Everyone knows that the job of a salesperson is not easy. Every day, they have to visit new clients, often facing closed doors or being shown the door. The emotional grievances they endure go without saying, and they also have to be away from home frequently, traveling on business all year round, with little time spent with family and loved ones.
So, the work of a salesperson is not easy because they have to bear more emotional grievances and emotional torment than those in other industries.
But I want to say to salespeople: sympathy won't put food on the table. Since you have chosen this profession, you must bring out your enthusiasm and determination to do your job well. In my work, I have come into contact with many salespeople, and some of them have truly impressed me and earned my admiration.
To be honest, many salespeople disappoint me at first sight, and I immediately dismiss them:
It can be said that most salespeople are young, just graduated from school, boys and girls. So I hope that both boys and girls maintain a vibrant image. If a girl is heavily made-up, or a boy lights up a cigarette and blows smoke before we've even exchanged a few words, then I say goodbye to such salespeople.
Some salespeople, upon entering the store, boast about their product's features to the skies and belittle others' products as worthless, but when it comes to specific industry knowledge, they know nothing! How can we trust your product if you're like that?
There are also salespeople who present their product and tell you how substantial the profit will be, but when you ask about the benefits for the customer after use, they don't consider the effect on the customer at all. As long as their own wallet is full, everything is fine. Such irresponsible and selfish salespeople are also very unwelcome.
I also dislike it when salespeople, after changing manufacturers, leak the secrets of their previous manufacturer or speak ill of them. This indicates a problem with their character. Meeting is fate; part on good terms. There's no need to treat each other as enemies just because cooperation didn't work out. Treat every cooperation with a grateful heart.
A Salesperson Who Wins by Details
Let me give an example of a successful salesperson in my experience. Actually, I had dismissed him at first sight, but later, a few small details moved me.
My superior wholesaler often sends salespeople from various manufacturers to visit my store regularly. The relationships among salespeople are subtle because they represent different manufacturers and different interests, so they each show their own strengths when they come to my store.
Among them was a boy salesperson, fair-skinned and thin, not unpleasant to look at. However, I really didn't fancy the manufacturer he represented, so each time he was the one I treated most coldly, just nodding with a polite smile before engaging in lively conversation with salespeople from other manufacturers. Each time, he would listen attentively to our conversations from the side, and after leaving, he would politely say goodbye.
In a year, I only ordered from his manufacturer once, but every time he came, he would help unload fertilizers from other manufacturers. Salespeople from other manufacturers would only unload their own fertilizers and ignore others', but he helped unload everyone's!
I remember at the end of that year, when various manufacturers came to tally how much they had sold, I felt embarrassed when it came to his manufacturer's count—how much was delivered and how much remained! I looked at him with guilt, and he smiled and said, "Sister, it's okay. My manufacturer's fertilizer is indeed not as good as theirs. I'll take it all back today."
Without a single complaint, so sunny and enthusiastic, I suddenly admired him greatly. I told him, "Tomorrow, if you don't mind, bring me all the product materials from your company. I didn't keep them properly before. Is that okay?" His eyes lit up immediately, and he said happily, "Sure, sister!" In this way, within a short time, I found a suitable crop and sold his fertilizer, completing the sales task his manufacturer had assigned for that year.
So I want to say, the work of a salesperson is not easy, but if you do it with your heart, success is not far away. If you possess the richest industry knowledge, handle various relationships with customers and manufacturers well, and most importantly, choose the right manufacturer to work for, and be a salesperson with high morals and quality, then you are the kind of salesperson I admire most!
Four Types of Salespeople Most Welcomed by Distributors
Consultative Salesperson
Consultative salespeople generally have broad knowledge, rich experience, and are good at summarizing. They have a deep understanding of the industry, solid marketing and management knowledge, and practical experience in market operations. As salespeople, they have the space to provide guidance and training to distributors in a consultative manner.
Benefit-Seeking Salesperson
Most distributors are "benefit-driven." Without benefits, even if your product is the best and your manufacturer has a promising future, even if it's a Fortune 500 company, it has nothing to do with us. The most effective tactic is to "convince with benefits, move with benefits, and entice with benefits."
Generally, manufacturers have expenditures on promotions, gifts, terminal fees, advertising fees, rebates, and transportation subsidies. It depends on whether these salespeople have the ability to help us obtain them, and how to do so without harming the manufacturer's interests!
Problem-Solving Salesperson
Market problems occur almost every day. Often, distributors' complaints stem from salespeople not handling market issues in a timely manner. Over time, problems pile up, leading to deeper grievances against the manufacturer, eventually evolving into hostile relationships. Excellent salespeople, on the other hand, solve various market issues "promptly, accurately, according to standards and procedures," satisfying the distributors.
Hardworking Salesperson
Being able to achieve the above three types of salespeople is quite a high level, and they are generally liked by distributors. But many salespeople lack knowledge, experience, and average skills. In that case, the only way is to be diligent. As the saying goes, "Heaven rewards the diligent." Diligence will never make you disliked.
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