Vol. XXII

Dear Manager,

All sales associates face that first solo day in the field. Be it the very first sales position, or one of many, the dynamics of beginning have challenged us all. There are many things to absorb, from working with new management, manufacturers and customers, to dealing with our own and others’ expectations. Next comes the task of processing and using this new information in a way that is consistent with our personal style. All this, in the hopes of being as effective as possible!

Dedication and patience are essential to early success. I have often asked a new associate to put up blinders for the first 120 days. During this critical time, negative influences from internal and external sources can distract, disturb and derail the initial enthusiasm and confidence in one’s objective. While it is human nature to form opinions, how can anyone effectively evaluate a new career after two weeks or even two months? One hundred twenty days of absolute dedication is a minimal investment in the grand scope of one’s career.

Can anyone develop the foundation, experience and knowledge required for a quality decision without this initial commitment? It cannot be done. Those who allow the negatives to affect them need only look as far as their own attitude for proper evaluation of their initial success.

A commitment to the reality of this process is essential. Acceptance of the challenge and a positive outlook will ease the early frustrations. Initial effectiveness for a new sales associate will not begin for ninety to one hundred twenty days, and it is only in the second year that they can effectively and strategically compete with an experienced associate. Once again, it is human nature to not want to accept this reality.

There is a faster track to success that only a small percentage of sales people seem to embrace. As I have suggested, our personal attitude plays a major role in our ability to succeed.

There is a single quality that I have determined always makes the difference. I can best describe it as a quiet confidence; a knowing approach and attitude towards the task at hand. In two very simple words, it is the difference between IF and WHEN. The word IF implies a wait and see attitude and an acceptance of those factors that may be in control of their ability to succeed. The alternative is WHEN, and this style is very different. With every fiber of their spirit, a WHEN person believes they will find success. They understand the dynamics of their position and set their sights in a very clear direction: straight ahead. They are not burdened by IF, as they have too much to accomplish within their own objectives and abilities. They have refused to put themselves in a position that requires them to even consider IF. In essence, they have accepted full responsibility for their ultimate success.

WE WANT IT, AND WE WANT IT NOW!

Patience is also critical to success. We all want the feeling of confidence that we enjoyed with former achievements. This type of confidence can only be earned. It comes from the reality of weeks and months of experience. One must believe in this process. Unreasonable expectations, at any level, can only lead to frustration and disappointment. This is always at the expense of productive time in the field.

Those who influence one’s daily life must also be dedicated and supportive of their ultimate success. All too often, a negative spouse or family member can introduce the IFs, diminishing their opportunity for initial success. At the very least, these individuals should show confidence in their partner’s abilities and their decision to choose and pursue their given career.

While many factors can influence the success of a salesperson, the largest single factor is, by far, the quality, dedication and pure effort of the person themselves. A salesperson is, in most cases, on his or her own. We can all relate to the fact that some influences are outside our control. Yet in most cases, these factors impact less than 25% of our true ability to succeed. How often have you spoken with a sales person who has resigned themselves to the overstated impact of these outside influences? Have you wondered how many actual sales calls were made that day?

I often think of a sales call I made a number of years ago. Having arrived for my appointment a bit early, I had the opportunity to see another salesperson during his presentation. From my perspective he seemed hopelessly ill-prepared. His catalogs were disorganized (if even available), there was little focus to his presentation, and he had difficulty finding his pen.

Months later, I ran into this individual again. I can remember wondering how he could survive in what I believed to be a very challenging, competitive market place. The answer soon became very clear: he showed up. While I had often heard of “missing salespersons” that had not been seen in months, this individual was consistent and reliable.

There are always individuals who literally and figuratively never show up in life. Often, their focus is on the outside factors that have obvious control over their lives and their ability to succeed. In fact, they may be more than willing to spend your afternoon telling you, in detail, all about it.

What these individuals fail to realize is that there is an abundance for everyone, if you are willing to make the effort and show up. There is a fair share awaiting all of us, simply for the taking. If an individual makes the consistent effort, they will get their share. If an individual is organized, well prepared, creative and shows consistent effort, they will get their share and a large share from those who are not showing up! This is the only true secret to sales.

A well-seasoned sales person accepts the fact that there are going to be very good days and days that, shall we say, are much less than good days! Years ago, I can remember being excited, if not proud, about my well-scheduled day. As the day unfolded, my schedule unraveled. At each of my three morning appointments I was greeted by a very apologetic buyer and a cancellation. I have to admit that by noon I began looking over my shoulder, half expecting a piano to fall on me. The afternoon was as disappointing as the morning. It was only after I had completed a rather desperate search for a rest room and found its door permanently locked that I stood at the end of the hall and began to laugh. This is what all sales people must endure on occasion. It is, according to a famous scholar, part of the deal.

What was even more memorable about this particular day was that the very next day was one of my most successful at that point in my sales career. This, too, is part of the deal. Being at your best with the proper mental attitude requires an acceptance of the deal. Our attitudes can be affected in both a positive and negative manner based on the ebb and flow of the success in our days and weeks. The professional sales person is able to adjust this attitude to insure the most positive results, regardless of their most recent sales encounter. How often in sales is a much larger sale lost because we were not in our most productive and receptive frame of mind?

Intangible aspects play a much larger role than the tangibles we most often rely on in evaluating performance. As managers, getting back to the basics of teaching dedication, consistent effort and a genuine trust in the process can often have the largest impact on our organizations.

Personal Regards,

Keenan

INTERPERSONAL© is published by INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM, Keenan Longcor, Editor, ©2008. Duplication of this publication is permitted for both personal and business use. Excerpts may only be quoted with acknowledgment of INTERPERSONAL/INTERPERSONALBIZ.ORG as the source. For re-publication rights, please contact the editor at KEENAN@INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM