You know, one thing good about being a digital nomad is that you get to eavesdrop on interesting conversations.
So like I'm at Starbucks right now, and next to me are these two guys. They've been here for over two hours now carrying out a session on sales and the art of selling. One guy, who looks the part in impressive black long sleeved shirt and black pants and a watch with a square face plus a ring on his finger, is the mentor. The other guy, in shirt and jeans, his student.
So like I'm at Starbucks right now, and next to me are these two guys. They've been here for over two hours now carrying out a session on sales and the art of selling. One guy, who looks the part in impressive black long sleeved shirt and black pants and a watch with a square face plus a ring on his finger, is the mentor. The other guy, in shirt and jeans, his student.
I don't get to hear much of what they say- my ears are half plugged in- but so far the little I've heard is making me wonder when it was that sales and sales training got so complicated.
There are words like "touchpoints", there are phrases like "using point 2 to sell to XXX person" and "you must catch the moment!" and "leveraging on people who are more engaging".
It is an interesting way to do sales training. First the student reports to his mentor how many people he has approached, who he has targeted, and why he hasn't done it yet. Then the mentor tells him to share who those prospects are, and questions him how he's going to sell the product (I've no idea what it is) to them. After this, the student studies his file and his reference notes, comes out with a sales suggestion only to have the mentor shoots it down.
Now, I'm not going to question whether such or such a sales training method works. Each organization to its own, I always say, but I've dabbled in sales before, and I can tell you, my sales report meeting didn't last this long.
Why?
The BD didn't have time.
So our meetings were all very chop-chop.
Now, I'm not going to question whether such or such a sales training method works. Each organization to its own, I always say, but I've dabbled in sales before, and I can tell you, my sales report meeting didn't last this long.
Why?
The BD didn't have time.
So our meetings were all very chop-chop.
The general meeting would go something like this: "What are your numbers? How many? Why so low? Who have you called? What happened to the others? Who are you following up with now? Close it, please. We need XX numbers for this. Anything else? Contact this prospect. She's usually quite friendly to our services. Leave her a message. Just keep leaving messages. Okay?"
That was it.
End of Meeting.
I didn't have so big a file of lessons and pointers to study or adhere to. There were no theories. If I didn't know how to approach a prospect, or if the prospect seemed disinterested, she simply advised me what to do, and that was it.
There was no other talk.
Specifically, there was no sales motivational talk.
She didn't tell me things like how much she admired "Steve Jobs who was a f**king good sales person" and how I should learn from him. (Partially because the revolutionized iPod would not be released till a year after and also because Steve Jobs hadn't made his presentation at San Francisco in his trademark black turtleneck A THING.)
She didn't ask me whether my sad numbers were a result of non effort or non skill or whatever either. She gave no other advice than to tell me straight up what to do. And there was no encouragement from her in the form of "You have improved, really, you have improved, but....."
Our meetings were all very business-like, very crisp, very direct, and yes, it did get me very stressed, but the stress was not due to the sales training or the way she was handling the reporting. The stress stemmed from the very role that sales itself brings.
Maybe it is because it is a stressful profession that the training itself seems to have taken on a different direction entirely these days. From what I hear, there appears to be more training sessions, more steps to memorise and follow, more mentorship, more encouragement, more motivation, more scaffolding, more empowerment.
And yet, I wonder, does it work? Does it really work? Or is it just an extended attempt to condescend others just to boost your sense of self-ego?
There was no other talk.
Specifically, there was no sales motivational talk.
She didn't tell me things like how much she admired "Steve Jobs who was a f**king good sales person" and how I should learn from him. (Partially because the revolutionized iPod would not be released till a year after and also because Steve Jobs hadn't made his presentation at San Francisco in his trademark black turtleneck A THING.)
She didn't ask me whether my sad numbers were a result of non effort or non skill or whatever either. She gave no other advice than to tell me straight up what to do. And there was no encouragement from her in the form of "You have improved, really, you have improved, but....."
Our meetings were all very business-like, very crisp, very direct, and yes, it did get me very stressed, but the stress was not due to the sales training or the way she was handling the reporting. The stress stemmed from the very role that sales itself brings.
Maybe it is because it is a stressful profession that the training itself seems to have taken on a different direction entirely these days. From what I hear, there appears to be more training sessions, more steps to memorise and follow, more mentorship, more encouragement, more motivation, more scaffolding, more empowerment.
And yet, I wonder, does it work? Does it really work? Or is it just an extended attempt to condescend others just to boost your sense of self-ego?