MONEY 111 - SALES

THIS IS MY 111 BLOG ON UNDERSTANDING MONEY TOOLS

With this blog we are back to sales and corporate structure with the hopes of giving you a better understanding of “what the current system is” so that you can better work around it, or with it.  In previous blogs we discussed sales more thoroughly.

I have part time associations with two large public companies. Similar flaws are obvious with both, so I thought I would give a bit of background as to how we got here, and what you could do to make your work life better.  I love to analyze companies and finance, therefore relating my experiences to hopefully make life better for others.  Sometimes this frankly comes down to avoiding today’s work life, knowing all to well in advance you are heading in a poor direction!  There is healthy stress, where you have control of your life. There is also unhealthy stress where you don’t have control over your life, and that will result in health problems.

The first thing that astounds me is the massive amount of paperwork that is required of these companies and employees. It is so extensive that people can’t direct the needed time to their positions, let’s say sales, to make sales.  The computer was to make life easier, it hasn’t; it has only created another step in the internal workings of companies. Yes, there are good reasons for computers! One is saving data and files, and two, expediency in transferring information.  I blame many issues on the government, lawyers and accountants who meddle in the business sector and have it all screwed up.  With banking and any industry related to finance including real estate, blame it on the Dodd Frank Act and the financial debacle of 2008.

Let’s talk sales.  Most good sales people are “people” persons, they hate paperwork.  We are not giving sales people what they desire.  First, most people spend about 1/3 of their life working, easily with overtime hours required in recent decades.  You better like what you are doing!  Sales people should be happy, and most I see are not, this rubs off on the customer. I see negative, stressed-out employees. As so much retail has gone on-line, you better be good at what you do to save your livelihood!

Simply put, what do I defer to as the make up of a good salesperson? 

-       A combination of right brained and left brained.  A good salesman for technical and financial sales will be more left brained.

-       Observant and a good listener.

-       Will use a combination of verbal skills along with mental skills and “heart”.  True connection to the customer, so he/she knows you sincerely care about his/her needs and wants.  I see few sales people and managers who care about “heart”.  They could care less as long as a sale and sale’s quotas are made.  The younger the people are generally the worst.

-       A happy, content individual.  Many buyers want a pleasant, if not fun, experience through the process as long as professionalism and good products are adhered to.  Many customers are so used to poor sales people they don’t remember the experience; should be fun!

In sales you have only a few seconds to make a very good first impression.  Believe it or not, physical impression is greater than the verbal.  After the first impression you have only another minute or two to create a more lasting positive impression through your mental and verbal skills.  Selling is a skill both inherent and learned.

Today, if a corporation gives sales training I see it more as company policy and procedures than true training.  Sales training needs to incorporate psychological training for skills and role-playing under difficult circumstances, especially for more expensive products.

How did we become robots setting poor standards for the future?  I’m not sure if Sam Walton, who started Walmart, would be proud of his company today.  The same goes for the four founders of General Electric, Edison, Coffin, Thomson and Houston.  Then on the other hand, I have read some unfavorable things about Thomas Edison, so not sure.

I keep hammering the position that Wall Street has forced businesses to become what they are and it is not pretty, all bottom line.  Everything is cause and effect and eventually it will catch up to them.

And then again, we are in a New World Order.  Baby Boomers who related to good salesmanship are dying off, Millennials followed up by Generation Z (the Founders) relating more to on-line order taking, technology and people speaking with strong foreign accents. Perhaps good salesmanship is no longer needed or respected today.