Greg Ness' thoughts, as well as Seth Godin's, on the Staples "Easy button" got me thinking about how that applies to sales.
Would a salesperson rather have an "easy" button or a "certain" button? If you're a sales professional, think about that for a minute...how many times in your career have you thought, "man, I sure wish getting new customers was easier"? Admit it, you've uttered that to yourself more than once in your sales life. "Easy" means less work, more sales, and (conceptually, at least) more money.
But....
...the paradox in that is that the "easier" the sale, the less valuable it is to the company you're selling for. Therefore, it makes sense that your earnings will be less. So in selling, "easy" doesn't get you to "easy street." Sales people that are sales associates at a department store, a cell phone store, a paint store, or other walk-in sales environments can tell you all about low commission checks and low-morale working environments with high employee turnover.
"Certain" on the other hand would be great. Salespeople would work 12 hours a day, six days a week (maybe more) for "certain" sales that would line their pockets. There would be people lined up to get into a sales job where there were "certain" buttons, wouldn't they? Of course the would. "Dan," you say, "if a sale were certain - a 100% sure thing - a sales career would be wonderful!"
Want to know a little secret? Sales professionals are one of the few groups of people where everybody has a "certain" button that's handed to them when they get their business cards for their new sales jobs. The "button" is you. Your abilities, your skills, your opportunity. Work hard enough and smart enough, and pick a high commission industry that will give you good opportunities, and you've got your "certain" button.
"But Dan, that's not easy. I'm looking for easy." Those sales jobs are available, too. They just don't pay as well.
So, which button would you like to press, Mr. and Mrs. Sales Pro. The choice is yours. You have the power to push either one. Each button has different outcomes, but they are both available to you
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Today is the last day of the month. For 80% of sales representatives, its a day of panic. For 80% of sales managers, its a day of panic. The same holds true for division VPs, CEOs, and business owners. ... [Read More]
Tracked on: February 28, 2006 12:43 PM | Permalink to Trackback