I've got a lot to say on this one...but only a few minutes right now...
Here's the first part of this - to me, one of the most important things when starting an interaction with a prospect is first impression. I don't mean how you dress and did you comb your hair, I mean establishing that you can communicate clearly and professionally and have a strong grasp of detail and the english language.
I'm experimenting with how to test for this in interviews (let me know if you have any tips!), but my experience is that many many sales people either can't spell or use proper english grammar, or they don't care. I see terribly composed emails, sloppy attention to detail like getting the prospect's name and their company's name correct, etc. etc.
I think the sign of a good salesperson is that they know that investing another minute or two reviewing and perfecting their communications is well worth the effort. I know I tend to put things in the bit bucket when the person on the other end can't spend enough time to show me they care about things like that.
Sales is hard enough and people's attention span on the other end of our communications is almost non-existent, so why lower your odds with poor grammar and spelling mistakes? Yet check it out - it is rampant in our profession.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Response to Robert
Since comments get buried under a post and it doesn't seem there is a way to get them 'in line' with the posts, I thought this one was worth putting up here:
You can see his original question in 'comments' section under the 'Just Write it Down' post.
That was a lot of commentary, but I think the ultimate question you asked was how do you make a self-centered salesperson become a team player, and if he doesn't should that be grounds for removing him?
My first glib response to that is always that I will put up with a lot for someone who is a real producer. As with celebrities, a certain amount of arrogance and self-centered behavior sometimes comes with a good producer! But that is disruptive to both the team and to the manager - so it can only go so far. Suffice to say I'm much less tolerant if they exhibit that trait AND they can't sell a damn thing. Chances are they are pissing off prospects just as much as they irritate internally. That type of person I will find out how to jettison.
For an individual contributor sales person, a response around how others should act to enable his state of mind is an invalid request, in my opinion.
His quota is his and his only, and his responsibility to achieve regardless of his perceived work environment. He can't put the mood or actions of others into the 'responsibility line' of that quota.
During a particularly diffucult relationship time for me a long while back I went to a counselor that said something to me that has always stuck with me in both relationships and business - he said "Greg - you can ONLY change your behavior and frame of mind and how you react and interact with others. You have NO control over making others change - and shouldn't ever expect that you can." That has made life easier - I no longer try to change others, that is pushing crap up hill, I can just choose how I deal with whatever the situation is.
If you believe that philosophy, George should counsel his salessperson that even if everyone is a complete moper, he alone controls not letting that get to him.
On the final piece - him wanting everyone to come to him - well, if that truly happened, he would spend time on stuff that doesn't contribute to him personally acheiving his quota and he would probably lose his job over it. That George can put to the employee quite bluntly.
You can see his original question in 'comments' section under the 'Just Write it Down' post.
That was a lot of commentary, but I think the ultimate question you asked was how do you make a self-centered salesperson become a team player, and if he doesn't should that be grounds for removing him?
My first glib response to that is always that I will put up with a lot for someone who is a real producer. As with celebrities, a certain amount of arrogance and self-centered behavior sometimes comes with a good producer! But that is disruptive to both the team and to the manager - so it can only go so far. Suffice to say I'm much less tolerant if they exhibit that trait AND they can't sell a damn thing. Chances are they are pissing off prospects just as much as they irritate internally. That type of person I will find out how to jettison.
For an individual contributor sales person, a response around how others should act to enable his state of mind is an invalid request, in my opinion.
His quota is his and his only, and his responsibility to achieve regardless of his perceived work environment. He can't put the mood or actions of others into the 'responsibility line' of that quota.
During a particularly diffucult relationship time for me a long while back I went to a counselor that said something to me that has always stuck with me in both relationships and business - he said "Greg - you can ONLY change your behavior and frame of mind and how you react and interact with others. You have NO control over making others change - and shouldn't ever expect that you can." That has made life easier - I no longer try to change others, that is pushing crap up hill, I can just choose how I deal with whatever the situation is.
If you believe that philosophy, George should counsel his salessperson that even if everyone is a complete moper, he alone controls not letting that get to him.
On the final piece - him wanting everyone to come to him - well, if that truly happened, he would spend time on stuff that doesn't contribute to him personally acheiving his quota and he would probably lose his job over it. That George can put to the employee quite bluntly.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
