Sales Blog with Sales Tips

I have an engineer friend, Steve, who uses a phrase that could be a candidate for one of the best sales tips I know.

“Don’t put the ‘buddy cap’ on.”

When he uses this expression he is referring to people who act as if they’re your best friend long before they’ve earned the right.

He’s offended when people do this to him. I agree with his sentiments.

Examples From Sales
I continually see this kind of superficiality in sales professionals. The following are real examples from cold calls I’ve overheard or have received:

“We need to catch up on things at lunch.”
“As a friend I…”
“Hi buddy, do you have a second to talk to me about…”

Prospects are on high alert for this kind of facade. It produces precisely the opposite effect of what’s desired.

It instantly labels the salesperson as disingenuous, manipulative and shallow. The prospect immediately feels a need for more distance. Not good.

The Real Formula For Rapport
In our personal relationships, we build genuine connections by showing an interest in people and helping them when they need us. Doing so creates a genuine bond over time with our friends.

Our relationships in sales are no different. This should come as no surprise since we’re dealing with people in both cases. I’m from the “people are people whether at work or home” school of thought. Sometimes we forget this.

While I’m On The Subject
While I’m on the subject of insincerity in sales, let me close with one of the most objectionable verbalizations when cold calling:

“How are you doing?”

The person on the receiving end immediately translates these words to, “I want something from you and I could not possibly care less about how you’re actually doing.”

Not a great way to plant the seed of a relationship. Remove, “How are you doing?” from your sales vernacular. Some of the best sales tips are those that tell you what to eliminate.

Sales Blog Verdict
We’re not a prospect’s best friend the first time we contact them. Both parties know this.

Helping prospects with their needs over time is the formula for legitimate interpersonal connections.

There is no shortcut.

©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer

Find a New Sales Job

Call it what you want: intuition, gut-feel, vibe, energy. People perceive our personality and attitude before we say one word.

Our mental outlook always walks slightly in front of us.

The Walmart Customer Service Desk Example
I’m not a big fan of Walmart. They have one value proposition – cheap prices. I don’t like buying from, or selling to, companies that position price as the single reason you should buy from them.

Think about your customer experience when you return a purchase at Walmart. Without saying a word many of the “associates” make it very clear that they couldn’t possibly care less about you or your problem. The “associates” hardly even look at you.

They have “no-faces.”

And what’s up with the term “associate?” Is that a way for Walmart to pay employees less? What’s wrong with “employee?” Maybe if they paid more and stopped playing games with trendy labels they’d improve the customer experience a bit.

I can’t pick on just Walmart (although it’s easy). The airlines are no better. Have you flown lately? There’s a big chip-on-my-shoulder ‘tude surrounding many airline employees. Why do they all look so unhappy? Why do they make me feel guilty and afraid when I approach them to ask a question?

Few “yes-faces”  are found in the skies.

Want an example of a company filled with nothing but “yes-faces?” Whole Foods. If you’ve never been in one, visit one of their stores and get an education on what “yes-faces” look like.

What Is A “Yes-Face?”
We need to have “yes-faces” in sales. A “yes-face” telegraphs the following about you before you utter a word:

1. It says you’re listening.
2. A “yes-face” communicates you want to help.
3. It lets people know you are friendly, likeable and approachable.
4. A “yes-face” signals a “can do” attitude.
5. It tells people you have a high energy level.
6. Your “yes-face” lets people know you have a positive outlook.

I believe a “yes-face” is one of the primary reasons a new salesperson (or a change in salesperson) can cause a substantial increase in sales in an account virtually overnight.

Do You Have A “Yes-Face?”
A “yes-face” has nothing to do with how good looking you are. It has nothing to do with your gender, age or ethnicity either. In short, it has nothing to do with your appearance.

It has everything to do with how you feel about your job, your employer and – most importantly – yourself.

You have control over those three variables.

If you get those three in order, you’ll have a “yes-face.”

It’s a no-brainer; customers say “yes” more often to “yes-faces” than “no-faces.”

©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer

Find a New Sales Job

The sales personality. It’s full of contradictions.

We have to possess great verbal skills, yet we need to be extraordinary listeners.

We have to be highly driven, yet we must be patient.

We have to be able to control an important customer meeting, yet we must show deference when needed.

A sales professional is truly the elite [mental] athlete of the business world as Jeb Blount frequently says in his sales tips.

But With The Good…
As is true with everything in life, there’s always a dark side. The sales professional’s personality has a less functional side too.

With all of our skills, we also own some baggage.

3 Personality Traits That Defeat Sales Professionals
After working with hundreds of sales professionals in my career, I’ve identified three common personality hurdles that impede our ability to sell.

1. We give up too early – specifically with prospects. We want things to move in a linear fashion because that’s the fastest path. Unfortunately, people are messy and the world just doesn’t work that way. Prospects buy when they want to.

Best antidote: Keep a full pipeline and be patient – and persistent.

2. We fail to see the big picture in our career. Your next employer will have its own sales-prevention department(s), just as your current employer does.

Everyone knows there are only two good sales jobs in the world, your last one and your next one.

The best predictor of sales success is time in territory. Staying the course in your current position has been statistically proven to be the best path to becoming a sales rainmaker.

Best antidote: Think carefully before taking that sparkling new sales job with its enticing new-job aroma.

3. We operate from a position of scarcity. Have you ever noticed that the sales superstars in your organization are consistently on top? They don’t care if there is a recession. They aren’t worried if their prices are perceived as too high. It doesn’t matter to them that their competitors have better products and services.

These sales superstars are operating from a position of abundance. They are indifferent as to how everyone else is doing because they know there will always be enough for them – and for all others with this mindset.

Best antidote: Realize there is plenty of business out there for you. You may have to change how you find it, but it’s hiding out there waiting to be found. It has always been there.

You’re Not Alone
Don’t feel alone if you see yourself in these personality traits. We all deal with these issues in our sales career.

The most important point is that you address them and manage them.

©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer