It’s often said that “80% of sales are made by 20% of salespeople.” Many times, “The winner sells to the prospects, and the loser gives up“. You can imagine the work that 20% of sales guys put in. Fascinating right?
Nonetheless, as a successful salesperson, you cannot help the fact that people believe things about you, whether true or not. That’s why we’ll discuss and dispel these common myths about salespeople.
If you’ve listened to the podcast “The hero sales culture” by Nathan Tebedo, you’d realize that the theme behind these myths about salespeople revolves around “responsibility vs entitlement“. Here are a few of these myths:
1. Salespeople Are either Arrogant or Beaten Down
You don’t need to look carefully before you notice that the most common salespeople in the roofing industry are the ones who are braggadocious, self-absorbed and even sometimes greedy. It’s funny how they’re usually very good at sales! 😅
Conversely, we also have those who seem beaten down and abused. They’re usually tough on themselves and they get stuck in that spot where they feel they will never be good enough no matter how hard they try. Generally, salespeople know they have to possess specific attributes, which include;
- Being confident✅
- Believing in themselves✅
- Having an outgoing character✅
- Believing in the product and services they’re selling in order to win✅.
To cope with the workload that comes with being a salesperson, some try to uplift themselves; they try to portray themselves as some sort of “Sales Sensei“.
Having these qualities as a sales guy and being intense doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a terrible person; it only becomes a problem when you start putting on those attributes too much.
On the one hand, salespeople generally have earned the reputation that they have. Still, on the other hand, not all of them have individually.
Even if you’re a skilled and honest salesperson, you might still have this “general salesperson persona” imposed on you just because you’re into sales, and it might not really be your fault. However, know that sales have earned you a little bit of the reputation that you get.
2. Salespeople Are Entitled Because They Sell
Salespeople know that sales are crucial to revenue generation and that revenue generation is fundamental to everything that happens inside a business. So that might give way to some feeling of entitlement.
As a roofing business owner, this doesn’t mean that the other departments in your business are useless. There’s no chicken and egg question here. The point is – Without revenue, you can’t pay anybody any money to do anything.
It is sales first. If you do not sell something, then there’s nothing to build on, and there’s no money to pay anybody to build anything. This irrefutable fact is usually the origin of the feeling of entitlement that salespeople get.
Some might not know that salespeople are among the 💵highest-paid people in the company, occasionally even higher than the CEO!🤯 You must’ve heard the quote, “To whom much is given, much expected“. As a sales guy, more is expected of you as your income increases📈.
Instead of using the amount of money you make and how much more you make than other people as a reason to outwork everybody else, you should use any extra time you’ve got to help your colleagues out; especially folks from other departments or teams.
Is Sales Easier Than It Looks?
For no known reason, sales guys love making everything they do look and feel effortless; they want everybody to think that they’re just smooth and just that good.
As a salesperson, people will believe you’re not worth the money you’re making if you make your job appear so easy.
Contrary to what you might expect, they won’t look at you and think, “Oh, that guy is so good“. Instead, they’ll think, “Wow, his job is really easy; anybody can do his job“. Sure, some sales guys are more talented than others. However, the right course of action is to demonstrate just how much work sales is.
Let Your Leadership Mediate Between the Sales and Production Teams
There should always be a membrane between your salespeople and the production guys. As a roofing business owner or CEO, that separation should be your leadership.
You’d want your salespeople to refrain from constantly hearing about every little problem in production, as it could sabotage their confidence in your products or services. Misunderstandings and miscommunications could also have them firing salvos at each other.
3. The Myth that Sales is a Dishonorable Profession
Some might disagree, but the truth is that most people have this notion about sales being a dishonourable profession etched into their minds. To win in sales, you need to dispel these myths about salespeople.
If you’re a roofing business owner, you’d need to;
- Lead your employees out of the mindset that sales is a dishonorable profession, including those who aren’t in sales✅
- Ensure your employees know just how significant sales are✅
- Ensure that your sales guys are appreciated and trusted, even if they have a little ego sometimes✅
The key to being an honourable salesperson is genuinely believing in the product that you’re delivering. There’ll be no guilt when you know your product is a good fit for the person you’re selling to.
However, suppose you feel your product or service isn’t different from anybody else’s, and you still go ahead with the sales process. In that scenario, the feeling of dishonesty comes in. You’ll find yourself wandering into that area where there’s no belief.Â
At this point, the only motivation you’ll possess will not be that that person needs what you’re selling; rather, it will be that you only want their money more than the next sales guy.
Suppose you’re a salesperson struggling with belief in your company’s product or services. In this case, you can choose to take one of two courses of action.
-
Learn About the Company You Work For
You can visit the CEO or the production guys and talk to them about the company. This is so that you can get a sense of why and how they do the things they do. Nothing stops you from contacting other departments concerned with customer complaints, even though it’s not the jurisdiction of sales.
-
Switch to an Area You Believe In
Even after making enquiries, if you still don’t believe in your company’s products or services, switch to an area you believe in. It may be another department or even a different company. That way, you can continue your job with a clear conscience.
4. Salespeople Are Allowed to Shirk Responsibility Because They Earn Much
You see some sales guys say, “That job being unprofitable or those photos not getting taken, that’s the price you pay for having an awesome sales guy like me“, or at least that’s the public view of salespeople.
What they don’t realize is that the stability of everybody else’s job in your roofing company revolves around you as the sales guy.Â
So as a salesperson, instead of viewing yourself as some sort of “Revenue-generating Guru” that everybody has to serve, consider yourself the hero by working hard enough to make sure everyone can do their jobs with ease.
Also know that the ability of other employees to have a job and to do their job is based on how well you do yours.
If you can look at your company and go, “Wow, these people all depend on me to keep their job“, then you should be serving them, not the other way around. This is because, technically, they’re the ones who help you make the money you make.Â
Become a “Sacrificial Leader”
Sales is a numbers game, at least for the category of salespeople that knock on doors. That bravado and the ability to cook up that courage inside themselves helps salespeople cope with the continual NOs they get.
However, their coping mechanisms can always be mistaken by the public eyes as pride, overconfidence or some other lousy attitude. As a salesperson, know that if you can embrace the right mindset and become a “Sacrificial Leader“, the people around you will love you. That’s how you dispel the myths about salespeople.
At Hook Agency, we can help your salespeople pull public opinion in their favour despite the myths about salespeople. We’d glad to have you if you contact us today!
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