ebook "the profile of a successful sales agent"
TRANSCRIPT
The profile of a successful
trade.Berry Founding Member
ADRIAN MAZILUDriven by passion, leading by example
Sales define me as a person, and when I speak about myself, they are the business card of both, my personal and professional life...
Sales Agent
ForewordSummary DisclaimerCredits
CHAPTER ITHE PHILOSOPHY OF A SALES PERSONVision Values Motivation Objectives Philosophy Role models
CHAPTER II PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF A SUCCESSFUL SALES AGENT Personal & professional development Social background Personal boundaries Perception of failure
CHAPTER III NECESSARY ATTITUDES OF A WINNER DeterminationOwning upActionPerseverance
CHAPTER IV THE PROPER BEHAVIOURS Way of looking Way of speaking Way of acting
CHAPTER V SKILLS & APTITUDES Active listeningPositive language Assertiveness Feedback
CHAPTER VI CONCLUSIONS
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Contents
Sales define me as a person, and when I speak about myself, they are the business card of both my personal and professional life. My entire career has focused on sales, and during the time, the determination and passion for this industry have brought me exceptional results. Through them, I earned the appreciation and respect of those in my line of business.
Because of this, I believe it is extremely important to realize that there is a sales person in every one of us. From the children’s emotional blackmail to the negotiation of the pay packet or to the photos posted on social media, they all are a constant sale.
Consciously or not, sales are an important part of our life, and each one of us contributes daily to this economic universe, seeking - one way or another - personal satisfaction. Trust is earned gradually, just as efforts are followed by success when there exist motivation and a healthy philosophy.
However, nobody ever sets the goal of becoming a salesman when they are children; most of them dream of becoming doctors, teachers or architects. Honestly, if I were to meet a child and ask him what does he want to become when he will grow up and he would answer by saying that he wishes to work closely to people and make money, then I would tell him straightforward “Be a salesperson!”.
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Foreword
This material is addressed to everyone working in this field and who is interested in this job. Also, it aims to help those who wish to understand the philosophy of sales agents in order to adopt some of their strategies and apply them in daily life.
Success in sales, as in any other area, is obtained with passion and plenty of determination, and this way we are getting to the purpose of this e-book - a tool addressing to those who are willing to perform, that offers insights about the profile of a successful salesperson like: mission, vision, values, motivation, life goals and the personal philosophy.
On the course of this e-book, I will present these strategies from the perspective of a person who has done this his entire life and who has formed around sales a whole life philosophy. Specifically, I will describe the experiences and vision that, in the past eight years, have led me to exceptional results.
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Summary
This material is made by the Marketing department strictly with an educational purpose and it reveals personal statement of the author regarding the Sales topic. This e-book is addressed to the trade.Berry community or to members who want to join, but it is not a trade.Berry property.
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Disclaimer
I would like to thank my team for their efforts in the Marketing Campaign. Special thanks to Bogdan Vetu, who has worked side by side with me for releasing this E-book and to the web designers from Zalle.ro for making it look great.
Bogdan VetuTrainer & Counselor
www.bogdanvetu.com
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Credits
www.zalle.ro
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I was and will always be a salesperson. This way I was always able to attract open people towards me, eager to learn more. What was always interesting for me to discover at those around me were those common features that life principles are settled on.
In the last eight years I coordinated over 200 salesmen and later in this chapter I will describe the common traits that I found at those who had success in this field.
Many of these may be familiar to all of us, but as it has been proven, the simple things that we tend to ignore contain those elements that make the difference between success and failure.
Only when our job also becomes a way of life, our path towards success becomes a mere consequence. There is a big difference between a person who becomes an expert in his activity field and a person who dwells in mediocrity. Almost in every case, the difference is made at a psychological level. Only when we think, dream and act permanently in relation to the area we work in, we can say that our horizon opens towards performance.
This is the reason why the concepts I will present in this chapter are Mission, Vision, Values, Motivation, Objectives, Philosophy and Role Models, concepts that have offered me an analysis pattern, based on which I have recruited and formed my best salesmen.
Chapter 1THE PHILOSOPHY OFA SALES PERSON
Vision
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9Chapter 1THE PHILOSOPHY OFA SALES PERSON
We read everywhere how every company has a certain mission based on which it guides itself in its development. In reality, the consumers feel that things are much more declarative and this makes them cancel or reject the normalcy of things that can bring a change. A company’s mission is reflected into reality only when it answers to the following questions: WHY? (why do we exist, what do we want to achieve with this company?) and WHY US? (why would a client choose us?). When a company identifies itself with the answers to these questions, then that company offers its members, first of all, a purpose and a cause that they can adhere to and guide them daily, not just a job and a paycheck received at the end of the month. This is the reason why, without these questions, both the company and people would lose their direction.
A mission is more than a conceptual term, it is like a mantra that pushes us with every step towards reaching our personal goal. But just as for any other forgotten or wrongly used concept, its essence tends to fade and we stop giving it the same value and importance.
When we speak about the personal Mission we have to understand that this is more than an affirmation. It is a belief that offers us a direction and does not let us stray from the target since it sustains itself on values and principles that cannot be removed or easily replaced. Because of this, when you wish to succeed in a certain field, it is very important to have a very clear mission that guides you through every step of the way.
