CHAPTER 1
Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.
—Albert Einstein
This might sound a bit corny and a tad smarmy, but to be a good peddler you need to have the right ’tude, baby. If you have a good one, it’s a lovely day. If you have a bad one, the world sucks. It’s pretty much that simple. Think about it.
Anyone with the right attitude can sell. Not because that’s all they
need, but because they can learn everything else. They can learn the
sales process, they can learn the product, they can learn how to build relationships with prospects and customers. But the wrong attitude, well, that can kill you from the get go!
It is a peddler’s prerogative to wake up every single morning knowing that a good attitude will change the world and a bad attitude
will really kill your quarter. |
 Before we go any further, drum
this into your peddler head: We
convey our attitudes by our
actions and behavior. Do
you say hello to coworkers and ask them how
they are, or do you
grunt and hurry past
or ignore them completely? You are
probably known as
having a friendly attitude if
you do the former and an unfriendly attitude if you do the latter.
Each of us develops attitudes about most things in our lives, from
holidays to Hip Hop and everything in between. In this chapter, when
I talk about attitude, I mean your attitude toward peddling. Do you
love it? Do you hate it? Do you have answers to these questions?
I’m not going to sugarcoat this: If you don’t love selling, if your
heart isn’t in it, there is no way in hell you are going to be a great peddler. That, my friend, is the long and the short of it.
Go ahead. Right now. Ask yourself: Is my heart in this peddling gig?
When you do, what you are really asking yourself is: Do I have a passion to sell? Do I have a passion for the peddling life?
Passion is what pulls us through the difficult times. If you have a
passion for your work, you can do what you need to do, day in and
day out, no matter how hard it is. You see hurdles as par for the
course and roadblocks as gateways to opportunities. Nothing gets
you down (well, not for more than a day or so) or deters you from
your goal.
What many folks don’t realize is that selling is hard work, so you
have to have a passion for it. You are an army of one, out in the field,
living by your wits. You gotta love it or leave it.
So sit yourself down for a friendly but honest chat, and figure out
where your passion lies today. Perhaps you did love selling, but lately
find your enthusiasm waning. It happens. But now you must ask yourself why, and if there’s something you can change to get back in
the groove. If so, do it! If not, move on. Do something you are passionate about for criminy’s sake!
On the other hand, maybe you never loved selling and are doing
it for the wrong reasons, the most common one being money. Money
can be a great motivator—but usually, only for so long. Ask yourself
this: If you were not making a lot of money would you still be selling? If the answer is no, you are in the wrong profession. Now that
we got that out in the open, accept it and follow your heart.
Your heart is the most difficult thing for you to control. Almost all
attempts are frivolous. The primal forces in your heart are much
stronger than the thoughts in your head. I don’t want to get into a
philosophical debate of the power of the head versus the power of the
heart, or logic versus emotion, but to me the ultimate confrontation
is man’s basic nature versus man’s basic intellect. I think of the heart
as nature, and the head as intellect. We think we can tame nature, we
think we can control nature. But when nature exercises its true power,
intellect is but a leaf in the wind. As Mr. Tom Waits (the famous song
writer) says, “You can drive out nature with a pitch fork, but it
always comes roaring back again.”
This is why you must find out if your heart is in selling. If it’s not,
it will thwart your success at every turn. If it is, you are unstoppable.
Some forces can’t be reckoned with. There is no stopping a great attitude fueled by a strong passion.
The cool thing about asking your heart a question is it doesn’t lie.
It always gives you a straight-up answer. This is unlike the head,
which can spin you silly. The head will effortlessly concoct a rational
for us to carry out whatever folly we are considering.
Some of us listen to the head, because we believe the rationale it
dishes out. We think the head knows better than the heart. “If my
head is telling me I can do this, I can do it.” Wrong! First, check your
heart. If it’s in the game, then check your head.
There are a few peddlers who can truly sell anything. Sneakers, satellites, sailboats—you name it, they can sell it. These folks are rare
birds.
Most peddlers should sell products that are related to their interests, education, or experience, and for which they have an aptitude.
Products that they can wrap their minds around. Products that they
find compelling. The reason is that when a product engages us, we are
willing to take the time to learn all the ins and outs of how it works,
who buys it, and why. We see its great features and benefits, and we
find workarounds for its shortcomings. We are willing to spend the
time showing others how it can help them.
