Being a salesperson is something that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not very easy to be a sales man but if you are going to think about it, each of us is a sales person at some degree. Whenever we deal with other people, talk to people, convince people, win approval, these are all selling in different forms. We sell ourselves the way we present ourselves on a daily basis.
Brian Tracy has once said that if you are in the field of sales, you are already one step closer to the way to wealth. You have the biggest chance to be a millionaire among all the other people who work in different fields once you are a sales person. So, what does it really take to be a millionaire salesman?
1. Prestige. There’s a quote that says that we are not defined by our clothes or physical appearance but we define ourselves. There might be some truths in that but sadly, it is not very applicable when you’re a salesperson. The thing is, it’s hard to project something when the energy that your clothes gives you is in a totally different vibe.
I’m a bargain lover, I love to shop and inspire people to shop in budget. But let me tell you that when I attend meetings, I wear a decent quality branded suits and shoes because sadly, the vibe of the room where filled with powerful people from different embassies around the world radiated and overpower my self-esteem and confidence.
I am not encouraging anyone to be materialistic but what I’m saying is a sale shoes you bought for 50% discount gives you the same level of that energy. I don’t advice you to buy the most expensive stuff either but I want you to invest to highly quality products, maybe a decent pair of suits, because even things give good energy. I’d rather have one pair of Manolo Blahnik than 10 pairs of cheap shoes. Wearing something nice is comfortable and empowering. It feels good. Again, you don’t need to fill your closet with branded stuff. Just having one or two decent and high-quality clothes in case of emergency is necessary. Every sales person must know how to present themselves well at all times.
2. The Right Perception on Your Job. If you are a salesperson and you think that you’re nothing but a middle man or an agent who gets the commission, let me tell you now that getting a deal will become a little harder for you. You have to understand that you are not just a sales person but a financial adviser. A financial adviser dealing with different people in all walks of life, helping them decide the best options for them within the resources that they have. Once you see this responsibility in your hands, you will feel liable. You will exert effort to get to know your clients, to provide them the best options for their financial capacity that suits their lifestyle and need. Once you have the right perception on your job, you will not only close deals. You will also win friends and have free endorsements for potential clients in the future.
3. Honesty. Of course, you might think that it is something you already know. But I want you to see honesty in a different perspective. Anyone who decided to be rich are forced to be honest because it is the first step in getting clients, booking deals, and a lot more. Clients actually feel it when a salesperson is just after the commission. Of course, who doesn’t want commission? I love commission. But when it becomes the only goal to close a deal, then that’s when it becomes wrong.
Some fraud salesperson who are misleading and deceive clients just to close the deal may be instantly wealthy but this will not last for very long. Sooner or later, it will be exposed. And let me tell you that a bunch of a few quick dime is never worth it. Have you ever wonder why commissions are big? It’s because when you’re a salesperson, your reputation is at stake at every transaction. I know it sounds too much but when you’re honest, you don’t even have to worry about it. This is a good thing about honesty. It works like your free advertisement. When you’re honest, you don’t have to worry about clients’ reviews.
4. Altruism. Truth is, sales persons are the people that most of us doesn’t really like to hang out with. People have this mindset that a sales person try to get a sale whenever, wherever, to whomever. But altruism is different. And it should be your fire when selling. Does it mean you should not think about your commission? Of course not. But when you are altruistic, commission is not the only drive that you have when making a sale. When a sales person’s main drive is commission, they get desperate. It radiates a negative vibe and it becomes one reason why the sales are most likely to suffer. Whereas when you’re being altruistic, your focus is how to really help the client, you will not be in a hurry. There’s going to be a process. Good intentions radiate good energy and when the client sees that you are not there just to get a percentage of their money but to actually help them, they will cooperate with you. They will be open to you and trust you with everything you need to know to push through a certain deal.
5. Problem Determiner. It’s easy to be a problem solver. In fact, some people even hire good advisers when it comes to solving a problem. However, determining a problem is not really an easy task. As a salesperson, you have to come up with the best solution to push through a certain deal but that would be impossible if you cannot see what precisely the problem is.
I used to work before to one of the biggest car company in the US and my job was to basically hunt people who have delinquent accounts. My job was easy. It was basically to get a hold of the account holder and remind them of their dues but to hit target of making these people actually pay was almost impossible.
For a couple of months, I had been doing my job, calling all the possible numbers, trying to get a hold of the account holder, but it never made me hit my target. In this kind of job, it will exhaust your time just to get a hold of the customer alone. And sometimes, it’s almost impossible. After all, nobody was really hitting the target. However, I didn’t feel very effective at all. Until I decided to try something I have never tried before.
First, I made myself believe that I was an account specialist and that my job was not just to hunt these people but to help them with their situation. I made every call personal. I have won customers’ trust. They became so open about their current situation and even told me the setbacks they were facing. They were opening up and telling me where exactly they were coming from. They opened up the exact source of the problem. Together, we made an action plan on how they could possibly pay. Looking back, I smile whenever I remember my 20-year-old self, making budget plan over the phone with some customers I never had the chance to really know in person. For some reasons, my customers started paying. It came to a point when they were actually calling and looking for ‘Mason’ and refused anyone to deal with their account. I had reached my quota consistently, sometimes even 200%, and it made me the youngest operational manager at 22.
It’s easy to solve the problem when you know exactly what your solving is. If you’re a good problem determiner, you can definitely come up with the most accurate solution. You have to determine which ones work and which do not. You have to figure out the possible reasons why some things don’t seem to work because only then, you will be able come up with the solution to make things work.
If you are good at analyzing where the problem is coming from, it would be easy for you to handle ahead of time all the possible problems that could stop you from getting the deal. Needless to say, a good problem determiner can make deals possible and can make every transaction as smooth as silk.
6. Faith. The top salespersons always have faith in what they do. They believe in their product or service they provide, they believe in themselves and they never doubt their sales. Instead of magnifying the explanation why something would not work, they are focused on why it would certainly be a hit. That is having a strong faith.
The reasons why some people quit their job as a sale person is because of their lack of faith. Knowing the economic set backs that the country is currently facing, having faith becomes one major challenge. For an instance, if you’re a real estate person, your mind will tell you that the real estate market is not very hot these days. Faith doesn’t work like that. Faith doesn’t need reasons and explanation. Just like miracle, it bypasses any logical explanation. Faith doesn’t care about reasons--- it simply knows and believes.
Just like when Henry Ford instructed his engineers to produce a design for his famous V-8 motor. All the engineers agreed that it was just impossible for the entire eight-cylinder engine-block to cast in one piece. Do you know what Mr. Ford’s reply? “Produce it anyway.” Now this is how far one’s faith could go. It transcends the impossible. It doesn’t take no for an answer. And do you know the sweetest reward? Phenomenal success. -M.D.
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