Hey friend,
As conflicting a statement as it may seem many
would be wise to subscribe to this advice.
If you are a sales person, you are in one of the
toughest professions out there. It has been said
less than 1% of the population has what it takes
to be successful in sales. Those are not great
odds. But many of us are attracted to the sales
arena. We are the modern day gladiators who face
daily challenges, survive and often thrive. We
like helping people; we enjoy the competitive
nature and recognition that comes with being
successful at what we do.
So how do some men and women rise to the top while
so many others only dream about success?
Many of the top sales professionals I know have
been fortunate to have had a mentor somewhere
along the way who shared nuggets of golden advice.
Many years ago my Sales Manager made a
statement one day that offended me. It also
changed my life.
He said, “Seyi you’re a good sales person, but
you could be a great sales person.” As one of the
top sales people in the company my ego was bruised.
I went away mad that he would say such a thing. I
considered myself a dedicated student of selling,
I had been on many sales courses and my results
were very good.
His statement rolled around in my head for the
balance of the day and that night. I needed to
understand his thinking. The next morning, I
worked up some courage, not really sure what I
would hear and went into his office to ask him
what he meant with his comment the day before.
He asked me to sit, and began by telling me how
pleased he was that I was on his team, and
explained he believed his role was to get the best
out of people. I told him I felt a bit insulted, I
considered myself better than just good at sales.
He reassured me I was, but if I wanted to be a
great sales person I had to listen carefully to
some advice. I still remember as if it were
yesterday, at 9 am on a Friday morning he said two
words that stunned me, “Stop selling.” I was
dumbfounded, stop selling? He went on to explain,
“Your job is not to sell anything. Your job is to
help your customer make an informed purchasing
decision.”
Well he had to repeat the statement two times
before the light bulb began to come on for me. Of
course he was absolutely right. I needed to move
from being a gladiator ready to do battle, to
becoming a trusted advisor. My responsibility was
to bring subject matter expertise to the table and
help the potential purchaser understand the pros
and cons of their decision. It is their money, it
is their decision. Had I done everything I could
to help them make an informed one?
Over the years I have shared this nugget with many
“good” sales people. I smile as I watch their
reaction when I suggest they can improve their
sales if they STOP SELLING. If you practice this
philosophy today I commend you. Should you adopt
it going forward, I wish you much personal
success.
To Your Success,
Seyi Eyitayo
C.E.O, (S.E.I COACHING)