OK, not everyone is cut out to sell. Remember, selling is hard work, it’s competitive, you mostly get rejected, things are always changing and there isn’t job security for those who don’t perform.
Code Red Alert
It took about eight weeks for me to question if I was getting the kind of effort I needed out of this fellow. He was saying the right things and produced all required reports and information on time. Early in his tenure he reported a handful of doctors who will be placing their orders anytime. That’s was great news. What eventually got my attention, and put me on alert, as the weeks went by, was that these same names continued to show up on reports with no movement. There were no new names. Red flag!
Check the Facts
As the ninety day ramp-up started to wind down, it was clear that if he didn’t close one of the deals on his report he would fail. He didn’t have anything else in his pipeline. I decided to find out the truth for myself. I called each prospect on the list. I introduced myself as the salesman’s supervisor and inquired about their pending purchase. “I there anything I can do to help your purchase decision along?” Very sadly none of them intended to buy a computer system from us, at least not anytime soon.
Tough Love
I had to fire him. It was tough love. He squandered his opportunity either by not working or not working smart. Either way, he had to go. He cried, I cried and then I walked him out. I wasted time and money, but moved on to the next hire and continued to build my sales staff and my company.
Lack of Work
A few weeks later, I opened a letter from our local unemployment office. This fellow had applied for unemployment insurance. The reason was lack of work. Lack of work? That upset me. Salespeople make work. Incredibly, I fought the claim and won.
Sales Jobs Are Secure
The lesson for aspiring salespeople is that you are measured, and will always be measured, by your production. If you sell your products and services and earn money for yourself and your employer you are very, very secure.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Get Help...Get it Now. Don't Wait.
Get Answers. Get Them Now
The answer to slipping sales during tough economic times is to work harder, work smarter and to leverage any and all available strategies, tools and tactics to fight for and land a bigger piece of the smaller pie that is our current economy.
I See it Everyday
I spend a lot of my time working with small and mid-sized Michigan based manufacturers, distributors and allied businesses. They are hurting.
Grim Realities
My clients share similar profiles and find themselves in one or more of the following categories…
“I purchased the business. My industry and my customers are hurting. My business volume is way down. I don’t know how to sell. I don’t know what to do.”
“I have come to realize that my sales staff are account managers and order takers. They are terrific with existing customers but can’t seem to land new clients. Now what?”
“We have better products, services and pricing than our competitors. Why aren’t our customers calling and placing orders? It doesn’t make sense. I hope business gets better soon.”
“I inherited my business and my customers. My industry and my customers are hurting. Sales have disappeared. What can I do?”
“All of my business was generated by manufacturer’s representatives. They have stopped selling. Now what should I do?”
“I built up my customer base years ago. I used to know how to sell but have spent the last decade or two providing service to my existing customer base and have lost my selling edge. I don’t have answers.”
Help is Everywhere
There is hope for any struggling business. Help is everywhere. If you need to turn things around, start by checking in with your Chamber of Commerce. Next, ask around and visit your local business networking groups. In Michigan there are County and State departments that provide free counseling for struggling businesses. Sometimes there is grant money available to help turn things around. Organizations like SPARK in Ann Arbor, Automation Alley in Oakland County, PTAC and TechTown at Wayne State University offer programs, networking and support services dedicated to helping business and industry. Wow! Help is everywhere.
Tools of Change
Next, check out the incredible tools that can help you get your message out to potential new customers, possibly in new industries. SwiftPage or Constant Contact are inexpensive and powerful tools that allow you to create, launch and manage e-mail campaigns. Blogger.com is a free tool to create and publish your message and will establish you as a subject matter expert. Linkedin is a free social network dedicated to business and industry. Microsoft Shared View is a free software tool that empowers you to make presentation on the Internet. Get the picture?
Plan
Creating a plan to take advantage of available help and tools is essential to making positive change happen. You must have a plan. No plan – no go.
Do
Execute. By all means, execute on your plan. Meet people, tell your story, ask for help, ask for referrals, broadcast information, make phone calls, ask for appointments, ask what it will take to do business with you and, by all means, ask for orders. Do it. Do a lot of everything.