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10Chapter 1THE PHILOSOPHY OFA SALES PERSON
But what does it mean having a MISSION as a salesmen?
For me, the sales agent is the one bringing fulfillment, satisfaction and meaning to others through the product or service he promotes and sells. I think that a person who believes in what he is doing gives life to the things that he presents, whether it is a product or a service. I believe that this is the mission of salesmen, to create in other people’s minds the feeling that they have something truly valuable and useful for them.
Reflection
Give yourself a bit of time and think about your own Mission. When and how was it built? What are the principles behind it? What will you gain when your Mission will be complete? What does this Mission say about you? Are you part of a company or a project that has a clearly defined mission? Can you identify with it?
11Steve Jobs (Apple), Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company), Elon Musk (Tesla), Larry Page (Google), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Walt Disney (Disney) - have changed the world from the one we knew, to the one they had imagined. This has brought benefits and satisfactions to all of us.
Visionaries are those people who manage to see past the understanding horizon and day to day perception, to see ahead of their time and anticipate the future, needs and people’s wishes. Visionaries are those who have constantly changed the world. They are those people who had the courage to dream, whose strength and resistance in coping with failure, economical and social contexts, or with the opinions of those around them, gave them the power to turn their dreams into reality.
This way, we have to understand that the personal vision is directly connected with the level of self-awareness, but also with the capacity and resources we have. A person with a vision also has a clear image of his own evolution and this helps him reach his goals. When I say “I will become a doctor who will save many lives”, it means that I trust that with work, perseverance and determination I will get to learn the information and experience necessary in order to become that person.
Just as in the case of the Mission, most of us do not think about the impact that our personal Vision about life and world has in our step by step evolution. Or, although we do not necessarily think we would need a Vision, we choose to get used to the fact that things simply happen to us and we have no power to influence our future.
CHAPTER 1
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Vision 12How important is Vision in sales?
Without vision, it is almost impossible to convince the person in front of you about the change that he can make by doing business with you. Any person who cannot project himself in relationship with an action or a situation, will not feel safe to act. This is how a salesman gains the client’s trust in the products and services that he promotes. Imagine that a sale is just like a road, sometimes changing, sometimes full of obstacles, but at the end of it, there is the desired destination. Without knowing the destination and the road phases from the beginning, maybe we will never reach our target.
What I wish to underline is the fact that the salesman has to identify himself with the product or service he is promoting. In other words, this is a symbiosis born out of vision and sustained through the mission. This will help the person in front of us understand that we are honest and authentic.
In a broader sense, the Vision of the salesman must identify with the one of the company or of the product or service that he represents. Only this way he will ensure efficiently the transfer of information towards the client, without distorting or altering the information that the sale is based on.
Reflection
Have you ever thought what the Vision on your professional evolution is, or how many persons around you have a clear Vision about their evolution? Do you think it is important to guide your actions in accordance to this principle? How important do you think your performance is, in relation to vision?
CHAPTER 1
13Personality is made out of the attitudes that we have learned during our evolution. Influenced by the education received and by the social environment we grew up in, attitudes reflect the base of the human character, that moral forum we find our life principles in.
People who build their lives and relationships with the ones around them based on healthy values are perceived as being trustworthy, fair and honest. These are the persons next to whom we like spending time and with whom we wish to be associated.
On the other hand, people with poor values always tend to bring misery and suffering to our lives. Usually, we associate them with fraud and hypocrisy or with lack of owning up to their engagements.
Why do we need sales agents with healthy values?
In sales, just like in any other activity field, personal values are reflected in the way everyone is able to handle situations or in the way they are able to put themselves in a relation to people they interacted with.
The sales agent job is one full of challenges and unpredictable moments, where the human factor is present at every step of the way. Aside from being sales agents, we are humans and this makes us react emotionally to refusals, offenses, lies or lack of respect. The same thing applies to the case of a sales agent who feels that the affirmations or the behavior of his interlocutor have a poor quality.
ValuesCHAPTER 1
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14From an early age, we are influenced and guided by the persons and the environment we live in. Thus, the values we adopt are not simply a couple of behaviors that help us be better people for those around us, but they are also internal displays that can limit or grow our potential, from case to case. For instance, if we would have lived our whole life in an environment where our resources were limited and all the people close to us would have told us that success is only a dream and we have no power to change things, maybe we would have ended up accepting this, thinking that success and happiness are unachievable.
Healthy values are those that allow us to evolve, that give us strength to overcome obstacles and the difficulties that we meet. This is why it is good to be around people with healthy values and solid principles, where dignity and respect are found on both sides. This is the basis of strong partnerships, whether we talk about a commercial agreement or a life partnership.
Reflection
Give yourself some time and reflect on your own Values! Which are the first three values that come in your mind and define you as a person? What kind of people you do not like to interact with, because of the values and attitudes they have? If you had the power to change something in the persons around you, which would those things be?
ValuesCHAPTER 1
15Motivation is the internal fuel that makes us act daily. It is the one empowering our beliefs and visions. It gives us strength and the necessary power to start over when we fail or to persevere when it is tough for us. Motivation is unique and personal for each one of us, because it is strongly connected to the way we perceive the things that surround us.
When we find a motivational factor that offers us energy, it is very important to act. Without realising, our life is based and sustained on the trade that happens between our actions (motivation) and the results obtained ( the motivational factor).