I call this having your head in the game. If you can’t do this, if you
can’t take a product and make it yours, you don’t have a prayer. You
may even get hurt.
“OK, guys, let’s keep our heads in the game!”
I have heard this for as long as I can remember. My father
yelled it at the Red Sox on TV. My coaches screamed it at me and
my teammates. But I was about eight before I figured out what it
really meant.
It’s a warm summer night and I’m playing baseball on a farm
team. I’m scanning the bases when I notice that my buddy over in
center field is off in la la land, ignoring the game, watching the
world go by. Before I can get his attention, the batter hits a fly ball
to center field.
Like any good left fielder should do, I run my tail off to back
him up. I’m hoping to prevent an inside-the-park home run when
I see the ball sail within an inch of his head. As I grab the ball, I
think, “Whoa! That could have been ugly! I need to get my buddy
to focus on every pitch. He needs to anticipate his next move if the
batter hits the ball to him. He needs to get his head in the game.”
At that instant, the meaning became crystal clear.
It also became clear that not having your head in the game can
result in needless errors, if not serious injuries.
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If your product doesn’t grab you and hold your attention, if you
can’t grasp how it works, if you can’t for the life of you understand
why anyone would buy it, you won’t be able to keep your head in the
game. You won’t be able to stay focused on your deals, laying the
groundwork, anticipating prospects’ objections, providing answers,
and moving your deal to the next step.
The net-net is this: To have a great attitude, your head has to be
in it, too. So if your heart says, “Hell, yes! I’m in!” then check your
head to figure out what you should be selling.
There is an epic battle that rages daily on any given topic between
your heart’s primal emotions and your head’s logical thinking that
can confuse the hell out of you. When it comes to peddling, it often
goes something like this:
Head: You can sell.
Heart: I’m not so sure about that.
Head: Yes you can. You know the product backwards and forwards.
You know who needs it. You’re good with customers. You can
sell!
Heart: Talking with people who already have the product—that’s one thing. Talking people into buying the product—that’s a
whole other kettle of fish.
Head: Hey, it’s no big deal. The worse they can say is no.
Heart: Exactly!
Head: It’s nothing personal!
Heart: It is when you work really hard on a deal, do everything
right, go the extra mile and, in the end, the prospect just says
no.
Head: Think of the money you’ll make.
Heart: Yeah, WHEN a deal goes through, which makes it doubly
hard when a customer says no. I’ve got a mortgage to pay
and two kids to put through college.
When your heart and your head start wrestling for control, it’s
often difficult to know which to listen to. Here’s a tip: Don’t listen to your head. Find something that really floats your boat, that makes
your heart sing. Don’t worry, I’ll send you a refund. Hey, wait a
minute! I just helped you change your life. You should pay memd! 25
smackers, please. Ya, that’s the ticket! My heart almost got in the way
of my head for a minute.
I am not a pop-shrink, counterculture, shaman dude, but I can tell
you this: If you choose to sell, you better have done some deep thinking about where your heart is and where your head is. If you choose
to be a peddler without having done some righteous thinking, it will
be obvious through your behavior and actions.
It is a peddler’s prerogative to make it obvious through behavior and
actions that he or she loves peddling and enjoys all things sales. Joy is
contagious and makes everything better. |
Peddlers whose hearts and heads are into selling tend to do all the
right things. They treat customers and coworkers with respect. They
put their customers first. They help customers solve problems rather
than sell customers products. They find a way to do what’s right for
their customers and their companies. And that’s just for starters. Such
behavior and actions convey an attitude that creates some pretty irresistible vibes.
Behavior and actions do not automatically follow the lead of the
heart and the head, however. Such is the case when we let ourselves
be distracted by life’s temptations. We stay up late, sleep in, and roll
into work long after we should. We spend time shooting the breeze or
surfing the Internet when we should be making calls. We do minimal
prep for meetings, wing presentations, and let follow-up calls slide so
we can be out by 5:00.
There are a load of bad behaviors and actions that convey the
wrong attitude. You need to guard against them.
I am consulting for a start-up, assessing its business strategy and
tactics. As I sit in on meetings, learn about the company’s products
and markets, and analyze the sales process, I start to bump heads
with a senior sales guy who seems to have a cavalier attitude.
