Opening remarks: "A general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers." When companies live or die in the fierce market competition, some marketing professionals rise from soldiers to generals with vigor, while others fade from defeat to elimination in sorrow.
Points to note: 1. Salespeople have at most 5 years of "youth rice" Marketing is very "destructive"; salespeople eat "youth rice." A sales career is like a 100-meter sprint: you must cross the finish line as fast as possible in the shortest time, or all your efforts will be in vain. 2. Bear pressure and achieve basic goals Like "a mouse forced to sell products to a cat in the middle of the night," salespeople are driven by sales targets. No matter how heavy the target, the pressure is on your shoulders; no matter how high the target, at least achieve the basic goal. Only then will you avoid being "dismissed." 3. Self-motivate to avoid discouragement If you haven't experienced failure in sales, you haven't truly done sales. You encounter enough "dirty looks" every day; pour yourself a beer and tell yourself: salespeople are forged through failure and struggle; this test is just "a piece of cake"! Only by constantly self-motivating can you avoid becoming discouraged. 4. Work hard but also care for family A salesperson is not a lone hero; salespeople also have love and hate. Work hard during the day and report, then call your family in the evening to say hello. Salespeople work hard because they leave their families, and because they work hard, their families live better.
10 "Elimination Rules" for Salespeople 1. Salespeople who always fail to meet targets are easily eliminated The reason for not meeting targets may not lie with the salesperson. However, a salesperson who always fails to meet targets, regardless of how many problems the company has, will be the first to be eliminated, because managers will think: the company has too many salespeople like you who fail to meet targets, so the company's performance has problems; moreover, if you always fail to meet targets, the company cannot afford to keep you. 2. Salespeople complained about by distributors are easily eliminated Most companies value distributors more than salespeople. For example, when a salesperson says a distributor should be cut, management may not pay attention or agree; but when a distributor complains about a salesperson, management might immediately put a "?" on that salesperson, or even an "X." 3. Salespeople who talk but don't act are easily eliminated Those who have been in sales for years become "slick old-timers." They talk eloquently, but when they go to the market, they only talk and don't practice. Soon, even the initial "three moves" are gone. Such empty-handed salespeople are unpopular in both new and old companies. 4. Salespeople who like to contradict their superiors are easily eliminated No matter how incompetent your superior is, as long as he is your superior, it at least shows he is better than you in some aspects. Liking to contradict your superior means that before you even see his strengths and advantages, you expose and magnify your own weaknesses. Can you still "get by" under your superior? Leave quickly; if you don't, you'll be driven away. 5. Salespeople who are self-righteous and act on their own are easily eliminated Some salespeople, after small achievements, start to think they are great, not following the company's established strategies and plans, acting arbitrarily; if they achieve results, leaders think they are disobedient; if problems arise, they are just told to "get out." 6. Salespeople who complain and grumble are easily eliminated At sales meetings, there are always a few salespeople complaining about poor product quality, high prices, small promotions, little advertising, heavy tasks, etc. Within two months, such salespeople are "sent to cool off." Companies need elites who can solve real problems, not "observers." 7. Salespeople who are jealous of the capable are easily eliminated If your performance is poor and you see others doing well, you get "red-eyed": you engage in channel stuffing, price cutting, spreading rumors with buddies, etc. When the truth is revealed, you have to leave a role model you could learn from in disgrace. 8. Salespeople who promote themselves are easily eliminated Some salespeople, after making some achievements, like to promote themselves online or in public, attributing success to themselves. They don't realize that a market's performance is created by multiple departments and people; without the platform's systematic support, an individual salesperson's power is extremely limited. 9. Salespeople who falsify during business trips are easily eliminated Some salespeople exploit management loopholes: first, falsifying travel time, claiming to be on a business trip when not; second, falsifying travel expenses, claiming to have spent money they didn't. Once such bad habits form, they are hard to break. But "if you often walk by the river, your shoes will get wet"; once discovered by management, you'll fall into the river. 10. Salespeople with dissolute private lives are easily eliminated Due to long periods away from home, away from company and family supervision, a considerable number of salespeople become dissolute in their private lives. Once they degenerate, such salespeople cannot work the market like "old oxen"; they only indulge in "bars, mahjong, saunas, massages," and after all that revelry, they vanish.