Motivation can be both exterior or interior. The exterior one is taken from people around us, mentors, motivational programs, seminars or any other source that gives us strength to move forward. This type of motivation consumes fast and needs constant sustaining. I always tell my agents that exterior motivation is like a morning shower - if we skip it for a day, we start smelling bad.
Internal motivation is profound and hard to reach. We find it in the stories of successful people who have managed to stare into the unknown and not give up on their plans. Few people possess this type of motivation, as it is very hard to find. I cannot tell you exactly how to find it, but I know it is that thing that does not let you sleep at night, that makes you wake up earlier and work more and more.
From my experience as a sales manager, I can say that people find motivation in the leaders who offer them inspiration. This thing has proven me how important it is that those around you offer you that positive encouragement. When those around find inspiration in our actions, it means that we have reached excellence and that this mix between mission, vision and values becomes a path to follow for others as well. What can be more inspirational than that?
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What are the main motivational factors in sales?
In sales, motivation appears from the wish of feeling professionally and financially free.
Although money have been and will always be one of the motivational factors in this field, the best sales agents I have met have been always looking for more than just doing their job well and this tells a lot about their inner structure (Mission, Vision, Values). In other situations, I have met people with performances in sales who saw money like a mirror reflecting their own success. In these cases, their motivation came from the value of the projects they were involved in and from the high objectives they had imposed to themselves. They were in a competition with themselves, where excellence was their primary motivational factor. On the other side, I feel that excuses are the easiest refuge that weak sales agents hide in when things are not going as they wished at the beginning: either the client does not understand, or he does not have the money or the time, or obviously, the product is not so good. The difference appears when they manage to realise that the final results depend 100% on the motivation they have. This is a general principle that can be applied in any other field. Finally, I believe that every successful sales agent earns his position through personal merit. And given that the potential of earning in sales is limitless, everyone sets his motivation in accordance to his own interests, especially since the idea of personal favors does not apply in this field.
MotivationCHAPTER 1
Reflection
How would you describe the persons who do not find motivation in the things they do? Do you believe that they can reach excellence in the absence of that? What motivates you when you get out of bed in the morning? Do you have someone offering inspiration or do you find in yourself that something which guides you through every step of the way? Give yourself some time and reflect on these things!
17If Mission means direction, Vision the map, Values the rules, Motivation the fuel, Objectives are the coordinates that guide us to the desired destination. Without objectives, we would sail in void, without being able to measure how, when and how far is our destination.
Objectives are those milestones that will grow exponentially our chance to reach success. They offer us feedback, showing us if our actions are constructive and lead us in the right direction. Through objectives, we adjust our direction and can measure our evolution in time. Not few times, objectives turn into obstacles that have the role of testing or adjusting our direction. They work as safety elements sending us the message that we have to change something, adjust or simply give up on some habits or principles. Objectives are the things that constantly offer us information regarding our personal evolution and tell us what we can or cannot achieve.
Usually, people who set objectives tend to be pragmatic, measured and much more efficient. What I have noticed during the years is that these people tend to give higher interest to the activities they do and this grows their attention for details. Many times their results will surprise you, but these are nothing else but the consequence of a job well done.
Objectives are in a strong relationship with discipline. When we think about objectives, we tend to associate them with medium or even long periods of time, but just few of us take into consideration the fact that
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18the most important ones are those set on the short term: daily or even hourly. What is interesting at setting these objectives for short periods of time is that they tend to become habits. It is proven that achieving goals is strongly connected to the release of endorphins in the body, responsible for our well being. This way, the more often we reach our goals, the more we become motivated to continue, and this process turns into a healthy habit. Warren Buffett said that having the right work habits was the key to his success. He said, “Imagine you would be given 10 percent of the future earnings of one person you know. Who would you pick? Would you pick the most talented person you know? The fastest runner or the smartest person you know?” According to Buffett, “You’re going to pick the person who has the right habits.”
How do objectives apply in sales?For many of the sales agents at the beginning of their career, professional objectives are found in strong connection with financial targets. This is an often met image in the collective mentality, a reason why you would be tempted to say that you cannot become a successful sales agent if you do not have such aspirations. This is the difference between amateurs and professionals - the way they set their objectives in time, depending on the interior resources in order to reach their target. Try to set objectives as bold as possible on medium and long term, but also many short-term deadlines, such as a number of meetings, phone calls or promises in a day.
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19I can tell you a story about one of my sales agents, who was calling a client every day at 17.00 o’clock. For a long period of time, I was asking him “If you are not able to move forward with this client, why do you keep calling him?”. The client was rejecting his phone calls, finding ways to avoid him. And my guy told me that no matter how long it will take, he will convince that client. And he did it, after 5 months of calling him every day! And this turned out to be our biggest client so far. So, what I have learned is that if you are determined enough to do a certain thing, even though others might tell you to stop, you should always follow your intuition and be persistent and prove that they were wrong. Such an approach needs experience, but as with any other habit, this is learned gradually. The force of a successful sales agent is impregnated in his personality, in his life experiences and determination. Many times I have met top sales agents without academic studies, but with an attitude that transmitted ambition and a huge desire to succeed. For trusting their own skills, I confess that I admire them quite a lot.
