SKILL ‘‘
My neighbor has a circular driveway... he can’t get out. STEVEN WRIGHT
A MOMENT OF TRUTH “I had proposals and presentations and pitches. I went through my spiel. I thought I was good. I thought I had landed those sales. And I lost every account.” Workman chuckles. “That was it. That was my moment of truth.” Why? Because that’s when Work- man began to take stock of his per- formance and his attitude. “I started my sales career in my 50s,” Workman says. “I was older, so I thought I knew all there was to know.”
But those first big losses told a dif-
ferent story. Suddenly, Workman felt like a novice. “All I knew was that I wanted to be a success in this busi- ness. So I made a change. I got off my high horse. I asked for help from my manager.” Workman cites that meet- ing as the turning point in his career. Since then, Workman has transformed from a pretty good salesman to one of the most successful sales reps in the company.
“The worst thing you can do is as- sume that you can figure it out on your own,” says Don Trent, district manager at one of the company’s branches. Trent looks forward to his reps’ questions. “Ask, ask, ask,” says Trent. “The true sign of intelligence is asking questions.” But getting to the point where you feel comfortable asking questions is only the beginning. The key is to know when to ask – and how. “Formulating the question is half the battle,” says Trent. “You have to be able to articulate the issue and state your desired outcome.”
At the meeting with his manager,
Workman talked through his goals and his stumbling blocks. “I went in saying, ‘This is where I’m in trouble.
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This is where I need help.’” Trent says Workman was right on course: “You must make sure that you understand your problem and that you’ve done all of your homework.”
FOUR STEPS FOR DIFFICULT SALES He offers a four-part plan for when you’re faced with a difficult sale. 1. Gather Information. The com- pany offers an extensive intranet resource that lists information on all the company’s policies and services. Trent urges his sales reps to bone up on all the services his company offers. “Know your facts,” says Trent. “That’s first and foremost.” 2. Identify Your Problem. Trent says, once you are certain you have all the relevant information, “you have to be able to say, ‘I’m at point A with this sale, and I need to be at point C – and this is exactly where I am having trouble.’” This process alone can be very edifying, says Trent. “Often reps will find the answer themselves, just through preparing the question.” 3. Check with Reps. Once you have
gathered your information and identi- fied your problem, Trent suggests you check with other sales reps before going to your manager. Sometimes the solution to your problem is just across the hall. “Someone will have dealt with the same issue just last
week,” explains Trent, “and there’s your answer.” 4. Meet Your Manager. Finally, if you can’t find your solution by researching, formulating your ques- tion, and asking other reps, set up a meeting with your manager. “If you come in with a well-researched, well- thought-out question,” says Trent, “your manager is going to be happy to see you.”
DON’T STOP AT JUST ONE Workman is quick to point out that asking for help is not a one-shot deal – it’s about building a relationship with your manager. “Every month I have situations come up where I could have asked a manager,” says Work- man. “I must constantly remind myself to be humble and to ask.” When he called that meeting and
clearly stated his goal and outlined his problems, his manager knew exactly how to help. “He walked me through, step by step, how to land a biotech account. That meeting was the begin- ning of my education. I want to keep that education going.” These days, Workman’s manager still rides with him on sales calls twice a month. And what do they do on those rides? “We talk,” Workman says. “Well, mostly he talks and I lis- ten. There’s so much to learn.”
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