The Ideal Sales Department

I. Should know the direction the Company wants to take,;

II. Must have properly trained personnel to promote and sell
the Company's image and products,;

III. Must have the personnel who believes in the Company's
philosophy and products,;

IV. Should have a system that yields to cost optimization, profit
maximization, and customer satisfaction,;

V. Must have a working atmosphere that is pleasant to both
personnel and clientele,;

VI. Recognizes that the customer is the most important aspect
of a business,;

VII. Must be responsive to the demands of the clients,;

VIII. Must be conscious and responsive to the ever changing
conditions of the business environment, and;

IX. Must have the personnel that would go the extra mile in
meeting the client's needs.


Discipline is key to staying on track...
it's just a matter of keeping that fire burning.

Take note... "Make it a point to include your Creeds in your
quarterly meetings and you will never get lost."

What Buyers Dislike About Salespeople

From what buyers like in our last discussion, we now go to what
buyers dislike; still, for those who would think that this is just the
opposite of the previous, well, think again. There's more to the
human mind than just blood.

Here now are the Ten (10) Buyers Dislikes.

KNOW-IT-ALL ATTITUDE. Well, you know, how would you
feel if you talk to somebody who is just a show off? Or someone
who does not give you that chance to be heard? Indeed, this is
some communication problem, even in sales.

WHINES. This is about being a complainer which is no different
from being a quitter. These are people who makes alibis for their
shortcomings. And sad to say, if a person is such then he would
never really develop his own potential, much more, help others
like his customers in their needs.

NEVER MAKES APPOINTMENTS. The point here is that you
should not waste people's time specially those of whom that could
make or break you. Remember, one valuable way to build that
connection is by staying true to your word as success is really just
a matter of relationship building.

POOR LISTENER. Listening is not merely about not talking.
Listening is about understanding what the speaker is saying; it is
not about being a "yes" man; it is about putting yourself in the
other person's shoes. When you learn to listen, you would know
the right words to say; and this would bring in more profits for
your company and more opportunities for you.

GETS PERSONAL. Actually, in some cases, we need to get
personal to deepen understanding however this should not
happen at the first jump. And mind you, getting personal has it's
limits which varies from personality to personality. If you are
unaware of the subtleties then better be safe than sorry. Yet,
on the other side of the coin, this is also about reacting negatively
to unfavorable situations which you should be conscious of.

NO FOLLOW UP. What is the significance of follow-ups anyway?
Interest, clarity, importance... If you do follow-ups then you make
the person feel important which is vital to building loyalty. Aside
from that, follow-ups gives you that opportunity for feedback
which would prove crucial to the business.

DOES NOT ASK ABOUT NEEDS. Unfortunately, in many
instances, when salespeople do follow-ups... they only ask about
product performance. Here, needs is more than just product
performance, needs is about knowing "what else can be done?";
hence, understanding the needs is about going the extra mile.

LACKS PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE. This is one "mortal" sin,
after all, why are you with the company? Why are you dealing
with buyers? If you lack product knowledge then how could you
completely convince your listeners? Therefore, make it a point
to learn your craft well and soon. Do your homework.

WASTES TIME. As mentioned earlier, never waste time
specially that of your allies. As we know, time lost can never be
brought back... thus, make proper use of your time and you will
notice that you spend the time of others with more consideration
and profitably. Courtesy is good business.

PUSHY. Do you like to be coerced into doing something you do
not like or are even doubtful of? Of course not. Same goes with
other people. When you learn to listen, you learn to respect. When
you learn to respect, you learn what makes a person tick. When
you learn what makes a person tick, you understand his needs
and understanding your customers needs is like pouring coals
that keeps the flame up.

"No man achieves great success who is unwilling to make
personal sacrifice." - THE LAW OF SUCCESS

Take note... "When you do your homework, you enhance your
strengths while working on your weaknesses."

What Buyers Like About Salespeople

Last week, we talked about the qualities of salespeople that you
should hire. For this issue, we shall go into what your buyers
"hoped" the salespeople they meet to be.

Well, of course, we all have our "hopes" on what a salesperson
should be; however, this article would specially be useful to the
organization's training and development of sales personnel...
which inevitably benefits the company.

Here are the Ten (10) things that Buyers Like.

HONESTY. Who would want to deal with somebody who is
dishonest? Nobody, not even fellow dishonest people. Honesty
is a pillar in one's credibility and specially in dealings involving
money.

LOSES GRACEFULLY. This happens when products are pitted
against each other... that when features are compared or when
some sort of contest is held and the salesperson loses, he loses
gracefully.

ADMITS MISTAKES. This is quite similar to the previous "like"
we just tackled; however, in this case, it may not be the pitting of
products but the unperceived shortcomings on the part of the
salesperson himself... which he admits and resolves to make up
for.