Reflection
When was the last time you set some personal objectives? Have you ever felt that they help you evolve or on the contrary, they put pressure on you? Do you believe that our evolution is about reaching certain objectives, or do you believe that we can evolve without them?
ObjectivesCHAPTER 1
20I have defined in the previous subchapter what is behind all of these concepts that defines the profile of a successful sales agent and the way they determine each other. Let us recap: Mission direction, Vision map, Values rules, Motivation fuel, Objectives coordinates.
Since this first chapter is called “The philosophy of a sales person”, all that is left is to define what Philosophy means in the context of performance in sales.
Well, Philosophy is the experience that we get in time and which defines our personal note, that unique fingerprint that we leave to people around us.
We all like to meet people who have a life philosophy. They send the message that they have something to say, that they see the things around them in a special light, offering us a different perspective in order to understand and feel the things around us. Having a life philosophy means having reached the depth of things, looking at the bigger picture and finding meanings and interpretations where others see nothing.
Usually, these things are strongly connected with emotional maturity and with the sedimentation of principles about life and people. This makes people who reached such a depth to impose respect and authority to those around them and this way they will be seen as models to follow (see the next chapter).
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What does it mean to have a personal philosophy in sales?
A successful salesperson is a man of action, and his own life philosophy gravitates around this idea. For him, everything is in perpetual movement, and his ability to adapt to new situations makes the difference between performance and abandon. In this connection between success and failure, everybody’s philosophy crystallizes.
There is a principle saying that only the people who have earned the big prize at the lottery have the right to tell the story behind the ticket. The same principle applies to all the inspirational and successful stories, including the stories of successful sales agents.
In order to develop a philosophy, you must have experienced the road from failure to success. On this rocky road, with plenty of hurdles, principles are born and judgments are refined. This is the place where most of the people give up, where pressure and stress break their emotions, pushing them towards doubt and fear. Here is the place where many give up believing in their dreams.
However, those who manage to remain strong until the end will have a story to tell and this story will become their philosophy, that personal statement that success is a personal duty. They earn the right to be listened by others, they are the ones who have something to say.
Reflection
Have you ever found inspiration in a person’s life philosophy? Something to guide you, to offer you another way of making things better? What about you, did you manage to crystallize your own philosophy?
PhilosophyCHAPTER 1
22I have coordinated over 200 sales agents and this experience has proven me one thing - people need models to relate to. If they lack, people feel lost, confused and without direction.
The role of models is to show us that things can be made differently, that we can change, that we can find resources in ourselves and in the people around us in order to evolve. Models can create change, not because they impose it, but because their presence transmits it to people around them. This is why a leader or a mentor will never call himself this way; he will be recognised and accepted by the others as a source of inspiration. He will convince everybody that there is potential in each one of us if we have the right models in our life.
This is why it is important to pay attention to the persons we are spending time with, because they determine who we are. They are our mirror, they reflect the choices we have made during the time. They can limit our evolution or can elevate us; it is only up to us to identify what their presence brings in our life.
What is the impact of a mentor in your life as a sales agent?Personally, I believe that having a role model that inspires and motivates you is a necessity. His role is to be an example, to prove that you can do more and that satisfaction will be yours if you persevere enough. Many times we need confirmation or an anchor in order to remember that we are on the right road and that giving up is not an option.
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23A true mentor is not a person who stays with you all the time, or who pushes you from behind permanently - this is your duty. A mentor is a person whose success inspires, who does not try to position himself above you, in a dominant way, but who builds mutual respect. A mentor will help you in the difficult moments when maybe you have lost direction. He is a person who will offer you balance in the truly important moments, having the experience of similar situations.
In my experience, I had two role models.
From one of them, I managed to learn the power of being a true leader. He was always a leading force in the sales environment, always kept the team moving forward. I have always seen him 100% motivated and willing to motivate others, and with his energy, he was pushing the whole team forward. Even at the lowest point, he was always focused on opportunity and on the ways that we can benefit from any bad situation that might have occurred. With this attitude he made us feel unbeatable. He has always been my source of power.
My second mentor is a guy 100% different from the first one. He always looked for fairness, ways of improving the industry and always told us that first we have to get the knowledge and dedicate a lot of our time in becoming more professional. He made me believe that the knowledge is the ultimate power and that the best advantage you can have is figuring out how can you be different from everyone else.
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24Internationally, I think that one of the best salespersons at this moment is Grand Cardone. Through his complex personality and the knowledge that he possesses he manages to combine constructive aggressiveness with original sales logic. The training systems and strategies that he uses for promoting different services and products validate him as an inspirational and educational source for those who want to excel in sales.
Reflection
Can you think about a person who managed to inspire you through the things he did? What exactly from his attitude appeals to you? Do you believe we can evolve without a role model?
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One of the projects that brought me the biggest references about the mental traits of a successful agent has been implemented in my sales department consisting of 50 agents.
For three months, I worked with a psychological profiler in order to understand what hides behind the way people communicate, as my purpose was to optimize and perfect my training and the interaction with my team.
I knew many of them since many years ago, but in the end, I changed my perception about the things that motivated or stressed them completely.