Get Ideas…Get Positive and Stay Positive
Finally, buy a magazine, buy a book, buy a CD, attend a sales conference, and get marketing and sales training. Like my upcoming 2009 Success Express seminar and workshop events. There is a wealth of great information that will fill your head with useful, positive and happy information that will get you through your ordeal. Personally, I recommend Tom Hopkins material. He gets it and is interesting and funny. You can find him on Amazon.com
Can’t Do It? No Problem!
If you can’t do it yourself, there are people like myself who are available to help and guide you as you take control of your circumstances and turn things around. We are here to help. Just write or call.
The answer to slipping sales during tough economic times is to work harder, work smarter and to leverage any and all available strategies, tools and tactics to fight for and land a bigger piece of the smaller pie that is our current economy.
I See it Everyday
I spend a lot of my time working with small and mid-sized Michigan based manufacturers, distributors and allied businesses. They are hurting.
Grim Realities
My clients share similar profiles and find themselves in one or more of the following categories…
“I purchased the business. My industry and my customers are hurting. My business volume is way down. I don’t know how to sell. I don’t know what to do.”
“I have come to realize that my sales staff are account managers and order takers. They are terrific with existing customers but can’t seem to land new clients. Now what?”
“We have better products, services and pricing than our competitors. Why aren’t our customers calling and placing orders? It doesn’t make sense. I hope business gets better soon.”
“I inherited my business and my customers. My industry and my customers are hurting. Sales have disappeared. What can I do?”
“All of my business was generated by manufacturer’s representatives. They have stopped selling. Now what should I do?”
“I built up my customer base years ago. I used to know how to sell but have spent the last decade or two providing service to my existing customer base and have lost my selling edge. I don’t have answers.”
Help is Everywhere
There is hope for any struggling business. Help is everywhere. If you need to turn things around, start by checking in with your Chamber of Commerce. Next, ask around and visit your local business networking groups. In Michigan there are County and State departments that provide free counseling for struggling businesses. Sometimes there is grant money available to help turn things around. Organizations like SPARK in Ann Arbor, Automation Alley in Oakland County, PTAC and TechTown at Wayne State University offer programs, networking and support services dedicated to helping business and industry. Wow! Help is everywhere.
Tools of Change
Next, check out the incredible tools that can help you get your message out to potential new customers, possibly in new industries. SwiftPage or Constant Contact are inexpensive and powerful tools that allow you to create, launch and manage e-mail campaigns. Blogger.com is a free tool to create and publish your message and will establish you as a subject matter expert. Linkedin is a free social network dedicated to business and industry. Microsoft Shared View is a free software tool that empowers you to make presentation on the Internet. Get the picture?
Plan
Creating a plan to take advantage of available help and tools is essential to making positive change happen. You must have a plan. No plan – no go.
Do
Execute. By all means, execute on your plan. Meet people, tell your story, ask for help, ask for referrals, broadcast information, make phone calls, ask for appointments, ask what it will take to do business with you and, by all means, ask for orders. Do it. Do a lot of everything.
Get Ideas…Get Positive and Stay Positive
Finally, buy a magazine, buy a book, buy a CD, attend a sales conference, and get marketing and sales training. Like my upcoming 2009 Success Express seminar and workshop events. There is a wealth of great information that will fill your head with useful, positive and happy information that will get you through your ordeal. Personally, I recommend Tom Hopkins material. He gets it and is interesting and funny. You can find him on Amazon.com
Can’t Do It? No Problem!
If you can’t do it yourself, there are people like myself who are available to help and guide you as you take control of your circumstances and turn things around. We are here to help. Just write or call.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
It's All About You...Or Is It?
A Star Was Born
In 1970, after three miserable months in Life Insurance sales and after attending Dale Carnegie sales training, I landed my first career opportunity. My job was selling medical supplies to doctors in their offices. My sales manager, Earl Howie (think Dick Van Dyke), was the best sales manager I have ever had the privilege to work for or work with.
