For close to thirty years, this had been a mystery to me. I met many salespeople who told me that they never planned to be in sales. So, what turned them into salespeople? A fairy godmother? When? Why? By choice? Default at the time? Overnight? Did YOU get into sales by choice or default?
Them, you and yes, me. No salespeople I met ever told me that they always wanted to be a salesperson. At any stage – when they were growing up, at school, at college or university!
Or even when they were already out of a job!
Me too!
It was the “something” that I took, to be honest.
The Snobbish Dude
I was through and through a technical guy. Then. A little snobbish I might add. Even though I was not really the best of the engineering bunch. I however saw (thought actually) that being an engineer was far superior to being a salesperson.
It didn’t help that I was not a very friendly person too!
I Wanna Be A Rich Dad!
These thoughts and perceptions came into question when I was retrenched from my field engineer job. I came across Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. Other than the E-S-B-I quadrants, I only really remembered (and paraphrased here) – “If you want to be an entrepreneur, you need to be able to sell. If you can’t sell, you don’t have any hope!”
That was how it hit me. Brutal!
I had the ambition to become an entrepreneur, a dream to become rich etc. – Robert Kiyosaki said I had to sell! I needed hope!
Seeing People Daily vs Offshore Life
It was a few weeks before I decided to switch track to sales. At the cost of not going back to the oilfield, when the opportunity arose even for many times. I decided to stick with sales and get good at it. And got good at it.
When or how was your turning point?
Why did I think sales was best for me?
Funny enough, when I was still a field engineer, the HR department and my bosses saw my potential in sales. I was identified and marked for a career progression in sales.
I still believed that I was so good technically. In Asia, I was among a very small bunch of field engineers who ran the so-called “hi-tech” services. I was so proficient at those services as I did that almost daily!
But honestly, I was not that good, technically. I was actually better at dealing with and handling tricky clients. I had to connect and serve these clients from Malaysia, China and New Zealand, on their turfs! I had to cater not only to their needs and wants but also to their whims and fancies!
Arrogant Dude
Being an arrogant engineer, I didn’t realise that at times I had to humble myself to cater for these clients’ idiosyncrasies. I became open and willing to listen. I was willing to cater to their wants as long as the company’s Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P) and safety rules were adhered to.
I did not see my tendencies in “handling” the job was like a salesperson or customer service representative! I was not “bad” with the technical stuff but it seemed that I was actually better at dealing with people. At least the company thought so.
What were the things I did best?
Early Adventure – of A Salesman
I realised that I was not that strong technically in my first sales job. I only had to sell two types of cables – IEC331 & IEC332. I still couldn’t remember what IEC stood for! I could vaguely recall there’s this other thing called the “UL” rating. I just knew they were fire-resistant. I knew too the difference between resistant and retardant. I said I “knew”, then, but not “know”, now…
What I did and still do best though is to simply listen. I tried to think of a solution or solutions, but I gave up! I gave up trying to be technically smart anymore. I realised that these people were way technically smarter than me. They saw and did the stuff every day!
I only drank coffee every day!
I realised that the best solutions always came from the clients! They knew their work, their stuff best! Even though they were engineers who had only been at that job for six months; that was still six months longer than me!
I realised that I didn’t have to show that I was smarter than them. I only need to know and understand enough, at least so that they didn’t think I was an idiot!
A Bouncing Board
Thus I realised that best was for me to become a bouncing board. Let them throw their ideas and if were well cooked, they would stick them to the wall like the spaghetti “al-dente”. All I had to do next was help them decide what sauce they wanted with the spaghetti, whether they wanted to put mushrooms, meatballs and whatnot. Sometimes I also recommended the herbs to put in. If they were cooking pasta, that is.
Sometimes I helped them to cook the ideas a bit more.
That’s all.
I learned too that I could become humble enough (shed away my arrogance) and connect with people at ALL levels. Be them an intern, the chairman or anyone in between.
Challenges and Wit
The higher I went into the clients’ organisations, the gatekeepers I met became “stern”. More difficult to get past them to meet with “the boss”. I found that I had the wit to overcome this too.
Or, at least I learned.
I found out that getting meetings with the bosses was not that straightforward all the time, but at times, it was (if I could explain myself to the gatekeepers; or the boss himself if I bump into him at the cafe)!
Fingers crossed, I have yet to be stumped in trying to reach decision-makers at various levels and various departments. That was one of the “things” that I carry with me with every company I worked with, or engaged with.
That had proven to be a very valuable skill, that I didn’t know was in me when I started.
Ponder It
I’d suggest that you ponder and find the reason(s) why, that you want to be a salesperson; or stick to be a salesperson. This was very important for me and still is.
This reason would get you through thick and thin and face your challenges. It’s your “WHY?” as Simon Sinek said.
It’s like paddling and catching the right wave. Once you get there and caught the wave, you’d become a surfing legend (when you know how to do it well)!
Skills? Paddle and catch the wave. You can always learn and practice.