I discovered that:
• A person in an emotional state - whether we are talking about anxiety, rage or fear - will not make any change in his behavior as long as you communicate the information to him at a rational level;
• The sales agents with good results always put themselves in relation to big objectives and will do everything to achieve them;
• Personal development is essential for every manager who wishes to motivate his people;
• People need leaders with vision to guide them.
Chapter 2PSYCOLOGICAL TRAITS OF A SUCCESSFUL SALES AGENT
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What I have learned is that for every situation we must find the right communication protocol and that we have to understand what is the right frequency to use so that our message can create real change for people around us.
In this chapter I will share some of the conclusions we have arrived at through this project: what are the things we have to care about in our personal and professional development and also what is the right positioning in relation to the direction we wish to follow.
Chapter 2PSYCOLOGICAL TRAITS OF A SUCCESSFUL SALES AGENT
28Personal & professional development
CHAPTER 2
When we speak about a sales agent’s profile, we must underline qualities such as communication, persuasion, intelligence and last but not least, his native talent of building and maintaining human relations.
In this project, I have noticed that the success of a sales agent is defined by the perseverance and determination to develop himself personally and professionally.
When I say personal development I think about the road to self-knowledge that involves the refining of behavior and the change of bad attitudes that stop us from reaching our potential. On the other hand, professional development means enhancing aptitudes and competences that help us perform, be effective and more productive.
This mix between the right attitude and the desire to perform is the one that will pay out, no matter the field you activate in. In the case of sales, maybe more than in other fields, these two elements are vital for the agents who aspire to achieve success.
We all know that the rate of those abandoning sales is huge, and the reasons are countless. I will only talk about one: the human factor.
When we want to establish relationships, besides the informational transfer we must also engage in an emotional transfer that will give birth to perceptions about people and life itself.
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29Personal & professional development
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When these perceptions are negative, our entire inner speech does nothing else than reflecting the way we see things in our behavior. This is why the motivation level drops and, in the end, our attitude is no longer suitable for a person who wishes to achieve performance.
I have learned that personal and professional development are common traits for all those who had results. This way, I noticed that their ability to look at failure and to own up to their professional role was much more developed in comparison to those who did not value self-knowledge that much.
Reflection
How many resources (time, money, research) do you usually invest in yourself? If you were to start a personal development plan, which would be the first thing you would start with? How many persons around you are personally developed? Did you learn anything from them? What classes, books or movies would you recommend to a stranger if you would like to help him evolve? Do you have a list of classes, books or movies that you want to cover in the near future?
30Social backgroundCHAPTER 2
When I have started building this psychological profile, I have only asked myself one thing: is there a pattern that can help me recruit the persons who have potential in becoming performant sales agents? Also, what are those specific traits that, once activated, will ensure the desired results?
I believe that in this field personality and originality make all the difference. Also, being authentic is mostly about self-awareness and the freedom that you are able to give to yourself, no matterthe circumstances.
Since these things are connected with the personal background, we wanted to find out what exactly from a person’s past can make the difference. During the time, I have known good sales agents with an impressive background in terms of experience and academical basis, but also good sales agents who came from poor environments, who grew up with hardships and without higher studies.
The surprise was that for the last ones, personal ambition made them overcome their difficulties. Most of them had experienced problems from an early age, but this turned out to be an advantage for them. Under such circumstances, I saw how they had built their own defence mechanism against refusal, aggressiveness, or for the client’s lack of interest. More than that, I identified in most of them a higher level of aggressiveness, balance and determination in their continuous wish of taking action at every step of the way.
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31Social backgroundCHAPTER 2
On the downside, they always believed that what they knew is enough and that they can do everything by themselves. This auto-sufficiency stopped many of them from sharpening their talents, developing new skills and reaching a good level of proficiency. In this case, their background became the enemy in the path of their development.
In opposition, sales agents who had an emotionally clean background had to work a lot with themselves in order to be able to resist in this field. Unlike the first category, the interactions with the clients had a huge impact on them and refusal was always taken personally. However, eager to learn and to listen to others, many managed to obtain amazing results, worthy of appreciation.
Finally, I believe that everything is about the way we see things around us. We can be very gifted and waste our talent or we can fight with ourselves in order to overcome our fears. There is no recipe for success, there are only general principles, strongly connected to the way we choose to cope with personal boundaries.
Reflection
Do you believe that talent without work can bring anyone good results? If you knew someone talented but stubborn, what would you recommend him to change? If you were to choose between someone gifted, with good results, who does not want to improve and someone willing to invest a lot of work in order to obtain good results, who would you choose?
32Personal boundariesCHAPTER 2
There is a vast literature - from motivational authors to coaches or successful persons - about overcoming personal boundaries that stop us from evolving. All of these end up talking about how do we perceive things around us. Since perception fools reality, we end up thinking that our truth is the one defining normalcy.
We can talk about two normalities in sales - the one of the client and the one of the sales agent. I challenge you to imagine these two as separate circles, that once overlapping, create a common ground where a partnership can start.
When I talked with my agents about personal boundaries, I noticed that we tend to defend our beliefs, values and ideas every time someone will doubt them. This reflex of protecting them can be overcomed by our ability to think past the horizon of our own knowledge and by giving up on prejudice and stereotypes that tell us what is good and what is wrong.
