Southwestern Sales Talk
What’s the difference between success and failure in sales? Ideal territory? Extra calls? More hours worked? Twice the interpersonal skills? More lucky breaks? Or is it some people have what it takes and some people don’t? All these are important, whether you’re selling clothing, cars, or working in the Southwestern Company summer program.
Vince Lombardi, the legendary football coach who brought the Green Bay Packers from 15 losing seasons to successive Super Bowl championships, that success was a matter of inches. A bit more focus, one extra push in
practice, second effort for a tiny additional gain. He didn’t ask his players to be something other than what they were–he asked them to improve their best one inch at a time. He knew inches add up, both in life and in a sales career.
At Southwestern, we call it the slight edge philosophy–all the little extras top salespeople do to gain a slight edge on the competition: working when you don’t feel like it, making a call beyond the suggested schedule, closing one more time, taking time to memorize your customers’ names, repeating positive affirmations out loud, reading technical material at night after work.
Question: are you doing all those little things you used to do when you were excited about your work? Are you working with the same focus and enthusiasm as you did the first week? These little things–these “inches”–separate top sales people from average producers.
Today, I will be aware that I am a champion in the making. I may not make a complete turnaround in one day, but I will make progress.
What a powerful post. It brought me back to those first three weeks. It wasnt that I did 1000 demos that week (it felt like it), its that I did 35 every day for 12 weeks.
Rock On!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Great input, Tim. How true. Slow, steady persistence wins the day!
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Hi Lee,
I was wondering, from a sales perspective, would sales people like to have a marketing person on a call or client meeting? From my understanding, sales people value autonomy but I also know they like to have a voice in the planning and crafting of marketing messaging – after all they are closest to the customer and can offer important feedback to their teams on their behalf of the customer.
I am a marketing intern for a software company and we have an innovative product that creates a collaborative platform which allow sales and marketing to speak the same language, to share input with one another and prepare a conversation around value:
* Value messaging
* Negotiating price around value and
* Communicating that value proposition to the customer.
By having one common message, a sales person can “bring” a marketing person to their client meetings.It’s my belief that if a customer understands and can see the value in your offering, they would be more opt to buy it and even pay a premium price. In regards to winning sales and increasing margins, I wanted to get your thoughts on how value and the relationship (or lack thereof) between sales and marketing plays a role.
Thanks,
Christina
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Hey Lee, this a really powerful lesson that (unfortunatley) most people will never discover. I was lucky enough to see this “slight edge” philosphy in action during my first summer of Southwestern selling books in Maine. One of the student managers, we’ll call him Chad, was the master of doing a little bit extra. Chad was the top first year dealer from Missouri the previous year, but you would never guess it based on outward appearances. To put it bluntly; Chad was goofy. But what he lacked in charm and natural charisma, he made up for in extra work! He was a very powerful leader because he worked a half hour later than everyone else, every day of the summer. His commitment to doing “just a little bit more”, was a lesson our entire organization began following, and soon enough we all begain to see increased sales as a result.
Keep up the thought provoking posts Lee!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Caleb: good, personal example! I too, always tried to do just a bit more than the average person my first summer. Over the course of the entire summer, an extra fifteen minutes a night really adds up. Thanks.
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Lee, what a great post. I always teach my students that its not just the repetition and extra time put in, but the experience gained and momentum built makes it learning curve go “EXPONENTIAL!” In many ways, its the recipe for being a top first year or student manager. Love it! Keep it going.
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I am a student and we are taking a class that covers mostly marketing for the hospitality industry. The question for the days is How would you arganize a sales office to make maximum use of the time of all salespersons? What could a reseptionist or secretatry do that could help your sales office. Discuss.
I would think the sales people wold do what they are best at, selling, either phone, out in the field selling to a potential client, tarketing an area and writing letters to the area about what is great regarding your Hotel.
The marketing part of the industry will be doing what they are best at and perhaps weekly the two different departments get together to make sure that the marketing’s ideas (if agreed on by all parties) are beig carried out by the sales staff.
The Secretary or Administration Asst. would be responsible for the First Contact with the client and potential clients, have strong communication skills wether by phone or face to face. Answer all phones and direc them accordingly. They will ask their name and pass this infomation on to the salesperson. Help sales staff with presentations and the like.
I could write more but I really need input on the two departments, sales and marketing. To me they are two different entities that compile infomation, material to further hotel cunsumers and their satisfaction.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Candice
cmabowie@gmail.com
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