What happened to Herb Tarlek?
Herb Tarlek was the quintessential sales "guy". He wore white shoes and a white belt. He wore plaid pants with plaid sports coats and a patterned tie!! He had a line for everything and he thought he was a "ladies man". He was the one salesman that gave salespeople a bad name. He was slick and he was sleazy. He was a sales guy at a time when sales people were pushy and manipulative.
What Happened?
Once the Internet arrived our customers had access to all the knowledge and information they needed to begin to make better-informed decisions in their business. They had access to blogs and knowledge about your organization and your products. They had access to groups of like-minded peers and could compare their experiences. Now they knew as much or more than their sales person. What did that mean? It meant that as a salesperson you now had to become more focused on what is important to your customers. You are no longer "the" expert. You now had to become a partner and ally for your customers and share in the expertise. You must now understand what the business issues are for your customers and what value to bring or create for your customer in order for them to achieve their business goals. That is what now makes you an expert.
The demographic of the workforce also changed. Half of the work force is made up of women and a Herb Tarlek attitude was not working. Women were also becoming sales people and in many cases were better sales people than men. They listen and manage the customer's needs to help their customer achieve the business goals they have. We also work in a global economy and interact with people of all types of race, religion and creed. It now means as a sales person that you need to be aware and sensitive to all that is going on around you and in the interactions you are having with clients and prospects.
What replaced Herb?
Herb has been replaced by people who are more professional, who understand their customers' business, who ask thought provoking questions, who listen to and qualify what is heard and then work to create a solution that is best for the customer and their own company. They provide solutions, they provide advice, they pushback and most importantly they provide value. And they do this with an attitude that does what it takes to make things happen and to have fun doing so.
Sales is becoming the next occupation that will be recognized as a profession. There are more and more postgraduate schools that are beginning to have sales courses and certification. There are more organizations that are beginning to certify sales people and create a forum for employers and employees to create a way of making sure that the "Herb Tarlek" effect is minimized. They are creating a gold standard for the sales profession, which will raise the status of sales people.
Why are sales people important?
We are seeing more and more business going to the Internet to sell products. The Internet is being based more and more on free. Free information and free service. It is a model that is gaining more and more momentum. Be aware of this. If your product or service is becoming more and more a commodity and there is no value, then you run the risk of losing the business to an Internet site with a call centre somewhere in the world with inexpensive and qualified labour.
The value you create is that which you bring to your customer both in understanding their requirements and in how you create success for their business. As long as you can create a measurable value and are in service to your customers there will be a role for sales people. If you rely on price and that is your only strategy and negotiation tool then be prepared to lose more and more margin and more and more
opportunities.
Sayers Says.........
Does your wardrobe contain white belts and shoes and plaid jackets? What is it that you are doing to provide value for your customers? What is your strategy with clients and prospects that doesn't make you a commodity? How are you being of service to your clients and how do they experience the value you provide? What happened to Herb Tarlek?
Bill Sayers is an inspirational speaker and a visionary business leader. He has spent the past 29 years in the "Sales" arena. He started his career as an inside sales rep and worked his way up the corporate ladder to the level of VP of Sales at an IBM company. During that time he worked for Revelstoke Lumber, King Products, Linotype, Ryder Transportation, GE Capital IT Solutions and IBM.
Bill is able to communicate powerful concepts in a manner, which enables practical application in the business world and drives profitable results for his clients. His goal is to help sales people ignite their passion for the game of sales.
Passion - Process - Performance www.thesayersgroup.com
