![\"\"](\"http:\/\/paulssupplies.com\/images\/indian%20scout%20moccasin%20kit.jpg\" "\\"moccasins\\"")
I got into it with a \u2018sales expert\u2019 yesterday. He told me that \u201csales is a warrior\u2019s job and the warrior works alone.\u201d I thought, don\u2019t bet your moccasins on that.<\/p>\nI got into it with a \u2018sales expert\u2019 yesterday. He told me that \u201csales is a warrior\u2019s job and the warrior works alone.\u201d I thought, don\u2019t bet your moccasins on that.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s true that the best salespeople seem to be \u2018hunters\u2019 and not \u2018gatherers\u2019. But it\u2019s also true that the most valuable hunters are the ones who hunt for the good of their tribe\u2014not just for themselves. In sales, these hunters remain true to their mission. The needs of their tribe take precedence over their personal interests.<\/p>\n
[Cut to scene in forest clearing, as the famed hunter returns to village with his kill.]
\nHunter: \u201cChief, I bring back this white crow. What a great challenge it was to stalk and kill it. What perfect aim of my arrow. My skills as a hunter are unsurpassed!
\nChief: \u201cThere are fifty mouths to feed, and you call this dinner?\u201d
\nHunter: \u201cIngrate!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThere\u2019s more to being a great salesperson than closing deals. Let\u2019s suppose that sales dollar volume is being met, but most of the \u2018wins\u2019 are on low-margin existing product, or product that is in short supply, when the company really needs to move the new high-margin product line, or to reduce excess inventory. Where does that leave you? And what if you have a sales \u2018superstar\u2019 who surpasses quota by telling customers just what they want to hear, without a care that the Support, Tech, and\/or Production teams will have to miss deadlines and burn up time and cash trying to meet unrealistic expectations.<\/p>\n
The complete picture of what if means to \u2018team well\u2019 in sales goes well beyond short-term relationships and results. To be a high-quality team player, a salesperson must remain in alignment with, and committed to delivering on:<\/p>\n
\n
- Customer needs and concerns<\/li>\n
- Product \u2018fit\u2019, functionality, and roadmap<\/li>\n
- Support team availability and capabilities<\/li>\n
- The company\u2019s short-term management and financial objectives<\/li>\n
- The company\u2019s long-term marketing and strategic objectives<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
One of my colleagues knows a salesman who works for a very large company that markets enterprise software systems to manufacturers. This person has no crocodile cowboy boots and sports no Rolex watch. He\u2019s actually a little scruffy\u2014just a regular guy who will occasionally put on a sport coat. And yet, year after year, he is the company\u2019s top salesman by a margin of two or three times over the runner-up. Why? Because\u2014as anyone who has worked with this fellow will tell you\u2014he knows the market, he knows the product, AND he is a phenomenal team player.<\/p>\n
There is some irony in the fact that Sales Management always looks for people with the right experience and the right personality, when they really should be looking for people with the right experience, who also team well. There\u2019s a big difference between the two.<\/p>\n
Long ago, personality testing showed conclusively that most people in the sales profession have high levels of extraversion and aggressiveness. As a result, these traits are considered to be a sort of \u2018pass-fail\u2019 measure in hiring for sales. But if you look at most sales organizations, you find high levels of failure to achieve objectives, and high turnover. So while extraversion and aggressiveness have a lot to do with getting involved in sales jobs, they don\u2019t seem to have all that much to do with selling successfully.<\/p>\n
Could it be that the ability to \u2018team well\u2019 with others is the missing piece of the puzzle? Well, that\u2019s one of the questions I had in mind over 25 years ago, when a colleague and I began our search for a way to measure what happens when people team together. And now that \u2018teaming characteristics\u2019 (and other closely related qualities of human interaction) can actually be measured and reported, it is possible to demonstrate just how much selling value a quality team player can deliver.<\/p>\n
So, Mr. Sales Expert, it\u2019s time for you to eat crow.<\/p>\n
Dr. Janice Presser<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For more information on The Technology of Teaming\u2122\u00a0, contact info@thegabrielinstitute.com<\/a> or visit https:\/\/www.thegabrielinstitute.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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