Home Business and sales management The extremes in sales: Can we learn from them?
The extremes in sales: Can we learn from them?
I generally slam the door in anger at the outright salesperson; with the kids selling stuff, if I don’t know them personally, I try to be nicer, but still don’t buy anything. This is a story of continuing rejection and you really need to have a thick skin or very little sensitivity to rejection to continue. My wife was nicer, she gently brushed the guy off saying she would read literature but would absolutely not sign up for anything at the door. The old: “I’ll think about it” answer.
At the other end of the scale, I think of the deal that practically forced itself onto me. An association committee leader wanted us to start a new publication after I did some personal business with his own company (and obviously got it right). I declined initially, because the job was outside our then-scope of business. The leader persisted to the point that I knew that this wasn’t an ordinary request.
So I assembled a team with the required expertise, and we pitched the job as instructed. We won the contract to produce Ottawa Renovates magazine, which continues to generate significant annual revenue and where relationships have breathed new life into the rest of our business. Overall revenue is approaching the seven-figure level, and the margins on the work continue to be excellent.
The extreme here can be seen in the distinction between push and pull; between building the relationships and reputation first, and then practically turning down the business; and between banging on doors, cold. And the suggestion is that any sales representative or business developer will want to structure things so they move further to the right of the imaginary line here — and that really good marketing can indeed help the process along by building familiarity and trust before the selling process starts.
Many sales books advocate strategies to build this connection and avoid the “dialing for dollars” approach. Ashley Welch and Justin Jones suggest spending time with front line managers and customers and observing their interaction in their book: Naked Sales — How design thinking reveals customer motives and drives revenue.
That in part is why I really advocate for participation in client-focused associations and relevant community service projects, because generally you will be welcome to get involved and as you build relationships over time, you’ll burn down the trust barriers and gain real insights into the pain-points for your potential clients. And in some cases, like for me, the business will practically force its way into your door.