A discussion about sales, sales tips and advice, and about those who land the deal

It's rare that I mildly disagree with The Great One, but I'm about to do it for the second time in as many posts here in "The Seth Godin Post-Game Show" category of Landing the Deal. 

Seth tries to make the point that since you have to go to the sales presentation in the conference room, and have to listen to the sales rep and his presentation, and you're getting paid for it, you should enjoy it.  Artificially, if need be.  Seth writes:

When you go to the presentation in the auditorium, don't sit in the back row. It doesn't matter if you don't feel like sitting in the front row, you should. The presenter will do a better job. And if you're tired, work hard at smiling and making contact. The presenter will do better, especially if he's particularly boring and nervous.

Don't bring a bag of Fritos. Don't sit back. Don't close your eyes.

Do bring snacks for your guest. Do lean forward. Do smile at attempts at humor. Laugh, even.

When the sales rep is giving you the specs on the steel pipes or the consulting services, challenge him. Ask hard questions. Figure out what he knows. If it's worth you having him come over, it's worth discovering what he knows.

All well and good, but...

...what about "Permission Marketing"?  I love that book...I try to live that book, professionally, in sales and marketing.

If someone is forced to go and listen to the sales rep, forced to ask questions that they really aren't interested in asking, forced to laugh at lame jokes, forced to be interested, doesn't that go against the principles of Godin's "Permission Marketing" manifesto?

Hey, I'll be the first one to say "hip hip hooray" on the sales side if I'm the one up there presenting.  You mean I don't really have to be compelling?  Don't need to have a great reason for every person in the room being in the room?  They'll just show up?  Hot dog!

Here's my take on it: If you're a sales professional, you better work your rear end off to make people put down their Fritos, take notice in what you're saying, be THE BEST sales professional you can be.  Every time.  No matter what.

The argument that The Great One makes in saying "you're being paid to be at the meeting, you should care" is, it seems to me, going against being there because you want to be there.  You have a vested interest in being there...even if someone else in the building scheduled the meeting, you'd make time and attend.  Does that make sense?

Sorry, Seth.  I put the onus on the sales professional doing the presentation.  Or the product or service their selling.  Or the company the represent. 

Seth Godin is coming to give a presentation?  I'm there.  I'll camp out the night before to get a seat in the front row.  The Konica sales rep is coming in to try and get us to switch copiers?  Pass me the Fritos!

I would say, being on both the buying and the selling end, don't reward sub-par sales reps by giving it your all.  Give them permission to market to you first by offering an original presentation and a compelling product or service, and then knock their socks off to earn their attention (and their hard earned company money) by being amazing in the way you conduct the presentation.  In the long run, you'll be a better professional, they'll get the information they need, and you'll live a rich, fulfilling life.

Now, if you'll excuse me, all this talk about Fritos has given me the munchies...(hey, do you know how they make Fritos?)