Lessons From My First Month in Sales

I recently took a new position as an Account Executive (see outside sales) and what follows are lessons I have learned during my first month on the job.

1.       Not to take no personally.  The expectation of failing 90% of the time and hearing no just as often can be tough to swallow, especially as an athlete who has enjoyed a moderate level of success.  Plowing forward and staying confident in your abilities is important.

2.       People buy from people.  You can have the worst product or the best product (granted it helps to have a high quality product that you truly believe in), but people want to know who they are buying from and they want to like that person.  Selling is about building relationships and developing trust. 

3.       Product and process knowledge are key.  A good salesman knows his product inside and out.  A good salesman knows the process to producing his product inside and out as well.  He may not always need to share all that information with the buyer but it is necessary to be able to display this knowledge when called upon. 

4.       It’s all about differentiation… What makes you or your product different from the other guy?  Where does the buyer place value?  What are the buyer’s needs/expectations?  A good salesman deciphers what is important to the buyer and ensures he meets those needs, whether it be quality, service, reputation, product, personal attention or the innumerable other things buyers value.  Buyers want to be serviced.

5.       Belief in your product and your support team are a necessity.  As important as building trust is with the customer, it is equally important to have a team behind you that you believe in and trust.  I could never sell something that I don’t believe in.  If your support team and you aren’t on the same page, your company and you will end up with a bad reputation, which the account executive gets to wear as he is usually the face the customer sees.

6.       The 4 P’s to “victory”

a.       Patience – It takes time to get that PO

b.      Persistence – Most sales happen after the 5^th call

c.       Product and Process Knowledge – The more you know…

d.      Planning and Preparation – Failure to plan is planning to fail.  Know your customer.

7.       As in all things, open and HONEST communication is essential.