When working in sales, it is essential to have a different way of thinking, to give up on some of our past beliefs in order to understand the person in front of us. This attachment to our own beliefs limits our ability to create relationships and also our evolution. It is worse when we believe that we know for sure what the people in front of us need, without even consulting them or understanding their needs.
When we distort reality, the effect can only be bad. Our personal identity goes in a crisis, and the social role we play tends to change its shape and fond.
Personal & professional development
Social background
Personal boundaries
Perception of failure
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33Personal boundariesCHAPTER 2
Our boundaries are the ones keeping us prisoners. There is no limit that we cannot overpass as long as we believe that it is possible. We must only accept that diversity is part of life and that people think and feel differently.
This is the only way a sales agent can be able to connect to his partner and make him see the product or services as a need or a wish. This is a conclusion that needs no further explanation.
Reflection
What do you think are the boundaries people face when they must take action? Are they aware that these are holding them back? What would you recommend to a person who faces such obstacles? Can they really be overcomed? Have you faced such obstacles in your life? If yes, how would you present your story to a stranger?
34Perception of fearCHAPTER 2
Most of the successful people have the component of failure in their life stories as well as anyone else. Without it, they would have never achieved excellence. For me, a failure is only a feedback tool, pointing towards the things that I have to change in my life and the things that I have to add in order to get closer to my goals.
Personally, I have experienced failures that seemed to have no solution. However, I always tried to adapt and not to discourage myself. I trusted myself and the valuable people around me. In failure, I only see the potential to develop, draw conclusions fast, reevaluate and find new ways of successfully adapting to change. Failure is one of the hardest ways of testing our emotions and limits. In sales, you stumble upon it very often, in the form of the client’s refusals.
While trying to identify the profile of a successful sales agent, I focused on the way my agents perceived failure. I discovered that every sales agent was influenced by his relation to failure.
I tried to explain to these people that there is no success without failure. Those who understood this had a great opening, developed positive thinking and determination not altered by lack of self-confidence.
In conclusion, I can say that people can be divided into two categories: those who give up on an idea when they experience obstacles - most of us are like this, giving up on our dreams because we lack the faith in our chances - and those who perceive obstacles as opportunities to grow, turning negative emotion into energy.
Personal & professional development
Social background
Personal boundaries
Perception of failure
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35CHAPTER 2
Leaders and people with vision are born from the second category and they end up inspiring those around them through their actions and way of thinking.
Motivation and vision are important assets in front of failure. Many successful people see failure as something necessary in their development. Have you ever heard the expression “never give up!”? I believe that our inner speech is strongly connected to the way we cope with failure. Our evolution depends on it, and the ability to reposition ourselves when we experienced failure is a quality many of us should have.
Reflection
What is your perspective on failure? Can it be a trigger in your development? What are the main reasons why someone quits? Have you ever experienced a type of failure that offered you an exceptional experience? What is the advice you would give to someone facing failure?
Perception of fear
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You can enter in sales without a specific training. However, it is not the same when it comes to your personality. Your own attitude towards clients is very important and has the power to transmit to the person in front of you how much you own up to your own decisions, and how determined you are in your actions.
Unfortunately, I have seen many sales agents showing a false attitude when interacting with clients. Such an attitude is disgraceful and does not help anybody in his professional development. If our speech is not in accordance to what we are trying to show, we will never manage to make the people around us believe that we are authentic.
In other words, attitude is like a mirror that reflects our inner structure, the basis of the behaviors we manifest in relation to others. In this chapter, I chose to underline some common traits for all the successful sales agents.
Chapter 3NECESSARY ATTITUDESOF A WINNER
Determination
Owning up
Action
Perseverence
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38CHAPTER 3
Determination
Owning up
I will start with determination: nothing happens without it. A person who is determined will act in a certain direction. That person will have a high level of motivation and involvement. A sales agent with this attitude will always be in contact with his clients, present and active in relation to them. He will transmit power and will maintain a certain rhythm on the medium and long term. Without determination, a sales agent will always end up without results.
This attitude sends out the message that those around us are authentic and dedicated in what they do. Once you own up to a position, you make others perceive you as a determined person, with a mature and responsible way of thinking. Such a sales agent sends out the message that he is a true professional through the attention he gives to his clients. There are sales agents who fail to understand what they promote, and as a result, they will never be able to build a strong relation with their clients, as these will perceive them as dishonest and will think that they are doing their job automatically. A professional sales agent has to identify himself with the product or service that he is promoting.
Determination
Owning up
Action
Perseverence
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39CHAPTER 3
Action
Perseverance
Many of us find motivation, but we forget something very important: to act! Action is not something that should be done only once, and then draw conclusions. Taking action is a constant process that you must own and improve daily.
Action is about the big things, but also about the small ones that we usually do not pay much attention to, but in the end, they do make the difference. Michael Phelps explains success in just one phrase: ”I worked harder than others.” He trained daily for four years at a higher level than his opponents. Many sports analysts said that the human body cannot sustain on the long term such a training programme, but he kept on going and we all know the results.
Without action, everything becomes irrelevant: we can spend an eternity dreaming, talking and hoping, but without taking action, we will never see any results.
This quality makes the difference between a successful sales agent and an average one. Perseverance is about inner strength and resources activated for reaching one’s goals. A perseverant agent never gives up at the first “no”. He manages to stay involved, without falling into negative thoughts. Perseverance brings you closer to success. It is nothing else but a line of constant actions, turned towards a precise goal, by keeping the rhythm or the intensity and sustaining it when obstacles appear.
