People who throw kisses are mighty hopelessly lazy.
Unfortunately, it was right on: Many sales managers and executives DO fall into the trap of thinking that they want the macho, superior, confident sales applicant. From my own personal experience they rarely equal the loyal, detail oriented, employee. The article took a bite from one of my most popular posts I wrote a while ago called "Hunter or Farmer" where I attempt to lay out what you may end up with.
It is proven time and time again as a sales pro myself and a hiring manager: HIRE "humility" over and over and OVER again!
Why? Sales is servitude cloaked in disguise. If you are willing to "serve" your customer, truly understand them, that means putting "them" in front of "you".
Try asking a super confident sales person to learn something new? Ha! They know everything .. don't they? Ask a humble sales pro the same thing and they'll say "show me how".
The ones who are quiet, mild, ask for clarification on questions to make sure they understood what is being asked of them drive HR and CEO wild. Why would someone who professes (even though they have plenty of sales awards shuffled aside) not be trying to "sell" them more? The author of the aforementioned and myself would start steaming with frustration because that's the approach a smart sales professional would have!! No wonder they've done so well in sales.
The irony is that the BEST salespeople fall short on selling THEMSELVES. Think about the old mechanic story: the best mechanics' vehicles are the ones that are falling apart!
I tell ya ... buyers are smart today and don't want to be "sold to". It's an old wives take that the best ones are persuasive (recall: "selling ice to eskimo"). If you don't believe me, then ask yourself the last time you bought a car or gadget without reading up everything you could on it before having to expose yourself to the dreaded sales person? You likely have come up with a few options and want to get right down to price, negotiation, and avoid a sales person at all cost. That's because we're trained to expect a sales person who will try to persuade us into buying something beyond our budget or needs. I predict a very small percentage of them will be asking you more than telling you anything. I would love to be that fly on the wall when he/she points out some advantageous or features that even you hadn't considered. I bet you seriously consider buying from that sales person stemming from the fact that they had YOUR best interests at heart, and not their own.
Then again, if you're just buying based on price, a robot would do just fine. Using the car analogy, that car sales person will just toss you the keys to take it for a spin and have their pen poised with price to get the deal done. They probably won't bother calling to see how it is running after the sale because their feet are propped up waiting for the next victim, umm, I mean buyer walks in. That, or they're busy trying to chat up the executive or noticing that the HR professional had a new hair style.
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
~Bob Hope
I ran across a great article on PeopleFirst.com and agreed with the advice offered in "Is Humility a Liability in Sales?" Unfortunately, it was right on: Many sales managers and executives DO fall into the trap of thinking that they want the macho, superior, confident sales applicant. From my own personal experience they rarely equal the loyal, detail oriented, employee. The article took a bite from one of my most popular posts I wrote a while ago called "Hunter or Farmer" where I attempt to lay out what you may end up with.
It is proven time and time again as a sales pro myself and a hiring manager: HIRE "humility" over and over and OVER again!
Sales is servitude cloaked in disguise. ~Jeannette Marshall
Why? Sales is servitude cloaked in disguise. If you are willing to "serve" your customer, truly understand them, that means putting "them" in front of "you".
Try asking a super confident sales person to learn something new? Ha! They know everything .. don't they? Ask a humble sales pro the same thing and they'll say "show me how".
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I could go on and on and ON this topic. It frustrates me to no end. The slick, conversationalist who always knows what buttons to push and are politically savvy are the ones that impress the Human Resource professional or company executive with their stories, boasts and exuberate confidence. These folk assUme that they have all the answers and are crafty at trying to swerve others in their persuasive skills.
The ones who are quiet, mild, ask for clarification on questions to make sure they understood what is being asked of them drive HR and CEO wild. Why would someone who professes (even though they have plenty of sales awards shuffled aside) not be trying to "sell" them more? The author of the aforementioned and myself would start steaming with frustration because that's the approach a smart sales professional would have!! No wonder they've done so well in sales.
The irony is that the BEST salespeople fall short on selling THEMSELVES. Think about the old mechanic story: the best mechanics' vehicles are the ones that are falling apart!
I tell ya ... buyers are smart today and don't want to be "sold to". It's an old wives take that the best ones are persuasive (recall: "selling ice to eskimo"). If you don't believe me, then ask yourself the last time you bought a car or gadget without reading up everything you could on it before having to expose yourself to the dreaded sales person? You likely have come up with a few options and want to get right down to price, negotiation, and avoid a sales person at all cost. That's because we're trained to expect a sales person who will try to persuade us into buying something beyond our budget or needs. I predict a very small percentage of them will be asking you more than telling you anything. I would love to be that fly on the wall when he/she points out some advantageous or features that even you hadn't considered. I bet you seriously consider buying from that sales person stemming from the fact that they had YOUR best interests at heart, and not their own.
Then again, if you're just buying based on price, a robot would do just fine. Using the car analogy, that car sales person will just toss you the keys to take it for a spin and have their pen poised with price to get the deal done. They probably won't bother calling to see how it is running after the sale because their feet are propped up waiting for the next victim, umm, I mean buyer walks in. That, or they're busy trying to chat up the executive or noticing that the HR professional had a new hair style.
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
~Thomas Jefferson