ADEPT AT PROBLEM SOLVING. We are not in a perfect
world, hence, problems arise in every area even on what is
thought to be a perfect product. Being with or in this case, dealing
with a salesperson who is good in problem-solving will give you
that peace that everything will be fine.

FRIENDLY BUT PROFESSIONAL. Being friendly makes the
person you interact with at ease. It makes the person open up
more which is good for the salesperson as he could get an honest,
first-hand feedback for the products he carry. However, this
friendliness should not trample upon professionalism, after all
the salesperson represents the company and it's ideals.

DEPENDABILITY. One way to show this is "you walk the talk"
or do everything reasonable for customer satisfaction. If the
product needs needs repair then do not delay, if it needs
replacement then replace. And of course, never be late for
appointments if you can help it, otherwise, inform.

ADAPTABILITY. Whenever we hear this, it specifically
pertains to the environment that one is in or could be in. He
should be able to adjust to the nuances and all of this
environment including the customer's attitude and his
environment's physical make up, like what's available and
what's not.

KNOWLEDGE OF BUSINESS. Certainly, customers would
not want to deal with people who does not know what they are
talking about. As a salesperson, he should understand the
existence of his company and specially the line of his work
including the products, of course.

PREPAREDNESS. Would you go to war without a gun? Or
without whatever device that could give you victory? Yet, going
to war is not just about having a gun, it's about having a plan
and all the necessary things to win specially if it's going to be a
protracted one. Same goes with business, with sales... you have
to learn to anticipate the needs before they come.

PATIENCE. As a salesperson, your products is not only your
business. And to get that order, you have to consider your
customer's behaviour and situation. You got to develop empathy,
flexibility, and patience to nurture customer loyalty. As the
saying goes, "good things come to those who wait."

"Render more service than that for which you are paid and
you will soon be paid for more than you render. The law of
increasing returns takes care of this." - THE LAW OF SUCCESS

Take note...
"It's not really what you say, but how you say it that gets the attention."

Qualities Of Salespeople

Whether you are a headhunter or what, hiring should not be the
sole responsibility of human resources; but instead, the greatest
weight to the final decision should come from the division or
department head who would be utilizing the new acquisition.

Since for this article we would be talking about salespeople, then
the most influence in hiring such should come from the Sales
Manager with some valuable touch from the Sales Director
among others.

For whatever manpower needs the organization requires, human
resources should only be there to provide assistance to the
division or department that would utilize such talent. As in such
case, there are many instances where only a mix of gut instinct,
experience, and foresight in one’s area of expertise can an
organization get hold of “real” talent.

Let us now take a quick look at the eight qualities of salespeople
that we should consider when recruiting.

Remember, when hiring, one’s professional experience should not
be everything but a small part of the final decision… as we know,
experience is a matter of exposure, everything can be learned.
So, as an employer… do not be traditional but give opportunities,
this will give you the hand to “spot” real talents.

CREDIBILITY. This is about being reliable or having the
integrity. Can a resume speak of one’s integrity? We can only
tell through gut instinct, experience, and foresight…
by talking to the person himself.

PROFESSIONALISM. This is about one’s attitude and work
ethics. Again, can a resume speak of one’s professionalism? Well,
except if headhunters or employers confuses it for the resume’s
layout. Talk to the candidate himself, that’s it.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE. If the candidate has real interest in
your company, he would do research or at the very least ask you
more about your company products. And you would only know
about the candidate’s interest and learning ability if you give him
that chance.

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. Most anyone can hire a
professional to make a resume look as if the candidate has brought
value to his company; but if you do not talk to the candidate and
give him situationers, you will never know of his problem-solving
skills.

PRESENTATION SKILLS. Again, a resume layout does not
answer one’s presentation skills, while the experience he has
jotted on his paper is nothing but crap… what you need to know
is the candidate’s voice. Not necessarily of one’s vocal cords but
persuasive ability. See, there are voices that puts one to sleep,
there are those that scares, others authoritative… while there are
those voices that simply takes the heart of the listener.

NEGOTIATING SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE OF BUYER’S
BUSINESS. Learn about your candidate’s values, sense of
service, and learning ability… talk to him, even chat with him…
give him the opportunity, only then will you know of his real
abilities.

KNOWLEDGE OF COMPETITOR’S PRODUCTS.

KNOWLEDGE OF MARKET DATA.

The last two qualities are guaranteed in a salesperson when you
have hired the right candidate as it is inevitable that he would
possess such knowledge very soon.

“Personnel selection is decisive.
People are our most valuable capital.” - Joseph Stalin

Take note...
"The more flexible you are, the greater your chances for quality people.”