What ever happened to real salesmen (sales people)?

I come from a long line of salesmen, more correctly sales people. Just in casual conversation with my family, I traced a continuous line of sales people back into the 1880’s. Even my Mother was the top producer for decades working at LS Ayres in the hosiery department.

I remember my Mom sitting at home evenings calling all her regular customers to tell them about a promotion or sale coming next weekend. She wasn’t paid on commission, but the manufacturers would give her a free pair of hose for every dozen pairs she sold. She had cabinets full of literally hundreds of pairs of free hose that she gave away for Christmas presents to all the ladies on her list.

My Dad started a couple of businesses that didn’t work out in his younger days, so he started working as a salesman for a home improvement company in the early sixties, the height of the era when high pressure salesmen were knocking on doors, house to house, trying to sell aluminum siding and awnings to homeowners. Despite what you saw in the movie Tin Men, not all of these guys were crooks, they just were working hard to sell ice to Eskimos, as my Dad used to say.

My brothers and I all were raised in my Dad’s construction company, selling all types of home improvements from leads we made as telephone solicitors (called telemarketers now). I went on to sell building materials to contractors, and eventually started my own business in IT services, my oldest brother is a minister, and the other one is a salesman in Denver. Just a thought about my oldest brother; if you hadn’t thought of it before, a minister is one of the most powerful salesmen in the world. These guys have to convince you that what you are doing is wrong and you need to change your life. That takes some serious salesmanship!

These days I handle accounts for companies with multiple sales people helping to keep them all connected to the home office while they travel about the world. I am also a member of a networking group where commission based people are looking for leads that they can sell to. What I’ve noticed is the people out here today aren’t selling anymore. They just present product to as many warm bodies as possible hoping to take orders. Therefore these are not really sales people, they are order takers.

I had a customer call me the other day and ask me why she was having so many hardware failures with the new business equipment she bought from another vender. In the back of my head I was thinking, “Because there were no sales people involved”.

You see if there had been a sales person at the company that manufactured the equipment, they could have be able to get more money for the product and they would not have to use inferior parts to build that equipment. If there had been a sales person at the distributor level the higher price would not have been an issue when it was presented to the reseller. If there had been a sales person at the reseller's business they would not have had to buy the least expensive hardware on the market to get sales.

You see if you have a real sales person involved, price is not an issue.

A sales person won’t represent an inferior product in the first place. A sales person will show you why a lower priced product will cost you more in the long run.

A real sales person will understand his customer, and his competition. A real sales person will understand that your ultimate satisfaction will guarantee repeat business and therefore his or her ultimate success.

The customer I mentioned above had made her purchase from another vender because I don’t carry the kind of products she was buying. She has asked me if I could find replacement products for her. Of course the very fact that I am unfamiliar with the product makes it impossible for me to be her consultant on this purchase. Because I am a salesman, I will not misrepresent my knowledge or skills.

So sales people, are you selling, or order taking? Do you find yourself thinking you are priced out of the market? Do you show your customer why your product is worth more and then ask for the order, or do you hand them a quote and then hold your breath?

You be the judge.