The stereotypes about sales people are so prevalent and universally accepted that people are perplexed when someone who doesn’t fit the mold actually succeeds. Throughout my sales career, I was labeled an enigma because I didn’t look or act like other sales people…and despite those differences, I was wildly successful. (Incidentally, I attribute many of my successes to those very differences.)
These stereotypes that define what a salesperson is “supposed” to be lead to three unfortunate realities:
1) A lot of people who would be very good in selling refuse to consider a career in sales. They know they don’t fit the mold, so they don’t see themselves as sellers. Or they are afraid that they will be expected to change in undesirable ways if they become a professional seller.
2) Hiring managers look for the stereotypical traits and hire for them. This results in passing over people who would be more effective and may even be better qualified.
3) Buyers are conditioned to respond to sellers in negative ways. They put up walls that sellers have to breakdown. And because the sellers were hired for stereotypical behaviors that buyers are negatively responding to, breaking down these walls may be impossible.
The stereotypes about what a salesperson is “supposed” to be are familiar to us all. But I’d like to address three stereotypes that are most commonly assumed and are absolutely not true.
First, it is not true that all sales people are money motivated. It may be sacrilegious to say this, but there are sales people – including very good ones – who are not entirely money motivated. Sales managers have argued with me on this point, going so far as to say they would never hire a sales rep who wasn’t motivated by money.
What this tells me is that sales managers only know one way to motivate sales people. The danger in hiring only those who are money motivated is that those people will not be motivated when the money isn’t there. If you have a commission cap and the seller hits the cap, then a sales manager shouldn’t be surprised that the seller stops selling for that period. And if there isn’t an incentive for a particular task (think meetings, training, internal work to process orders, etc.), then the money-motivated seller who doesn’t participate shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Fortunately, some sales people are not purely money motivated. Sure, like all sellers, they enjoy the opportunity to give themselves a raise by selling more. They like having incomes that directly reflect their contributions. But to say they’re in it for the money overlooks the greater motivations which vary widely from one person to the next. Some are motivated by achievement and push hard to be at the top of the leaderboard. Others are motivated by a desire to serve their customers and find deep satisfaction in driving results for them. Still others are motivated by the opportunity to work independently and to manage their own time and account list.
What makes these sellers an exceptional addition to a team is their perspective. They look at things differently. They do things differently. They may be examples to others or they may have an altruistic approach that enhances a team dynamic.
Second, it is not true that the best sales people are extroverts. The stereotypical salesperson might be gregarious and outgoing, but many successful sales people are introverted. They are reserved and less likely to be the life of the party. They think before they speak instead of thinking aloud. This doesn’t make them antisocial or withdrawn. It just means that they need some non-people time in their day to recharge and process what’s been happening around them.
What makes an introverted type a great addition to a sales team is that they bring a different kind of energy to a group of extroverts. They are often more contemplative and prefer to think before acting. When they speak in group settings, they generally have fully formed ideas that bring together bits and pieces others have offered. Additionally, since some customers are also introverted, an introvert may be able to reach someone that an extrovert doesn’t connect well with due to style.
Third, it is not true that you have to be a cut-throat competitor to succeed in sales. In fact, I’ve seen more than one sales team implode because the competitive drive fueled internal competition that was unproductive and unhealthy. When sales managers hire for competitive “fire in the belly,” they may not be prepared for the fallout that comes with that intensity. Competitive people don’t like to lose, but not everyone can win. And when winning is everything, people will strive to win at all cost. Co-workers, processes and standards may be viewed as obstacles to be run over in the race to win.
A salesperson who is not competitive is not necessarily someone who is “soft.” A seller can be tough as nails, diehard determined and still be focused on his or her own achievements rather than weighing them against what others are doing. Getting a win doesn’t always require that someone else have a loss. In fact, as buyers become more sophisticated and expect more creative and more comprehensive solutions, sellers need to become more collaborative. It is impossible to collaborate if you are highly competitive.
What makes sales people effective, more than any stereotypical behavior, is authenticity. Acting like a salesperson is “supposed” to act won’t get the job done. Being the quintessential salesperson, one who truly embodies all the stereotyped behaviors and mindsets, doesn’t automatically mean success. To succeed in sales requires that a seller connect with a buyer. That only happens when a seller is able to be himself or herself.
All sales people should work first on bringing more of who they are into what they do.