Determination
Owning up
Action
Perseverence
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3Reflection
What attitudes define you in your job? Do you think that someone can perform without the right attitudes? How would you describe the people with the right attitude? Who are the first three people from your circle of friends whose attitudes drove them to success? Describe these attitudes and three others that you find essential for evolving.
41
Human behavior is the representation of personality and temper through actions. We generally talk about positive or negative behaviors in relation to the way they manifest. Having an appropriate behavior means adapting to the context that you find yourself in.
In sales, behavior is very important and reflects the level of preparation and expertise of a person. The attention to details, the protocol elements and the conduit are only some of the habits that become the second nature of an experienced sales agent.
In this chapter, I will emphasize the way an agent looks, speaks and behaves. These three categories are essential for the human interaction in all social environments, whether we talk about the personal or professional environment.
Chapter 4THE PROPER BEHAVIOURS
Way of looking
Way of speaking
Way of acting Chap
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CHAPTER 4
Way of lookingWhen we refer to a sales agent’s etiquette, you must know that it represents his mirror. We place people in certain categories since the first time we see them. It is important to realise what is the impact that the way we look has on our professional lives.
The dress code is important for anyone working in sales. This and a natural behavior will speak for the sales agent no matter the situation. A good sales agent is always aware of the importance of a good impression. With an impeccable image, he will know how to catch the attention. Thus, he will be appreciated by his clients. They are often more compelled to buy from someone who makes a good impression.
Shortly, as a sales agent, you cannot promote a product or a service without presenting yourself properly. Every situation is different, but people always tend to associate themselves with others similar to them.
Way of looking
Way of speaking
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43CHAPTER 4
Way of speakingIn a conversation, you must know how to explain your ideas clearly. Use the arguments about the quality of the product or service carefully. Also, you must pay attention to the traps your client might set, and for this, you must use your logic and analytical thinking. This is why it is important to control your attitude, tone of voice and used vocabulary, in order to not distort the other person’s perception about you.
Since the verbal and nonverbal language sends around 70% of the information, the rest is done by our tone, rhythm and speed of speaking. The degree of involvement makes the difference between a good and a bad sales agent. The first one will focus on delivering the same message through verbal and nonverbal language.
Although we like to think that we make decisions rationally, the truth is that most of the time they are based on our emotions. We like to think that rationality dictates our direction, but in many cases, the subconscious has the final word.
Consequently, a good sales agent is aware that emotions can get you closer to performance. If he wants to transmit trust, he must be the first to have faith in the product or service that he promotes. If he wants to send out the idea of opportunity or potential, he must openly show his enthusiasm every time a conversation takes place. Shortly, trust and energy must come from inside, and this will be shown in every aspect of communication.
Way of looking
Way of speaking
Way of acting Chap
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44CHAPTER 4
Way of actingIn my career I have met sales agents who considered that wearing a mask was enough to get into the role. This wrong attitude sends the message of sufficiency and shallowness.
Being a good sales agent is not only about convincing a client to buy something, but also about the coherence in what you say and do. Our behavior always reflects our training and the connection with the product or service. The final goal is that our attitude will reflect our knowledge through the confidence and trust we show.
In my opinion, a good sales agent does not need a mask, he only needs proper behavior, emotion and originality. This is why we cannot be good sales agents if we constantly control ourselves - words, gestures, tone. Things must come out naturally, our behavior must show confidence, trust and a real desire to do our job.
Personally, I believe in the “act as if” principle. We often label ourselves and then we want to convince others that this is who we are. It is hard to convince someone you are successful if you do not really feel that way about yourself.
When a sales agent shows agitation, discomfort or mistrust in himself, the client will perceive him just like that. You must show confidence in every situation. Act and think accordingly to what you wish to become!
In other words, it is very important to understand that the way we look, our tone, our body language and the logic of our speech must be in harmony in order for us to get where we want. Every component works as a puzzle piece - if one misses, the whole process will stop.
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Way of speaking
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Reflection
Which one of these three categories do you think is your strongest right now, and which is the one you need to improve? Do you think that everybody can develop these habits?
46
I have always believed that the relation between a sales agent and a client must be unique, in accordance to the necessities and needs of everybody. No matter the product or service that brings them to the table for a week, a month, a year or even more, communication is the common ground.
A fundamental principle of communication is that it is not the same with speaking. Communicating means being careful with the way you deliver the message, its content in relation to the context, the partner’s position and his needs.
In this chapter I will present some of the techniques and ways of communication that can help you in your relationship with clients, to give you control and also make you realise the way your message reaches the source.
Chapter 5SKILLS AND APTITUDES
Active listeting
Positive language
Assertiveness
Feedback
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47CHAPTER 5
Active listeningAs a sales agent, you have to know that in order for you to understand the client’s needs, the best thing you can do is listening to him. The message he delivers to you is exactly the base you build a successful sale on. This is a rule to remember!
Listening is more important than speaking, this being the most valuable component of communication. When we listen actively it means that we listen carefully and that we are interested in what the other has to say. Paying attention means being connected authentically with the one in front of you. People who listen actively have a great quality - they do not structure answers or arguments in their head. For these types of people, the focus falls on others, they understand other people’s needs. People who apply this principle are interested to find out what is behind words and gestures, to understand client’s needs.
