So You Want to Be in Sales?

Every time that one of my friends or business associates tells me they want to look for a job in sales, I can't help but cringe. I have learned from over 10 years in the field that with all of the glamorous highs come some consequential lows. The opportunity to make your own schedule and build lasting relationships with clients can be rewarding (and the perks aren't bad either). However, there are a number of challenges along the way to gaining access and then selling to customers, which will make it very frustrating. The idea is to stay positive in every situation - a lot easier said than done.

The important thing to remember, if you are truly committed to landing a career in sales, is to be able to sell yourself. Sounds simple, right? Surprise! It's not. Pharmaceutical companies, in particular, conduct as rigorous an interview process as any other retail or wholesale industry. Sales managers are exhausting thousands of dollars to train new representatives and send them out into the field. And they do not want to make a mistake. They will ask about work ethic, previous sales performance, career objectives, and countless other revealing questions in painstaking depth.

After you have satisfy the criteria to join the ABC sales force, then comes the training. Generally, this is a program reminiscent of a winter semester course in college - only a few weeks long and extremely comprehensive. The first thing that is usually taught to new recruits will be the company's philosophy about selling. I have talked with several of my friends in sales; and no matter what the industry, the message is generally the same. The best examples are demonstrated in movies that you may know. Michael Douglas performs it in Wall Street, Ben Affleck in The Boiler Room and Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross. Check it out.

Most of the remaining time in training is then dedicated to education about ABC's products. It is critical that no one looks like an idiot selling something that they have no knowledge of. Which makes sense, but it is also quite likely that they don't want anyone getting themselves into legal trouble. Drug companies, for one, know that is not cheap. Remember, "The Man" is always watching. Finally, there may be some modules that are designed to hone your sales abilities. However, most of that development will come after reps have been in the field for a while and can refer to those experiences.

Once the "newbies" have been properly packaged and are ready for delivery to their customers, the real adventures can begin. I have listed some quick tips, below, based on what has been helpful to my survival over the years. These are not the typical corporate directives that are offered in training classes or in evaluations with sales managers. They are lessons that have been learned through many hard knocks and numerous customers saying "no".

1. Play nice with the office staff. These people are critical to you being welcomed into the office (and are sometimes even related to the customer). Bend them the wrong way, just once, and that customer may not be "available" very often.
2. Bring them "stuff". They are also bored out of their mind with the monotony of the job, their demanding bosses and complaining customers. The smallest things can make them feel appreciated. A little creative advertising will help them remember your product too!
3. Do not get in the way. This is a good way to ensure a welcome return. Keep in mind that you are in a place of business. They probably deal with plenty of reps that slow them down during the day. Don't be "that guy".
4. Patience is a virtue. Doing a good job with the front office will ultimately grant access to the customer's office (the one with the big chair). When that person sees passage has been granted, they will know you are worthy of their time.
5. The customer is working too. Recognize that Doctor or Mr. X's day does not revolve around ABC's sales presentation. Develop the need for your product and then discuss how it can help. Show them that you are there as resource.
6. Appointments and lunches are extremely effective. More time is good. Enough said.
7. Be informative. Make the presentation relevant to their area of specialty. The goal is to, at the very least, appear knowledgeable about their field.
8. Be succinct. Keep It Simple Stupid! Just get to the point. Don't bore them with small talk. Rapport will come after respect is earned.
9. Be open to objections. They will balk. All customers do. Resisting change is human. Don't get defensive. Acknowledge their concerns and present an option that is reasonable to you both. Like Marlon Brando does in The Godfather.
10. Customers hate "The Close". We all do. Well most of us anyway. It is that moment of affirmation that "seals the deal" or not. However, unless you are selling either door-to-door products or used automobiles, focus on getting the customer to "buy-in". Build their confidence and show them that you genuinely care about their business and their customers. Look at "the big picture".

Following several conversations with colleagues and peers, I believe that many of these insights could be applied to most businesses. Selling seems to be the same beast no matter what you are dealing. I laugh every time Jim Rome tells his listeners about how much he hated his stint in field sales. Funny that he never stopped "pimping" products, or himself, on his radio show. I guess there is a little bit of salesman in everyone.

My favorite scene for a selling philosophy comes from a film which, ironically, has nothing to do with sales. The quote that I keep in the back of my mind during every meeting and on every call is from Robert Duvall. He lectures on how we should really approach selling (and life) in the movie Colors. It has something to do with 2 bulls standing up on a hill looking down at some cows...Good luck!

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