That S**** word some people don’t want to hear or see

Recently I conducted a mid-year review of objectives. During the process I asked a number of colleagues and clients to provide constructive feedback on business development team members in a free-flowing, free-text fashion. One comment in particular stood out for me:

“...I like the fact that he is not going in as a ‘salesperson’, I think this is great as clients hate a ‘sales person’...”

The word ‘hate’ stood out for me initially. Then I realised: this comment was there to be taken positively and constructively. There still, however, was an interesting sense of ‘hate’, of ugly connotations and stereotypes. This led me to thinking: why do some people ‘hate’ a salesperson? Is it that clients strongly, vehemently want to meet a real person in business as opposed to a caricatured selling machine? Is it that the role of a salesperson doesn’t command the respect his or her intrinsic skills and attributes deserve?

Before I start campaigning and marching through the streets, sloganeering and chanting with banners aloft, arm in arm with the other hated people. Ask yourself this;

aren't we all basically in the same business development-sales-account management-consultancy-solutions-client strategy-partnerships-political game?

With people in mind, what is our true purpose within our relative organisations then? Is it merely to coldly tick boxes and impersonally rack up numbers? I’d argue it isn’t, especially in light of the above feedback comment. Is it not to understand and connect with our client's’ business, deliver and be accountable for our promises while promoting and growing our own area? Absolutely, but it takes two to tango. Salespeople understand their clients, being understood in return surely forges the best possible road ahead.

Thick skinned, resilient and tenacious

The comment at first cut me real deep, even though rule #1 from our Sales Sensei training at the University of Trickery & Over-promising tells us to be ‘thick skinned, resilient & tenacious’ *insert the rolling-eye emoji here*. It conjured up a level of unwanted prejudice that in turn brings comparisons to bigoted comments I’ve received or heard over the years such as..

“We didn’t really like blacks, but we’ve loved living next door to you” - Received by my mother, 3 years after moving to our new family home in West Yorkshire.

“All Yorkshire men are tight as..” - Such a general statement, that is probably only 74% true

I appreciate that for every great, personable sales professional you’ve encountered there’ll be the counter story of that one time sales-guy X who wouldn't take no for an answer, promised the world and lied, ultimately disappearing into the bright lights of Las Vegas with a bulging swag bag full of commission…..

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

The feedback comment later focused my thinking in two ways. On one hand, I realised that, fair enough, some people don’t inherently trust/value the sometimes skewed concept of a ‘salesperson’. However,the deeper intention of the comment was to highlight the value the commenter placed on 'approachability' and personal connection. Both sides made me think of one key word: respect. Reciprocal, balanced trust and respect.

For example, I was invited to attend a presentation and to holistically represent the division I worked within. The day was excellently chaired by a member of our Business Development team at the time who portrayed all the attributes and skills, which form the basis of why I think, in many instances; “Salespeople” deserve more respect. The good ones often do a combination of the following;

Listening/Research: Often overlooked in sales/business development is the prep-work needed to gift your organisation the chance to deliver a presentation. From effective listening to a deep dive of research, this is what separates a good business development person from a great one. Having the confidence to ask the right and sometimes difficult questions to unearth the basis of a solution.

Design briefing/Creative writing: Imagine writing informative content on behalf of your organisation, that is to be reviewed and scrutinised (as per a journalist), internally and externally. Your brief “Make sure it has all the detail, but make sure it’s not ‘War & Peace’’ either”. Then in addition to this, how can you make your informative piece more engaging? Through a media esq briefing to your graphic designers to create a document or presentation platform that doesn't break brand guidelines, but encompasses a look and feel that your client would appreciate and relate to.  

Confidence & Articulation: Chairing and delivering a presentation requires a skillset akin to that seen in performing arts. A combination of articulation, voice projection, timing and confidence is required to deliver a captivating presentation. Add to this the brain speed of a stand up comic to deal with objections, heckling and questions that take you off the original track.

Know your numbers & legislation: In the above example of effective business development, the ‘salesperson’ not only knew their top-line numbers, they knew their numbers in a formulaic fashion. How they were produced, what they comprised of and the forecast taking into account historic run rates and the impact of legislative increases.

Contract/legalities: Yes, most organisations usually have a legal department, but as a prerequisite of the business development role, it is often the salesperson who has to review the contract, aiming to establish and identify the risk and any ‘show-stoppers’ as early as possible and then provide the legal team with an overview.

Industry insights/knowledge:  Be a subject matter expert, this often entails having the need to be in touch with what is happening within your industry sector. From the trade press, to attending industry events, competitor analysis (what are they doing good or bad, that you can apply/extract from your business proposition).

Invention & innovation: A very wise man once told me, that ideally “to win” you need to match your competition in every field, while having at least one thing they cannot do. A great salesperson can innovate or invent that one thing and then make it a reality through working with internal experts. Engaging/knowledge sharing with suppliers and experts inside and outside your field also evolves your capacity to invent and innovate.

Team-work/Recognition: A Salesperson rarely works alone on a project, a strong salesperson appreciates as well as feeds off input and will often require the support of others to deliver the project. They can influence the small margin between winning and losing by building the right contributory team made up of individuals. They engage with the wider team at the earliest point possible and build a shared vision and strategy that sets the foundation for delivery. A good salesperson will always recognise the part the team played to reach the goal.

What’s next?: That exceptional salesperson is always looking to the future just like a Business Analyst would. Not just reacting to the “now” opportunities. Their pipeline is robust and is based on early identification of projects, not just any organisation that has money, but the correct fit and where the partnerships will be mutually beneficial. Their forecast provides confidence to their colleagues and gives their company a platform to grow and move forward.

The list above demonstrates that being a successful and reputable “salesperson” is not simply about talking the talk, or only one thing. It is more about being “a real genuine human”, a multi-threaded, multi-faceted individual with many strings to their bow. Whether you are a senior school teacher persuading teenagers of the value of their GCSEs, a Barrister pleading a case, a Politician deep in debate or a Doctor listening effectively to their patient, to succeed you too will be using the skills carefully honed by every good salesperson. 

Interestingly enough, there is a rather dated but yet relevant study in 2004 by Spencer Stuart on the backgrounds of CEOs of the S&P 500 companies. There’s a lot of room for interpretation, but a “SalesPerson’s discipline” was one of the top 4 common backgrounds of the CEOs with the other 3 made up of Finance, Marketing and Operations as backgrounds. 

There may not be a dedicated fancy degree or formal qualification required to excel in business development, but I am a firm believer that everyone has the need and ability to sell. I’m sure that list above could go on and that you have your own opinion and experiences of the good the bad and the ugly, but the next time you come across one of us, don’t let the job title scare you and remember it is the attributes and outputs of the individual that matters.

Do you see business development & business growth as an expectation and function of your role?

Feel free to give your opinion on the above and share your great, good, bad or scary experiences of s****.