Fair-Play

One of the first lessons we ever learn.  Cheaters never win.  We're not kids anymore, but this rule lives with us every day.

I may be missing something, but I believe sales is the largest platform in which cheating vs. fair play may exist.  For sales people, sales is life. Sales is winning and losing.  A win might mean a nicer car, or it might mean they can simply provide another meal for their family that week.  It's not uncommon to win at all cost in sales.

I understand that cheating in athletics is widespread, by all parties involved.  And a win or loss might mean the coach losing their job, or a player getting drafted.  Stakes are high, therefore cheating is looming around.  But there are far more sales people providing with each win than there are athletes/coaches with jobs on the line.  In athletics, there are governing ordinances which may not eliminate cheating, but definitely reduces it.  In sales, as long as you're not breaking the law you're probably OK.  The medical industry now has strict anti-kickback laws which have helped, but most other industries have nothing.  What prevents a sales person from lying to earn your business?  What prevents a sales person from offering service and warranty's the company will never live up to?  What prevents a sales person from turning their head at foul-play when it benefits them?

The primary mediator of cheating vs. fair-play in everyday sales is our own individual moral characters.  Meanwhile, we have learned that we were lied to as kids, and cheaters can win.  Cheaters can win big houses and nice cars.  Cheaters can win your business.  As long as cheaters are OK being cheaters, they can win.

A successful sales person does not always equal a successful person.  A winner does not always equal a winner.  A loser does not always equal a loser.  Character always equals character.

You Never Know

One of the great things about sales is all of the various people that you come in contact with.  Time spent on the road with colleagues, getting to know them and their families.  With some, you will spend extensive time over the course of many years.  With others, you will have minimal contact on occassion.

After doing this for several years, it's fun to look back and think of the people that I've gotten to know.  It's interesting to think where they were then, where they are now, and where they're trying to go.

You never know the impact that your encounter(s) with these people may have on them long term.  Hopefully a positive one.  To think that your time spent with them may somehow shape "where they go from here" is pretty cool.  I learned early in my career not to burn any bridges, with the mindset that "you never know who might one day be your boss."  But I'm learning to take "you never know" on a different level.

You never know who todays actions are going to impact, in what way, and for how long.  You never know if the time you spend with a new person today is going to have an impact on where they go.  Keep this in mind, as you may have more impact than you think.

Own It

Mistakes happen.  You will be involved, be it majorly or minorly, in these mistakes.  What you do with them is a key in forming the type of person you are, both in your business and in your personal life.

For many, first instinct is to run, duck, or point blame when mistakes are exposed.  It seems that the avoidance process is exhausting, and lingers with you for a long time.

I've found that owning up, regardless of your level of responsibility, is far less painful.  Recognizing a mistake, owning up, and initiating corrective measures builds everyone's loyalty and confidence in you.  If the plumber you hire makes a mistake and does everything necessary to get it fixed, you will hire that plumber again without hesitating.  If the plumber blames the countertop guy and avoids the situation, you will never work with him again.

It doesn't really matter if there are other parties who are also at fault.  If you're name is associated, it's well worth your time and effort to make sure the mistake gets fixed.  All that matters is that things you are involved in end correctly.  Take ownership, and watch things end better than they would otherwise.

Jump

All clients are important. All issues are important. All problems are critical.

Having said this, some need more urgency than others. Some need to hit red-alert status. When it hits red-alert time, some salespeople duck their head for cover and wait until it blows over before resurfacing. These salespeople can have success over the long run, but their level of success will hit a ceiling called "average."

Successful salespeople know that red-alert time means gather the troops, instruct an action plan, and don't let up until the action plan has been executed. Evaluate the plan during the execution, and redirect if needed, but never never let up.

Now, when it's over, maybe your plan worked and maybe it didn't. Maybe you diverted the disaster and maybe you didn't. Maybe your client is happy, and maybe they're not. If not, start over until everything is right and everyone is happy.

When a client says jump, don't ask how high or how many times. Just keep jumping until they smile.

The Good News

It's not everyday that we get to deliver good news.  I mean really good news where you come out the hero.  When the opportunity comes to do so, we learn to cherish it.

Unfortunately we are all faced with such high demands and expectations, that overachieving only equals par.  When all the moons and stars align, you hit the target and keep the peace.  This is what we now expect.  I have no complaints, as it's simply the business environment that we are accustomed to.  With this, the times that you are able to overdeliver in such a way that clients are outwardly impressed are much more gratifying.

It's one thing to infer, it's another thing to promise, but it's a whole different game when you deliver.  And the momentum follows you.

If I Were You

This is one of my least favorite exercises. You know what I'm talking about......"if I were you, I would have done (whatever)." There are some cases where it can be constructive. During a brainstorming session of strategy, if a teammate says "if I were you I think I might consider (whatever)." As long as it's prior to the event, looking at how to approach going forward. I don't think it's ever constructive after the fact.

I catch myself starting to do it every now and then, and very consciously stop myself and re-phrase. Actually, one of the rare times I get defensive is when somebody says it to me after the fact. How do you know that's what you would have done? Do you know all of the surrounding circumstances? If that's what you would have done, why didn't you do it last time you were in a similar situation??

When used after the fact, this phrase can only knock somebody down......I don't think it does anything to build someone up. It's like "I told you so" but maybe even worse because you didn't try to warn me prior to.

Anyone can look at someone else's event and tell them what they would have done differently after the event didn't go well. You don't hear them say what they would have done differently if the event did go well.

I understand the intent, and that it's often meant to be constructive. I think there are better ways to phrase, position, and time it.........in many cases anyways.