This is why applying this technique in sales becomes fundamental in creating a connection with the clients. Otherwise, we risk becoming just speakers who make background noise.
Active listening
Positive language
Assertiveness
Feedback
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48CHAPTER 5
Positive languageThrough their language, people are assessed daily. Learning to choose the right words and combining them can be a true art, and practicing positive language can bring a good change in everybody’s life.
There is a strong connection between our inner speech and success in life. The way we represent verbally our vision about ourselves, about people and life becomes the reality we live in. No matter if we put ourselves in relation to personal or professional experiences, with failure or success, they are all connected to using our own language.
This is why positive language in communication is nothing else but a lever that can help us boost and strengthen our qualities. When we use negations, when we end up criticising and blaming, we only push ourselves towards failure.
Personal language is nothing but a representation of our inner life. A professional sales agent knows that success is about his own mindset, self-trust and way of seeing things. He will understand that negative language will never be compatible with reaching his goals.
Active listening
Positive language
Assertiveness
Feedback
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49CHAPTER 5
AssertivenessMisunderstandings that come from communication can have consequences. Many times these can generate powerful conflicts that in the lack of a consensus can break relationships.
The causes of conflicts are varied, but they all have strong emotions of rage, fear or discontent as a base. When they cannot be controlled, impulsivity and verbal aggressiveness take over, and the effects are bad for everybody.
Assertiveness’ principle states that I am ok, you are ok, and my rights are being respected without the intent of creating a discomfort for others. Being assertive means to be aware of your emotions, to place yourself in the same position with the one next to you.
Being assertive in sales is a quality. It will help you build and maintain social relationships in a healthy way on the long term, avoiding the discomfort of conflicts.
Active listening
Positive language
Assertiveness
Feedback
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50CHAPTER 5
FeedbackFeedback is the main tool for controlling emotions and perceptions in human relationships. When we communicate a message we focus on the way we see things, and we are sure that the one listening to us approves. However, we often find situations that we thought will go into a certain direction, but they turn out into a different way.
Other situations that create misunderstandings are the ones when the perception we have about ourselves is different from the one that other people have - underestimating and overestimating. We cannot evaluate our behavior and personality in an objective manner, without being aware of the disadvantages that this can create.
People who constantly ask for feedback are open to opposite ideas, although perceptions can be wrong. Asking for feedback means to be willing to understand what you transmit in order to shape your attitude and behavior.
The problem appears when the people who offer feedback do not know its base principle and thus only criticise instead of doing it in a constructive way.
The idea is simple: feedback can become a life principle. For me, as a sales agent, feedback is an essential part of my personal development and it helps me maintain a good relationship with the clients.
Active listening
Positive language
Assertiveness
Feedback
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Reflection
Which one of the four instruments of communication presented above is the one you use more often? Which one of these would you like to develop at a higher level? What benefits would owning and applying them bring you in your daily life?
52When it comes to human nature, there is no perfection and we will not find two identical persons. We can talk about progress, development and performance, only when talking about success and failure.
I believe that our personal and professional evolution has some simple principles that we tend to evaluate swiftly. We look for complicated solutions and the clear answers that we get seem insufficient and we dismiss them easily. We do not listen enough to what others have to say, and we put too much value on our perceptions. We tend to be slaves of self-sufficiency, without realising how much it limits our development and informational horizon.
All throughout this e-book, I have been talking about simple things that I have learned from others, that I have studied and implemented, and that always brought me results. There are things I believe in, habits that I fight maintaining or skills that I rehearse daily in order not to forget them. It is not an easy path, but I believe that personal discipline is a necessary condition if we want to have success or if we wish to control our professional and personal life. I believe that things must be taken step by step, only this way we can find gratitude for every moment that fulfills us or every success that we achieve.
We live in a society where things are changing fast, and the uncertainty of tomorrow is more and more accentuated. However, even though we have the technology to be permanently connected to each other and the access to information is only one click away, we tend to be more and
Chapter 6CONCLUSIONS
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53more distant and more and more superficial. Even though it is healthy to live outside the small things that get our attention such as televisions and social networks that keep us captive, we tend to become more and more addicted to them.
Let us spend more and more time with ourselves in front of the mirror, to know ourselves and to asses what truly matters. Let us search for projects that motivate us, that have a vision that can inspire us daily. Let us associate ourselves with strong people who can help us evolve, who can share new values and ideas with us.
Competition is tough and does not care about borders. Many of us have equal chances, opportunities and the possibility to choose the place where we want to be. The battle for resources is fierce, and this is why without defined objectives we risk to remain stuck or lose the train towards performance.
History proved that us, people, always looked for evolution and progress, whether we talk about technology, spirituality, psychology or others. Evolution is part of our DNA, and this pushes us to use the time and resources that we have in order to bring value to the world we live in. It is our duty to do this.
We are our only limitation, but also our only solution. I invite you to own up to your success and failures, to always look ahead and also make every day of your life an experience that deserves to be lived and told to those around you. Let us make our life a permanent inspiration!
Respectfully, Adrian Mazilu
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Adrian Mazilutrade.Berry Founding member
www.adrianmazilu.com
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