The Many Emotions of a Salesperson

I got an email from the marketing team at Bitner-Henry a couple weeks ago.

“Hey Daryl – remember that photo shoot we did at the coffee shop?? We got some still shots of you making funny faces.? Think you could use this in one of your blog posts?”

Yes.? I love a good gag.? And I think the funniest person in the world to make fun of is myself.

Since this blog is going to be self-indulgent, why not go all the way??

Here are 6 emotions I feel as an insurance producer.

?

1.????? A Conqueror’s Joy

There are two major sales in the process – getting an appointment and getting the sale.? Both make me feel like Alexander the Great.

That’s right.? Look at me.? I am so charming.? I am so great.? I came, I saw, I conquered.

Even 15 years into the business, nothing matches the hit I get when someone takes my call and wants to talk to me.? That “Yes” is so hard to find.? A “Yes” is a diamond that is found after hours and hours of digging through coal.?

And when I find that “Yes”, I can’t help but feel like I’m the greatest salesperson in the world… Every time.

2.????? I’m terrified. I think I’m going to poop my pants.

Look, we’ve all been in this position, both literally and figuratively.

A prospect or client presents you with a problem you don’t know how to solve.? Or a client wants to do something that is going to create a lot of work for no money.

Or sometimes, you ate 20 hot wings the night before and that is turning out to be a terrible life decision.

In all these situations, it hits you at minute 37 of an hour-long meeting, and there is no escaping the problem.?

Anyone that says they haven’t had this feeling is lying.

3.????? Good luck with that one.? Idiot.

Usually, I’m making this face when a competitor of mine is trying to steal a piece of business, and they have no chance of winning.

For example, I had one client that told me they were getting competitive quotes.? I took one look at their loss history, and based on the class of business, I told them exactly how it would play out.

“Look, I have all the companies that this guy is going try to talk to.? None of them will be competitive because of your claim history.? Honestly, this guy is going to save me paperwork and a lot of hassle.”

That client called me back a couple weeks ago to let me know they didn’t like the feedback they were getting from the marketplace.? They were happy to stay with me.

?

4.????? Bored, but pretending to be interested.

I meet a lot of people in my job.? Some of them have changed my perspective on life.? Some tell me stories about being a drug mule or being a stickup kid.? Others tell me stories about child abuse, and the beautiful work they’re doing.

Some people drone on for long periods of time about inner company politics, recipes, or the lengthy history of boiler repairs.

I find people very interesting.? Everyone has an interesting story to tell.

But sometimes… I wish they would be shorter.

?

5.????? This person might be crazy.? How do I get out of this?

Every salesperson knows this feeling of walking into an appointment and immediately knowing that this is a terrible idea.

One comes to mind for me.? I showed up for an appointment.? Instead of it being at an office building, I’m meeting at the client’s personal home.

I’m shepherded to the back room, and they ask me to sit on a couch with one open seat cushion – the other cushion is covered with laundry.

And the prospect is wearing a bathrobe.

The appointment is obviously a bust.? Where is the exit?? How do I get out of here?? Please God, don’t let this person be a serial killer.

6.????? I’m so frustrated I want to gouge my eyes out.

I get this feeling most frequently when I feel like I did a terrible job on a cold call or running a meeting.

I do my prep work.? I’m pumped up for the call, and it immediately goes off the rails.

I use all my lines to try to redirect the conversation in a productive way, but the insured just isn’t interested.? After 7 minutes of talking to the person, I know I have messed up the meeting beyond all repair and there’s no fixing it.

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.

?

Honorable Mention that didn’t make it into the photos – “I’m so glad I’m working from home because I’m full of pure, apoplectic rage.”

This moment has come for me when it feels like I was personally wronged.

For me, it’s when a client leaves me, and they take personal swipes as they’re leaving.? Or maybe they leave without every deigning to take my call and explain it to me.?

Sometimes all you can do is yell at the floor and be thankful you’re home alone.

?

Conclusion:

Sales is an emotional job.? No doubt about it.

Sometimes we mess up.

Sometimes people mess us up.

And sometimes we make bad dietary decisions that disrupt a meeting.

It’s all part of the job.

?