Now, I’m a big fan of taking life’s ups and downs in stride, and
I have learned that it doesn’t pay to sweat the small stuff. But this
company has serious issues to deal with and the clock is ticking.
Yet, nothing seems to faze this guy despite his being a stock
holder. It is frustrating everyone, but especially me.
I decide to talk with him about the deals we’re doing, why
they are not good for the company, and how that’s causing delivery problems.
“My job is to sell the product,” he tells me, “not deliver it.”
“But we can’t deliver on the type of deals you’re doing. We
don’t have the resources.”
“That isn’t my problem.”
“It is if you want to keep these customers. If we don’t deliver,
do you think you’re going to get another order from them?”
“Do I look like I have trouble selling these products? I’m one of
the top reps. I can always find customers.”
I can see my attitude and his attitude are on a collision course,
and I try to head it off. Over the next couple of weeks, I engage him in several conversations. I explain that it is not just about him making money, it
is about building a reputable company—a company that customers buy from again and again, that honors its commitments
and makes a profit, that has a long list of happy customers to call
for references. And on and on. His responses range from a laugh
to a shrug, and I leave even more frustrated.
Then, one day, we are in a meeting discussing our perennial
problems of overextended resources and an underwhelming forecast There is no solution in sight when, out of the blue, this peddler makes an impassioned, cogent, lucid summary of what he
sees as the issues and problems. I mean, he is loud, strong, confident, and serious. And his insights and suggestions are right on
the money.
As he speaks, everyone listens and nods in agreement, especially me. I am extremely proud, because finally he is putting a
stake in the ground. He is saying what is on his mind and in his
heart. He is taking what he does seriously.
Then, in the weeks that follow, he begins to change his behavior and actions—how he sells to prospects and customers, ensuring the company does the right thing—and goes on to lead the
company out of a serious sales jam.
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The moral: It’s not enough to have a passion for selling and a
product you can call your own. You must also behave and act as a
good peddler would.
Here is a big surprise for all of you hyped-up, trumped-up, megalomaniac peddlers out there: It is the reflection of your attitude that is
stored inside the little cubbyhole each person creates for everyone
they meet. It is not your can-do approach. It is not how much you
know. What is forever etched inside their consciousnesses is how your
attitude made them feel. Whoa!
Let me give you a little example. It’s 8:45 A.M. and our peddler is
in high gear having been in the office since 7:00. It’s her only day in
the office this week and she has a lot to do and many people to see,
starting with Bill.
Peddler: I’m here to see Bill.
Assistant: He’s on the phone. Why don’t you have a seat and . .
Peddler: I can’t wait. I set up an appointment to see him at 9:00. I
need to see him now. You’ll have to interrupt him.
Assistant: I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.
Bill’s assistant could probably help our peddler, but when she came
in on the attack, the assistant went on the defense. If the peddler had
stopped, taken a deep breath, and then approached the assistant, the
exchange may have gone something like this:
Peddler: Good Morning. How are you today? Sorry to bother you,
but can you help me? I have to go into a meeting in 15
minutes, and I have to see Bill before I do or I’m not going to have what I need. I told him I’d stop by about 9:00
this morning. Can you do me a favor and see if he’s free
for a moment?
Assistant: He’s on the phone, but I’ll interrupt him.
Peddler: Thanks. I really appreciate it. I owe ya one!
 Even more importantly, the next time this peddler shows up, the assistant will be inclined to help again, because she was treated with
respect rather than as a barrier to be moved aside.
This is nothing new to many of us peddlers, but we get so caught up in our daily
battles that we slide right out of human
mode and into 800-pound gorilla mode.
We start our day running up hills,
dodging bullets, lobbing
hand grenades, and
attacking machine
gun nests. Barging
in and making
demands seems
perfectly fitting.
Only the folks we meet
have no notion of our struggles
and assume we should go about our day much as they go about
theirs. In this environment, a hard-charging, aggressive attitude can
wreak mayhem and destruction. (Oh, geesh, do I know that!)
Not everyone is wired to leave the safety of their foxholes, join the
charge, and take the hill. It is your prerogative to shield your scary,
Rambo peddler side from animals, children, and the elderly. |
Consciously moderating our behavior and actions to reflect the
right attitude to all those we meet—coworkers, prospects, cus
tomers—is something peddlers must work on everyday until it
becomes rote. Read on, my friend.
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