Salespeople - They are ticking time-bombs. Embrace them.

Let's explore the salesperson from an emotional standpoint.  Usually when a new salesperson starts (that is at least a mediocre performer), they come off pretty confident, scare the under performers a little bit, and really hit the ground running with sales activity.  That's exactly what you want if you're a manager or business owner.  Now as they start to perform whether it be good or bad, you get to see what makes them tick.  "Oh this guy is a total moron...he wouldn't buy because we don't have X, Y, and Z" or "That lady is crazy.  She just can't make a decision and I'm running out of ways to close her."  This dialogue is completely normal, but the reason you're hearing it is because salespeople are sensitive, emotionally unstable ticking time-bombs and that's what makes us great!

One of the main reasons I love selling is because I love the adrenaline.  I still remember my first sale (sold a guy Cable and Internet in 2002. His exact words were "I'm only buying from you because I can't seem to hang up on you").  And the feeling I got from that first sale NEVER went away.  Every time a contract is signed, I still get that rush and feeling of self satisfaction.  But on the flip side, going through a sales slump is one of the most frustrating things you will experience.  You feel like your boss is watching you throw his wallet out the window as you become a walking bloated salary bringing in no revenue.  But that doesn't last long because of the emotions you go through.  Regrouping, staying on task, and taking a 5 minute break can do wonders.

Ever watch a salesperson completely freak out?  Just completely lose it because they couldn't close a deal or lost it at the last second because their boss wouldn't drop the fee by $100?  It's absolutely hilarious.  But we've all been there.  You NEED those freak-outs.  They get you back to a normal state of mind...eventually.  But you also need those celebrations when you bring in the big deal.  And it's hard not to feed into those emotions.  If you've ever been the one to close the big deal at COB on Friday and heard the whole office cheer, you can be rest assured knowing that everyone is a little jealous of you at that time.  It's very rare the office claps when customer care solves a ticket they've been working on all day.

OK so the whole point of me talking about this is because I think more salespeople need to embrace their emotional instability and just roll with it.  There's nothing wrong with walking out of a meeting and letting loose by yourself in the car.  Call your boss and vent.  The venom needs to be taken out on anyone BUT your next potential sale. It's 100% normal and I highly encourage it.

And for the managers, business owners and co workers of salespeople, let me tell you something that we all hate to hear. Any sentence that starts with "Did you try....", "What I would have done...", and "Next time try..."  But if you REALLY want to ruin a salespersons day and completely stop their productivity on the spot, say "We really needed that one."  I promise you this.  We know!  Let us decompress and then give all the feedback you want.  Adding fuel to the fire will always end productivity for the day until you can recharge your batteries that night.

Salespeople are great.  They have awesome personalities, they can make you a ton of money, but they're the biggest pains in the asses at any company.  Ask my boss.  He'll tell you how badly I annoy him.  But we have to be.  No one can create a sense of urgency quicker than a salesperson trying to ink a deal.  It usually sends a nice shot of adrenaline through the whole company, which is awesome and usually much needed

Embrace salespeople and all their emotions.  Sometimes a little attaboy here and there is what motivates us to work 10 hours instead of 8.

Dave Altimari
"You become what you think about all day"

For the most part, you won't sell anything...

This is my first of many relatively short posts about what I have seen and experienced in the world of sales from a rep, to a manager, to simply an observer.  The first thing I want to address is how hard it is to be successful, and why most people will undoubtedly fail.

Selling is difficult.  It is one of the most stressful jobs you can find yourself in.  Almost everyone at some point in their lives has held a job where they are required to sell some type of service and/or product.  Whether it be a waitress pushing tonight's special, a car salesman making you feel uncomfortable (these guys get a bad rap in my opinion), a girl in retail telling you how great you look in that ugly sweater, or a local business owner just trying to make a living.  However, the most common outcome for most people who have dipped their toes into the pool of selling, is failure.  You get out of it for a number of reasons:

- You burn out
- You can't hack it
- Your boss expects too much
- Stress/Pressure
- You aren't good at dealing with people
- Reading and reacting isn't your thing
- Lack of organization
- Lack of drive

The list goes on and on.  The point is that selling is extremely difficult.  I always want to say that only the strong survive, but that is not at all the case.  The mediocre survive forever.  The elite will make tons of money.  The weak would rather do anything else, and soon will.

There are a number of reasons why most people won't ever sell anything or ever make any real money in sales, but for now I want to focus on one particular reason - WORK ETHIC (or lack thereof)

See you can't teach work ethic.  You either have it or you don't.  Ask any business owner what the hardest thing to find is.  The answer isn't "clients."  The answer will always be "someone willing to work their butt off for me."

You will never find any successful salesperson that wakes up at 9am, stops working at 5pm, and goes to bed at 10pm.  You will find quite a few who make a decent living, but you don't want them on your team.  You want the truly elite who are "on" all the time.  They network nonstop, log every conversation they have, follow up relentlessly, know how to prove value in 30 seconds or less, and never stop closing.

The unfortunate reality is that most salespeople have nothing to offer besides a warm body willing to pick up a phone every once in a while and play the numbers game until they reach quota.  They run from client calls, hide behind voicemail, and never take the serious steps needed to establish that one relationship that will make it all worth while.

So for the most part, you won't sell anything....but if you're in that elite group of salespeople that are truly in it for the profession, the company you represent, and most importantly, yourself, then congrats, you are already a success.

Dave Altimari
"You become what you think about all day"