Many times, a positive or negative first impression can be hard to overcome—in business or in life in general. For my part, back in the late ’70s, I can honestly say that my first sales experience was not very positive.
After completing basic sales training with the Burroughs Corporation, my branch manager assigned me a sales territory in Brooklyn, NY. The territory included Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York, Brownsville, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg. Today, most of these areas have been re-gentrified, upgraded, and are now desirable places to live. Back in the late ’70s, however, it was quite a different story. Many of the buildings were dilapidated, in poor repair, and, quite frankly, had dogs guarding the entrances. The small businesses that occupied these buildings were supposedly my prospects. To be honest, it was not the safest place to walk around knocking on doors.
So here I was in my three-piece suit, knocking on doors and attempting to speak with the owner in hopes of selling a high-end calculator or mini-computer. Adding to the challenge, I had no business listings indicating what type of companies occupied the buildings—and certainly no contact information for owners or decision-makers. I essentially parked my Honda Civic on the street, grabbed my briefcase loaded with brochures, and blindly started knocking on doors, representing a product that very few businesses wanted or needed.
This scenario was true for all the entry-level sales reps in the office. No leads, no business names, no contact info. The branch manager would walk into the sales bullpen at 8:30 a.m. and tell us all to get out of the office, get into our cars, and drive to our territories. And, by the way, he wanted us all back in the office at 5 p.m. to check in. Honestly, several times a week we left the office and met for breakfast at a local diner. This is what four years of college with a business degree in marketing got me—not an ideal first sales experience. The only silver lining was the relationships I built with several of the sales folks I worked with at that branch. Some I still stay in contact with.
Thankfully, I didn’t throw in the towel on professional sales. I believed there had to be a better opportunity out there. My father came across an ad in The New York Times for a sales position representing Telex Computer Products (yes, I was still living at home). Telex sold IBM-compatible devices. Without getting too technical, the products attached directly to IBM mainframe computers—displays, printers, tape drives, and disk drives.
I had a telephone interview with the regional sales manager, Frank. He was very professional and polite but essentially told me I was not qualified for the job. He was looking for a seasoned sales executive who had worked in the industry for IBM or a competitor, preferably with existing relationships with major IBM accounts in the New York area. I had none of those qualifications.
To make a long story short, I stayed in contact with Frank for several months. I met with him twice in person, and over the course of almost a year, he decided to give me an opportunity. He was very unhappy with his current New York rep and figured he would give this young, energetic guy a shot. This was an amazing break. My territory was the five boroughs of New York City and all of Long Island.
Although this was a daunting task, I had several advantages that I lacked at Burroughs. First and foremost, I was provided with a list of IBM mainframe accounts in my territory, complete with contact names and phone numbers. These were not qualified leads, but at least they gave me a starting point. I was able to set up appointments via telephone rather than knocking on doors blindly. Secondly, I had a product that was actually in demand. Third, I had access to other sales executives at Telex who I could call for advice, since I had never sold in the IBM mainframe arena. The sales reps took me under their wing and taught me how to be a professional sales executive. Don’t underestimate the value of having a mentor. A generous expense account allowed me to entertain prospects and build relationships as well.
The reason I’m sharing my story is this: where you land is important. You may thrive in one environment and fail in another. Culture, management style, the product you represent, and the support system all matter. If you are energized about the product or service you represent and have the backing of your management, you have a great chance of succeeding. You become excited to go to work and share the good news of how you can add value to your customers and prospects. It will be evident in your presentations and conversations. Representing a product you are not passionate about is not a recipe for success.
I like to use a football analogy to drive home this point. We have all seen quarterbacks fail in one organization and then succeed in another. On the surface, it doesn’t seem to make sense. He has the same physical skill set, correct? So what changed? The culture, the coaching, and the infrastructure—the organization—around him. His skill set is the same, but he has now landed in the right environment that allows him to succeed.
The same is true in sales. Find the right company, the right product, and the right culture, and your chances of success will be high. It’s your career. Be smart about where you land!
Universal Sales Truth #1
Surround yourself with successful people of integrity
Proverbs 28:26
If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure;
real survivors learn wisdom from others