Salespeople: Are You More Barber-Surgeon or Stylist?

One of the first jobs I ever had was a (very short) dalliance as an apprentice hairdresser.

I started off working in high-end ladies salons with a group of stylists who were in constant demand for events such as London fashion week or jetting off for glossy magazine photoshoots in exotic locations.

But I spent the final months of my training in a high street barbers, bantering with blokes and tidying up old men's eyebrows with a number one clipper and a comb.

It's fairly obvious which of those experiences was the glamourous one - although, to be fair - as a trainee, both experiences mostly involved the horribly unglamourous jobs of sweeping up hair, polishing mirrors and washing towels - followed by standing attentively behind the stylist observing "technique".

But here's something that I found interesting and was made clear to me when I joined the barbers;

The gents hairdressers had all the skills of those in the posh ladies salons - but they also had to master a wider range of techniques that their counterparts never had to think about.

Things like shaving two days worth of stubble with a cut throat razor, becoming an expert with clippers for that short back and sides fade - and being able to deliver a truly horizontal "flat top" cut (think Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV) with a massive plank of a comb.

Sure stylists in both environments had originally done exactly the same apprenticeship and college course.

They all learnt how to cut with precision, apply colours and tints, tightly curl those curlers, create the perfect perm and then flamboyantly blow dry that barnet into exquisite shapes.

The greatest of them became masters of their craft - artists - and in the same way that chefs with a comprehensive background of the entire field eventually gravitate towards their speciality - they become masters of style and fashion.

But the greatest barbers - well - their skill set is like a rather incredible hairdressing version of the Swiss army penknife.

They can do - EVERYTHING!

Short hair, long hair, beards, eyebrows - hey, ask nicely and some of them will even trim your nose hair for you (ladies hairdressers do not like doing that - at all ).

So, what has that got to do with sales?

Well, it strikes me that we're starting to see two distinct camps forming in the sales world.

• People who only prospect for new business - and -
• People who see themselves as account managers for existing business - who are sometimes directed to pre-qualified opportunities to close.

And there is nothing wrong with that - if you're a specialist - that's brilliant - good for you.

I just can't understand why anyone wouldn't want a broader understanding of the entire subject though.

If you work for a company as the "appointment setter" - there's a chance that you will eventually want to get out of that office, get off the phone, smell a bit of fresh air - progress your career, get a company car and earn the salary you truly deserve.

If that is the case you are going to need some "in the room" sales skills - and you're going to have to learn to present yourself as the kind of high-level professional who deserves to be there.

Also, be prepared to hear the words "we're looking for someone with a bit more experience in face to face, professional business sales."

And if you see yourself as simply an account manager - someone who believes that booking their own appointments is beneath them and that opportunities should be gifted to them from the business they work for - well....

What will you do when those appointments and opportunities dry up?

'Cos let me tell you - nobody will be listening as you stand there and blame everyone else.

If there's no business for you to collect - there will be no job for you to turn up for - you will be surplus to requirements.

So don't resign your self to continuously waiting for the charity of others for a career - standing at the door with a small bowl hoping someone will drop in a half decent sales lead.

If you can both create the opportunity AND manage a lengthy business to business sales cycle to a successful conclusion - you will have an extremely long, happy and lucrative career - and your services will be in HIGH demand.

You know, it always amuses me that everyone uses a single word to describe the myriad of skills and strategies involved in business development.

We put everything in the same bag and just call it "selling".

It's that thing that salespeople do.

But the real magic is woven throughout the entire process.

The bit leading up to the meeting is often confusingly put under the selling umbrella as well.

When in reality, in that part - there is very little "selling" done at all.

What we should really call it, is "customer attraction".

Great selling forms connections and leads to helping prospects understand the options in front of them.

But attracting customers beforehand, ensures that all that great selling accomplishes its mission effectively.

Being effective at business development MUST begin with the presumption that you can attract the right customers to sell to.

And - then - if you have great sales skills, you ensure that those good customer attraction techniques don’t go to waste.

Effective customer attraction techniques and sales skills - together - turn opportunities into successful new business deals.

But which skills and techniques are genuinely effective in today's competitive marketplace?

And which opportunities are worthy of your precious time to go chasing after - and how can you be confident that they will lead you to achieve any level of long-term success?

It was those questions that drove me to put together my two day business development masterclasses.

You know - as a final thought - Ambroise Pare was a 16th-century "barber-surgeon" from France - who is now considered the father of modern surgery, forensic pathology and battlefield medicine.

In the middle ages hairdressers were known as a "barber-surgeons" - and, back then, offered a whole variety of additional services as well as cutting your hair.

Stuff like pulling teeth, setting bones, treating wounds or giving you an enema.

They were the one stop doctor shop.

In fact, it's the reason we have the red and white barbers pole - it was originally meant to represent blood and bandages so that you could find your barber-surgeon on the high street.

How about that for a Swiss army penknife skill set. ??

To your success,

Chris

PS: If you're finding it hard right now to get the attention of?the people you need to speak to - and even harder to get that elusive face-to-face meeting so that you can?show them how you can help - then what you need is?a step-by-step road map?to get you from where you are now to where you want to be - as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

If you need to uncover and convert new opportunities and brand-new customers, while keeping and growing the business you already have,?then I have something that will empower you to do all of the above.

The next UK dates for my 2 Day Business Development Masterclasses have now been released for Bristol, Manchester, London, Birmingham and Glasgow

If you want the tools, strategies, tip and techniques that will enable you to discover new opportunities - convert those opportunities into worthwhile meetings – and then turn every genuine prospect into a living, breathing paying customer - then this is the set of workshops you REALLY need to get yourself on.

You can full details at this link ChrisMurray.2-Day-Masterclass.com - but remember, there are only ever 10 places available at each event, so anyone who wants to attend but misses out this time, will be put on a waitlist for later dates when they're released.

PPS: Here’s a what a few past attendants?have to say about The Business Development Masterclass: