Some observations about sales people–random, fair and not fair. Most of them I believe, even.
Great sales people dress better than average sales people cuz they have more money. Great sales people are more confident than average sales people cuz they know their talent is real. Great sales people make more sales calls than average sales people cuz they know the more sales calls they make, the more they sell. Great sales people eat better than average sales people cuz they can.
Great sales people get motivated more easily than average sales people cuz they want to be. Great sales people motivate everyone around them cuz everyone appreciates what they do. Great sales people get more flexibility at work than average sales people cuz they have earned it. Great sales people get more recognition than average sales people cuz a company can never pay enough only for their talent.
Great sales people are great no matter where they sell cuz they know the profession of sales, not just the product line. Great sales people date the homecoming queen, average sales people date Aunt Bessie’s neighbor’s daughter.
Great sales people are more likely to quit over a principle than a product defect; average sales people blame the product or ‘marketing.’ Great sales people are tougher to manage than average sales people cuz they are right a lot of the time. Great sales people are not hung up on the best technology but if you are buying [tag]IPhones [/tag]for the average guy, better get him one too, even if he doesn’t want it.
Great sales people break rules, average sales people live by them. Great sales people simplify, average sales people complicate. Great sales people work longer hours, at work and home; average sales people work 8-5 at the office.
Great sales people gain market share during tough times, average sales people lose their jobs. Great sales people wash their cars more frequently than average sales people.
Great sales people eat at McDonald’s when they are traveling alone, average sales people run up entertainment expenses.
Great sales people are funnier than average sales people cuz they are better story tellers.
Great sales people are often not in sales, average sales people wish they weren’t in sales. Great sales people ask awesome questions, average sales people tell. Great sales people listen, average sales people talk too much. Great sales people take action, average sales people wonder what happened. Great sales people understand sales metrics and work each piece to their advantage and average sales people can’t make the connections line up in their favor.
Great sales people are stumped during the interview when you ask them what they really want to do (“all I want to do is sell!!”), average sales people want to get into “management.” Great sales people don’t make all A’s, but they make the most tackles; average sales people sit on the bench.
Great sales people are easy to be around, average sales people are the person you hope you don’t sit next to on the plane. Great sales people ski, sky dive, race boats and motorcycles, average sales people watch too much TV. Great sales people play poker and blackjack, average sales people play bridge.
[tags] sales attributes, characteristics of great sales people, interviewing the sales rep, sales, attributes of a great sales rep, how to treat your sales reps[/tags]
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You sold me!
A really, really, really good post.
chew –chew–chew–(careful don’t swallow till its all chewed up)–to be honest—-I am not sure how this tastes yet—so close to home it is very uncomfortable.
This one tops anything you have ever written GL——-my third time through and I have begun grouping things that are me.
and wondering how to make the others my new goals.
No wonder management feels so awkward to me—-
Mike…keep in mind, these are meant to be humorous generalizations, for every single one…there is always a great sales person who loves to play bridge, for example. Maybe I should have said ‘loves opera,”…cuz that ONE fits, for sure. I do appreciate your support and good words, comments etc.
I agree they are supposed to be just fun generalizations—-but I feel there is a lot of truth hiding in them weeds…
“Great sales people date the homecoming queen, average sales people date Aunt Bessie’s neighbor’s daughter.”
OUCH!!! But who do they marry? VERY GOOD read. Inspiring. I need to remember to turn down the I-phone…
“Great sales people ask awesome questions, average sales people tell. Great sales people listen, average sales people talk too much.”
Have you ever noticed that because of this, great sales people often don’t seem like they are selling? They instead uncover the customer’s true needs with good questions – and then it’s obvious that their product or service is the solution to those needs.
And I’m not saying this cynically, because I think that great sales people really do see their product serving the customer, sales being the result of that service.
“Great sales people are tougher to manage than average sales people cuz they are right a lot of the time”
While great sales people may be more difficult to manage, the true superstars will do the same but be consistent. Too often a great sales person will break the rules and become the “office hot shot”, but the real superstars find a way to take care of the client (and maybe break PROCEDURE to do so), but they don’t make it hard for the ownership.
When great sales people break the rules, it means the next person that does good will also want to stretch the rules, eventually every top producer will stretch until the whole system is flawed. This fractures management and creates animosity and favoritism.
Be great, and find a way to do it within the rules, then you’ll be a superstar
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