I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say that they hate sales people. And my response is always the same.
“You hate people who help you solve problems you didn’t know you had, or maybe you did know that you had them, and you’ve had them forever, and the salesperson is trying to create some urgency for you to fix whatever the problem is?”
You hate people who are helping you solve your problems?
But Brian, they are pushy.
I can’t speak for everyone. But a sales person is pushy because they know that their solution (product) will solve your problems. Period.
Look, the only reason you feel like they are being pushy is because you haven’t sold yourself. Or for some reason you have used similar products in the past and either didn’t use them as you were supposed to, or you didn’t use them at all. Whose fault is that? Yep. Yours.
I also believe that we currently have such a laid back society that anything that seems a little assertive, (hence the word assertive not aggressive) is looked at as being pushy.
The bottom line is most of the decisions in your life that could significantly alter or change your life, required a little push. If you didn’t get the push you didn’t do it. Matter of fact, I would say if you haven’t been pushed you most likely haven’t pursued the things that could change your life.
They are just trying to earn a commission.
Life is a commission. You are getting up right now and you are headed in to your job to earn a commission. The only difference is that your commission may already be established fo you. If you earn a salary. The company you work for said they will pay you X amount of dollars every week, every two weeks, a month, or a year for the work you said you would do. You earn your commission in advance in many cases. There is no guarantee that you will actually do the work you said you would do. Kind of dumb really, but that is what society is.
Or maybe you earn an hourly rate. And that is okay. But once again you earn your commission for every hour you work. If you don’t work, you don’t earn the commission.
Sales people earn their commission when they have done their job properly. I know a lot of people in management, salaried positions, as well as hourly people, that never even do their job at all.
They don’t listen.
Look I train sales people for a living. And I understand what you mean. However, nobody listens in society. Right now, you are trying to get your kid to do something and they aren’t listening to you. It doesn’t mean you hate them or you aren’t going to work with them anymore.
If you are in management, you are going to lead some people today that aren’t listening to you right now, and they won’t be listening to you when you get to work either. It doesn’t mean you are going to stop working with them.
Nope! What you are going to do is get what you can out of your children and your employees, and continue to guide them down the path to help them get what they want, because when you help them get what they want, they will help you get what you want.
And that is what good sales people are trying to do. They are trying to help you get what you want. And just like you have to be as a parent and as manager, you have to push people some times. You have to remind them of the bigger picture.
Look, you don’t want a bunch of sales people working for free. What would be the incentive to get you in the right solution if that was the case. There wouldn’t be any reason for them to push you.
This week if you run across a sales person that you feel like is doing any of these things. Roll with it and see if they help you solve your problems. The chances are if you let them you will get what you want and they will get what they want.
To your success and your future.
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