THE ROBIN ROBINS REVEAL
A RETURN To Selling :
The Proud Profession
HELPING MSPS TO
MORE
Close More Business Offer More Services Keep More Customers
Where have all the sales pros gone ?
The dictionary defines a " professional " as someone who is highly skilled in their area of expertise . The thesaurus offers synonyms such as “ specialist ,” “ authority ,” and “ expert .” Someone is called a “ pro ” when they are at the top of their game . Wikipedia offers that “ professionals are subject to strict codes of conduct , enshrining rigorous ethical and moral obligations .”
Yet , the people I see walking around with “ sales professionals ” on their business card are pretty removed from any of these descriptions . Since so many people reading this are in sales or at least looking to be , I thought I ’ d share with you the characteristics , skills , and abilities that true sales professionals share . If you purport to be a sales professional , or you want to be one , take note .
1 . They ’ re Serious Students Of Their Craft . A favorite question I have when interviewing salespeople : What sales training have you enrolled yourself in ? And 9.9 times out of 10 , the answer is none . If they ’ ve had any , it ’ s been mandated by the company they work for , not something they took the initiative for themselves . I pressed the last guy I interviewed on why he had never picked up a single book on the subject of selling , even though he ’ d been in sales for over 15 years . His answer ? It never occurred to him . Imagine interviewing a doctor and getting that as an answer .
You : So , doc , tell me what training you ’ ve had on knee surgery before you cut me open .
Doc : Well , I ’ ve really never had any formal training — I ’ ve just picked up things along the way and learned from experience .
A real sales professional who ’ s serious about their ability should be constantly learning , practicing , and improving — sharpening the saw . They should be studying influence , persuasion , and communication . They should be practicing their presentations as well as their listening , tactical empathy , and writing skills . “ Learning on the job ” is what amateurs do because it ’ s sufficient for them to keep their job .
2 . They Don ’ t Skate By On 9 – 5 . Unlike most jobs , salespeople have the unique opportunity to control their income
12 | MSPSuccessMagazine . com • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2