One of the best sales/motivational speeches ever put on film was at the beginning of Glengarry Glen Ross, a depressing movie about a sales team whose leads are "bad" and are all about to get fired. The speech is delivered perfectly by Alec Baldwin as he tries to persuade the crew with insults and a profanity laced tirade. And the bottom line for each person is that they will lose they jobs if they can't close the sale.
Anyone considering a career in sales may want to reconsider after watching this flick, even though it's not as realistic as it claims to be. Sure there are industries that will give you leads and expect you to close them immediately, but that's not what selling is all about.
I've seen stereotypical "high pressure" sales people who talk fast and throw around numbers quickly. Those people don't last. Fortunately for most of us who buy stuff, the vast majority of sales reps out there talk in a calm voice, ask lots of questions and create a rapport. In other words, to succeed in sales, you have to sell yourself first.
Imagine you're the new kid in school. You know no one. You'll need to maybe join a club (networking group) to make a few friends (prospects). How will you make these friends? By being yourself and letting your sparkling personality emerge. Eventually people will want to hang out with you.
There are a lot more introverts in sales than you would expect and they do very well. And there are also more people getting into the industry who look less like a traditional sales rep and more like a casual beach goer. The coat and tie have been replaced by the golf shirt and slacks where I live, which is a resort area.
(Side note: I tell my life insurance clients that they can get either the tie or the coat, but they don't get both unless I come to their funeral. You need humor when discussing someone dying.)
My point to all of this is that when a sales manager tells you to dress one way or to talk less slangy or whatever, keep in mind that if you're comfortable, it will make your client comfortable. And by replacing a "sales pitch" with a conversation, discussing needs and budgets, you'll close more sales and make more money.
As always, stay healthy and keep plugging away.
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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