Jeff Chadwick is a new breed of salesman – or should I say non–salesman. For years he worked for Classic Graphics, one of Charlotte’s premier printers. Chadwick was in production, and he had about reached the top of his earnings potential at the plant position he was in. He gave all the shop tours. He loved it. People would say “He’s the best salesman you’ve got.” One day Chadwick sold a surplus printing press. His boss, Bill Gardner told him he should go into sales. So Chadwick decided to go into sales. Commission sales.
“If you ask me what the alternative of choice close or the sharp angle close is, I don’t have a clue,” Chadwick says, “but if you ask me can you gatefold (double fold) this piece of paper, I can sure tell you that – and that’s what the customer wants to know. I love sales. It’s a lot of work. Fast paced – no one who needs printing ever says take your time. Everyone needs it yesterday.”
I asked Chadwick to define his sales assets and attributes. “Enthusiasm. Persistence. Pride. Personal pride. I have Classic Graphics posters on my walls at home. I love being around my peers so I can tell them who I work for,” he said. “I find my best sales asset is my ability to help the customer select things that will work. I rely heavily on my product knowledge.”
Chadwick, and others like him, is beginning to emerge as a new type of salesperson. Steeped in product knowledge and practical problem solving capability.
Here are some of the characteristics that are prevalent in the new breed:
· non–manipulative selling at its purest – they get to the sale by being truthful.
· non threatening – they are not perceived as “salespeople” therefore the customer isn’t as on–guard.
· helpful – they are not pushy.
· consultative – they can make meaningful recommendations and suggestions based on knowledge of what actually works from their personal experience.
· total product knowledge – they have what a customer needs to make an informed decision or solve a problem.
· error prevention – their experience can spot a POTENTIAL error and prevent it.
· on top of the job – the job goes smoother because they start it right and are on top of it all the way – just like they were in the shop.
Work in the office or factory and wonder if sales is for you? Answer yes to these questions and report to your sales manager in the morning.
· Do you have great technical or product knowledge?
· Have you hit the pay ceiling?
· Do you get along well with customers or have good people skills?
If you think you can do it, you are probably right. But you must be willing to risk.
And, hey! Salesperson without hands–on inside experience – Get some! Devote some time to working in every area of your business. Your inside team will respect you more, you will have a better understanding of your product and co–workers, and your customers will benefit from your new–found product knowledge. So will your wallet.
Chadwick sounds like a great guy. Earnest. Sincere. Has the customer’s best interests in mind. It’s a winning formula for being a top producer. Now Bill Gardner decided to pay him a commission. Probably gave him a quota, and put a knife over his head to make his quarterly number, or get a pink slip. How will Chadwick behave now? You can probably cross off non-manipulative, non-threatening, helpful, and consultative. After all, Chadwick has to make his number.
All of what you’re saying sounds great, until you realize that the culture and rewards system drive behavior. Sure, you can take a really earnest person with great product knowledge. But give them a sales title and a commission, and yes, I’d call that person a salesperson.