From one salesperson to another,

these quotes will help you in your journey in becoming a professional salesperson

   Over the years in sales, you drive a lot of miles.  Driving those miles, gives you a lot of time to just think.  A lot of that thinking revolves around what it takes to be successful in sales.  You reflect back on your successes and failures to try and figure out a pattern.  You try to piece together what you did in the process to acquire the sale.  And what you did that caused a lost sale.  We are looking for that elusive set of steps that if we do them, they work – every time. 

          This was definitely my experience as I picked up a set of car keys and started on my sales journey.  Prior to going into sales, I really had no clue as to how salespeople did what they do.  After 30 years, these two quotes keep proving true for me.  They help me make sense of what we do as a sales professional.  I hope they help you and your team.  Please share them with someone that might be searching for the answers they provide!

#1 “Sales is Work”

Greg Martinelli 1995

          It’s not magic and it’s not luck.  It’s work.  This was my first revelation as I journeyed down county road after county road.  “Sales is work”.  The more you work, the more sales you get.  Yes, there were days when luck or timing worked in my favor.  I got a sale on my first cold call as I just happened to walk into the store or onto the farm when the prospect was upset with their current supplier.  However, these were rare. 

          I found that when I did the work it takes to be a professional salesperson, I made steady progress in growing my territory. 

         Think about the steps it takes: 

• • Pre-call planning,
  • Multiple sales calls,
  • Digging for ways that you and your company can provide value,
  • Sampling, demo’s, analytics, diagnostics, scouting fields and walking the herd,
  • Following up when you don’t want to be pushy,
  • Showing up when it might not be the best time for a cold call

          All of this is best described as work.  Do the work and sales become consistent.  Skip the work and sales become much more random. 

#2 “Selling is a set of skills, applied in art form, by people to people”

Greg Martinelli 2018

          While this quote seems a bit more complicated, it really makes a lot of sense when you break it down.  I developed this quote as a result of my own journey and training the thousands of salespeople over the years; helping them on their journey.  Listening to their stories across all of agribusiness.  Often, those salespeople are looking for a magic bullet, a specific wording that will convince customers to buy.  This is why most salespeople want training on how to Close more sales.  Again, they are looking for that one line that will help them in any situation.  When they don’t get that, they can be somewhat frustrated.  So, I developed this quote and review it early when working with a sales team.  I want them to understand the journey we are all on to become professional salespeople.

          The principle of that journey says, you can do all the right tasks (skills), at the right time and in the right way (art), but this is still a people business.  No guarantees, but that is no excuse for not applying them. 

First, “Selling is a set of skills,” You have to learn the basics and apply them.  If you are skipping the pre-call planning phase and just winging it, your results will suffer.  Yes, we can all go out and hold a conversation (winging it).  We know enough about people and our industry to hold a general conversation.  But the pre-call planning process is where you will find the core of success in your daily selling process.  We need to do the steps or rely on luck to bail us out. 

          These skills are, “Applied in art form”.  That means, you know and apply the steps at the right time with the right level of persistence and emotion.  It’s not as simple as checking off a list of steps.  You need to notice the body language, the interest level, the other signs that you need to switch to the next step of the selling process or go back to the beginning.  Salespeople who try to close too soon or too often will realize they did all the right steps, but still didn’t sign the account.  This awareness and knowledge of people and how to apply these skills comes with experience.  The learning process can also be sped up with coaching, ride alongs, and networking with your peers.

          Lastly, it’s “By people to people”.  That means there are going to be a lot of aspects that simply defy reason.  People make mistakes, are emotional, and have values that are not clearly defined.  In a recent example, the salesperson I rode along with got to the end of a sales call and asked a closing style question.  It all seemed like a perfect opportunity.  She had offered a better product than the customer’s current supplier and at a lower net price.  Yet she lost the sale as the customer revealed that his current supplier is also his cousin.  In many cases, I have seen a customer have every logical reason to make the switch to a new supplier, but is simply afraid of making a change.  The product analytics are there.  The financial reasons seem to be in line.  Yet, the thought of making a change just paralyzes them.  The people aspect has the ability to throw a wrench into the best processes in any industry. 

          These aren’t lofty world leader type quotes but they sure will help you in your day-to-day life as a salesperson.  It gets tough out there when you are doing all the right steps, but not getting the expected results.  However, don’t allow that to be your excuse for not doing those steps.  Keep applying the basic skills.  Keep learning how to perfect your timing as an artist does.  Lastly, keep the people aspect in mind.  As you do all the right things at the right time, you will win some sales and lose some sales due to the people factor.  Read and reread these quotes to keep you on track.