You Don't Know What You Don't Know
My territory was the East Side of the City of Detroit. I was unaware that the territory had never produced for the firm. I was grateful for the chance to work and support my young family. I received a salary for my first 90 days and then was paid with a draw against commission earnings. I also didn’t really understand or appreciate the path I was on. Was I a green bean, a cupcake or just plain naive? I was probably all three.
Real Leadership
Earl was dedicated to my success, his success and in the welfare of the company. During my first 90 days, I had a daily early morning appointment with Earl in his office for 30 – 60 minutes of personal training. He taught me everything I needed to know about the products, our customers and how to sell. His commitment to me went way beyond my expectations. Because of his training, I was able to sit for a test and earned my “Certified Consultancy” from the Health Industries Manufacturers Association.
Me, Me, Me
My commission earnings immediately exceeded my draw and I never looked back. I was a star at my company, with our vendors and in the local medical supply circles. I was the kid that did what others couldn’t do...make money selling in the city. I deserved a lot of the credit. After all, I studied and worked hard. I learned what I needed to do and performed.
Selling is a Team Sport
What I did not totally appreciate was the leadership, support and company infrastructure that was as important to my success as my newly developed skills and execution. My company represented the best product lines in the industry. They kept stock levels high and could fulfil the orders I entered. Our prices were competitive and my colleagues were the most professional group in the business. In other words…a perfect environment in which to succeed.
In Memoriam
There was something else I had never considered as a factor in my success. Many before me attempted to conquer the Detroit territory and had failed. In reality, the failure of those that had preceded me set the stage for me to reach the top. Their failures contributed to my success. The irony is that the last occupant of my desk was really close to making it. He was close. If he would have stuck it out a little longer he very well may have enjoyed what I inherited. He gave up.
The Lesson
Who you work for, who you work with, what you sell and who went before you are as important to your success as you are.
In 1970, after three miserable months in Life Insurance sales and after attending Dale Carnegie sales training, I landed my first career opportunity. My job was selling medical supplies to doctors in their offices. My sales manager, Earl Howie (think Dick Van Dyke), was the best sales manager I have ever had the privilege to work for or work with.
You Don't Know What You Don't Know
My territory was the East Side of the City of Detroit. I was unaware that the territory had never produced for the firm. I was grateful for the chance to work and support my young family. I received a salary for my first 90 days and then was paid with a draw against commission earnings. I also didn’t really understand or appreciate the path I was on. Was I a green bean, a cupcake or just plain naive? I was probably all three.
Real Leadership
Earl was dedicated to my success, his success and in the welfare of the company. During my first 90 days, I had a daily early morning appointment with Earl in his office for 30 – 60 minutes of personal training. He taught me everything I needed to know about the products, our customers and how to sell. His commitment to me went way beyond my expectations. Because of his training, I was able to sit for a test and earned my “Certified Consultancy” from the Health Industries Manufacturers Association.
Me, Me, Me
My commission earnings immediately exceeded my draw and I never looked back. I was a star at my company, with our vendors and in the local medical supply circles. I was the kid that did what others couldn’t do...make money selling in the city. I deserved a lot of the credit. After all, I studied and worked hard. I learned what I needed to do and performed.
Selling is a Team Sport
What I did not totally appreciate was the leadership, support and company infrastructure that was as important to my success as my newly developed skills and execution. My company represented the best product lines in the industry. They kept stock levels high and could fulfil the orders I entered. Our prices were competitive and my colleagues were the most professional group in the business. In other words…a perfect environment in which to succeed.
In Memoriam
There was something else I had never considered as a factor in my success. Many before me attempted to conquer the Detroit territory and had failed. In reality, the failure of those that had preceded me set the stage for me to reach the top. Their failures contributed to my success. The irony is that the last occupant of my desk was really close to making it. He was close. If he would have stuck it out a little longer he very well may have enjoyed what I inherited. He gave up.
The Lesson
Who you work for, who you work with, what you sell and who went before you are as important to your success as you are.
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