Does it Take People Skills to Manage People?

Does it Take People Skills to Manage?

Often I am dumbfounded, mystified, shocked and even heart broken at managers who have no idea how to manage. I know there are wonderful motivating Sales Managers out there. I am not addressing you. Hopefully you know who you are. Management has been part of my career although I choose now to enjoy my first love, outside B2B sales. It has been very good to me over the years and I have made more than enough money to survive; most of the time.

The sales profession, which I believe is the greatest profession in the world, is an attitude driven profession. Your heart must be in your product or service you offer. I also believe you must have at least a semblance of good feelings for the company you bring your beloved clients money into. You work hard, face diversity, rejection while you wade through a sea of no’s just to hear that one wonderful, YES! “I’m buying what you are selling”.

A manager with no people skills can kill with a dagger, right in the heart, all motivation you have, if you do not protect yourself. Somewhere along the way some managers forget, or maybe never heard the words my Mama said to me a thousand times, “you catch more flies with Honey than with vinegar” I am sure she was talking about us sales people with our fragile egos. Just because a Sales Manager is not selling to a client doesn’t mean they don’t need tact. I believe a Sales Manager should handle the Revenue Producers with some respect. Taking into consideration, that most likely, if your attitude stinks, so goes your sales. I believe it takes people skills to be in sales and I also believe it takes just as much, if not more to manage those people, with people skills. At least this is my opinion,

Are You Selling Ideas?

Prospects are smarter, well read, and in the know. Now more than ever You must be prepared!


Are You Selling Ideas?

Never more than now do I realize it is a time for selling ideas. Prospects are smarter, well read, and in the know. You can no longer walk into a prospects business and say let me sell you an advertising schedule. You have to walk in prepared. Prepared to fulfill a need and give the prospects ideas he hasn't heard before and will not hear from the next media sales rep coming in behind you. The days of order taking are gone and if you plan to stay in the game you had better learn the new rules. In this day of business we have got to be quicker, smarter, tougher, stronger and more creative.

Take that extra few minutes and research your prospects industry. Look for ways that may have worked in the past. Be bold with your suggestions, and do not be afraid to try new ideas. Brain storm with your prospect and get his ideas. Let's face it; no one else will know his business better than he does. Get him involved with his commercial ideas by revving up his own creative juices. This will give him ownership to what you are doing. I am a believer in allowing the client face time in the commercial. This also gives him ownership and branding. I cannot STRESS enough how absolutely vital it is that you Listen, Listen, Listen to what your prospect is telling you, If you are listening and giving him what he is telling you he wants then he is not longer a prospect but a client!

MPrince
August 23, 2009

Cold Calling 101

Cold Calling 101

I love to Cold Call. It energizes me!

Cold Calling 101!

I love to Cold Call. It energizes me whether I get a yes or a no. I am not talking about Cold Calling on the phone. I am talking about grabbing a hand full of business cards and doing it the old fashioned way, face to face. For me visual works best. I need to see the hustle and bustle, or not, going on at the business I am calling on. I need to see the reaction and body language of my prospect. There are thousands of Cold Calling ideas out there. Some are good ones and some not so good but after twenty-five years of Sales and Cold Calling face to face Cold Calling has worked best for me. The prospect can see I am a living breathing person; not just a sales voice on the phone. It is also harder for the prospect to say no to an appointment when he is looking me in the eye. Another advantage in face to face Cold Calling happens if the prospect is not there. It gives me a wonderful opportunity to begin a relationship not only with the gatekeeper but other employees. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get to know the employees of the business you are calling on. They can be your most important advocates. Gain their trust and you are that much closer to closing the deal. These advocates can tell you What, When, Where and How about your prospect. They many times offer up important information you will need to know about the person that holds the purse strings. Never underestimate the influence of theses people, the gatekeeper and other employees.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that you never make a Cold Call over the phone. You should use the phone and use it often. As a matter of fact you should use every tool in your sales tool box, the phone, internet, referrals, networking, face to face, even a megaphone on the street corner as long as you are not arrested. For many sales people the telephone works best. We just need to find and develop the sales tools best suited for our personal skills and use them often and with ATTITUDE!.

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