22 "Winning Rules" for Salespeople 1. Survivors design themselves At a Harvard graduation ceremony, students were asked to write down their life goals; only 3% had clear aspirations. Years later, a survey found that those with goals achieved far more than those without. Salespeople must design themselves to clearly know how to walk their future path. 2. Score yourself constantly Constantly "score" yourself to discover strengths and weaknesses, and check if you can survive. The principle is to be "objective." 3. Obedience gives you a platform Your platform is given by the company and your superiors. They give you a "place to use your talents" because you obey management and can implement their intentions. When you go from "obedience" to "disobedience" and then to "non-compliance," that may be when you lose your platform. 4. Focus on goals Once goals are set, they create drive, making salespeople focus on them. In Taekwondo, there is a move of breaking a wooden board; whether with hand or foot, you can break it. It's about focusing on the goal, concentrating all your strength on one point, and striking down with all your might, making it easy to break. 5. Talk about methods, not difficulties "No way" is the three words salespeople should least say when facing problems or superiors' questions, but it's also the most common. Even if you really have "no way," replace those words with: "We still need to think of new methods." 6. Transfer company capabilities to distributors Only by pulling and helping distributors improve their operational capabilities and accelerate development can the company develop faster. Salespeople are the ones to accomplish this. Perhaps an individual salesperson's ability is less than a distributor's, but the salesperson must be able to convey company capabilities to distributors. If not, the salesperson won't grow and can't meet the common needs of the company and distributor development. 7. Impress your superiors with reports You work hard, but does the company and your superiors really know? Many salespeople only know market marketing, not that "internal marketing" is also needed. Salespeople need to use all communication channels to communicate and showcase as much as possible, impressing superiors with reports to win more understanding and support. 8. Turn resistance into support Just as moving an object encounters resistance, pushing work forward means people and things that hinder progress appear. At this point, salespeople should find the fulcrum and lever to turn resistance into support. For example, if others have opinions about you, analyze the real reasons; adopt correct ones immediately, and patiently communicate about wrong ones; when others "listen," they will "exert force." This is the difference between "resistance" and "support." 9. Nothing is impossible At West Point, whether in training or not, students are required to walk with chests out. For soldiers, this is both a posture and a temperament requirement. Salespeople must overcome negative mindsets; in work and study, when superiors make demands, you must answer "I will do it," "I can," or at least "I execute" or "Yes." 10. Give without waiting for rewards In sales, you can't just do a little work and expect market sales to rise. Without a lot of accumulated work, the market won't change qualitatively. Regarding market investment, salespeople must always remember the "input-output ratio," but for personal gain, when you work hard with a "give without waiting for rewards" mindset, one day you'll find your seeds have taken root, sprouted, bloomed, and borne fruit! 11. Face setbacks correctly No setbacks, no success. Learning from setbacks and summarizing experience in a timely manner is crucial in a sales career. Salespeople should do three steps: summarize experience, build confidence, and seek new opportunities. Not only do personal setbacks give you more experience in similar projects, but also through others' setbacks, you can re-test your summarized experience, continuously improve it, and increase your chances of success. 12. Spend time on the cutting edge Only by managing time effectively can you do things well in less time, organize your work, achieve better results, and gain a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Effective time management generally follows four steps: list work items, prioritize them by importance; set completion times and plans for each item; turn them into an action calendar—planning level; draft a to-do list and execute—execution level. 13. Keep a record of every day The company may not manage you with "3E management," but you should learn to manage every day and every thing yourself. By keeping a "marketing diary" daily, you not only arrange your day but also see your growth curve—it's truly "beautiful." 14. Be a responsible person Salespeople must be responsible to four types of people: first, consumers; second, channel partners; third, the company (legal entity); fourth, themselves and their families. 15. Emulate those you want to become Whether inside or outside the company, there are people worth learning from. Find someone you want to become, take them as your goal, first emulate their words and deeds, then learn from their thinking and methods, and you will gradually shape a new self. 16. Learn to smile and praise others Being appreciated is a spiritual need everyone wants. Smiling opens the door to friendship and helps build good relationships. While smiling, learn to praise others: praise has infinite power. Churchill said: "If you want others to have a virtue, praise them for it." Smiling and praise will win you a harmonious work environment and atmosphere. 17. Listen before speaking Good listeners are also good observers. Salespeople should be good at perceiving the other's inner world from the content and non-verbal cues of the conversation, value others' opinions, give positive feedback, and gain their approval. When appropriate, repeat key points to show interest and seriousness, making the other feel respected. 18. Integrate into the team and fight together Ornithologists found that a single flying goose or a straggler, no matter how strong, has almost zero chance of reaching the destination. Why? Because the flock forms various shapes that use atmospheric buoyancy and wind direction, so each goose only needs to expend a little energy. For the flock, 1+1 is definitely greater than 2—this is team effectiveness. Salespeople must get along with team members and achieve teamwork by overcoming three chronic problems: attacking others, arguing, and arrogance. 19. Find a mentor In your marketing career, you'll encounter many unfamiliar fields. How to adapt and respond effectively in the shortest time? Salespeople need to sincerely find a mentor who can guide you when you're in a dilemma. 20. Determine monthly must-read books and newspapers Books and newspapers are windows for salespeople to grasp the latest market trends and marketing methods. During the day, work hard; at night, also bury your head in reading. Summarize experience in practice and elevate height in theory; you'll become a "dual-type" salesperson who can both do and speak. 21. Be grateful to everyone in happiness Finding happiness in sales income, friends, family, and society is a realm. It's because of the help of everyone related to you that you have today's job, friends, and wealth. The more people you're grateful to, the greater your achievements, and the more connections and wealth you accumulate. 22. Become your superior's favorite Becoming your superior's favorite doesn't mean "PMP" or "MPMP." Your superior may occasionally need others to "PMP," but what superiors truly like are salespeople who can be role models for others. If you want to be your superior's favorite, start with the "10 Elimination, 22 Winning Rules" for salespeople's survival and promotion.