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If You See a Turtle On ………..he got help. It doesn’t surprise me anymore when I see sales people try a variety of different techniques to close a sale or get into an account. It doesn’t surprise me because we are sales people. We want to win. We are determined. We are passionate. And with this desire comes pride. We find ourselves so many times taking the “let me do it” approach when asking for help would have been so much easier. My kids are very much “Daddy, I can do it” people …………except when it comes to turning off the lights. Yep let ‘em burn all night kids! Man, do I find myself sounding like my parents. Anyway, one of the biggest steps in “growing up” as it relates to being a sales person is admitting you don’t know everything….and doing it with confidence. I have seen people admit it, but the way they say it comes across foolish and insecure. And that, in itself, decreases your confidence in yourself and the customer’s confidence in you. So how can you get that confidence? On a recent trip I had just landed in Chicago and was on my way to check in to the Marriott. The verbal message you get from the very nice lady speaking to you from the Hertz Never-Lost device in my rental said, “You have arrived.” Music to my ears since it was close to 1 a.m. I got out and was standing in front of a hotel. Not the hotel, but a hotel. It read, “Hyatt.” The last time I checked, they are very different hotel chains. I walked up to the desk and asked, “Is this the Marriott?” The desk clerk looked at me as if I was on drugs. “No……… This …..is…… the …..Hyatt.” He even spoke slowly as if not to startle me. Once he realized I was just about out of my coma, he said, “The Marriott is directly behind us, Sir.” I then said, “Ahhh, thank you. No wonder my room key hasn’t worked here.” He looked at me and laughed. I said “Just kidding. I have been in so many cities, that even if I had checked into the Marriott last night, I would still be trying my door key in room 327 of YOUR hotel and complaining to you that it’s not working.” The point of this story is two-fold. First, you can’t do it alone. Use your managers as your Never-Lost. That’s their job. To teach, motivate, and give you direction so you can grow as a sales person and get where you want to be in your career. Second, ask for help with confidence. Even humor. It’s a sign of maturity and lets people know you are human and you don’t pretend to have all the answers. |
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