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What women hate about men and what we hate about sales people!

At a recent sales training course I delivered one of the attendees told me he is writing a book with the magnificent title of ‘What women hate about men’. I will come to this later in the article as after the session it got me thinking about one of the biggest issues I come across today from business owners across the UK.

The biggest issue and cry for help comes from business owners who will not or can’t sell their products or services. This issue can stop the growth of a company. However the real reason is not that the owners will not or can’t sell their own companies products or services the real reason is they don’t want to be thought of as a salesperson! They are worried about what people will think of them if they are perceived as a sales person and that everyone will hate them.

When people think of sales people they think of Danny de Vito in Tin Men or a double glazing salesman who won’t leave their home until they sign a contract for new windows. I asked at a recent sales training course for business owners what thoughts come to mind when you think of a sales person.

Some of the words mentioned were pushy, desperate, arrogant, poor listener, untrustworthy, confident, good talker, con artist, gift of the gab and lastly they didn’t have to buy a card on Father’s day!

We as sales people get thought of as all of the above as it is ingrained in the public’s conscience by personal experience and stories of how the snake oil salesman ripped them off. I can agree that sometimes the negativity has been earned but never the less this perceived stigma is something our non-sales people business owners agree with and don’t want the same stigma attached to them.

The good news is that a good salesperson can be valuable to the customer and their business. The other good news is that the business owners already have skills to be good salespeople they just don’t realise it. The other good news is these skills can be taught so they become sales skills.

If you can hold a conversation with someone, a conversation that has dialogue between two people involving sensible questions, be attentive by listening and want to help the other person because you believe your product or service is of great value to them you are on the way to be a salesperson.

Couple these sales skills with the passion the business owners have for the company and you have the best person in the world to sell their products and services.

So what do you think of sales people? If you are a business owner that doesn’t, can’t and will not sell their own products and services the fact is you need to and you need to start now. You have the skills already just get over your worry of what people might think of you and worry about selling your product and service to those people that need it and most importantly know they need it. You will think differently if your skills as a salesperson start bringing in new orders.

Which brings me back to my book writer friend and his little book of ‘What women hate about men’ and a great opportunity for you ladies? If you want to send me your thoughts on what women hate about men and it gets published you will get two rewards. Firstly your name will be in the acknowledgements and you will get a free copy of the book when it is published.

Send your comments to me at michael@arrowsales.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Michael McMeekin .