On rainy days, like today and also between Tuesday and Thursday it's time for doing sales and cold calls. All of us have to do this, so as a main profession and some entrepreneurs just to get new projects and yes, sometimes I hate it to call people I do not know and tell them something about they don't want to hear because it's boring-selling-bullshit, its not the IPhone killer product or the flying-electric-solar-car for 5.000 $.
You all know this situations, especially if you work in insurance, banking or headhunting industry. "Hello my name is Thomas, I am from BREADHUNTER and want to talk with you about HR and finding the right people for your company." "Mhmm, wow great, never heard about that, what is it exactly?" - this answer you never get and if your name is Brad or Branda or Peter or Stephen and you sell hedge funds, print ads, cars, insurances for the house or a special banking product with 0.5 % interest you are in the same boat.
So am I an introvert or extrovert in sales and marketing?
I think I am both, a social media extrovert and bookworm and a cold calling introvert in sales, but sometimes you have to force yourself to change the rolls. 🤓😉 If you do something you hate you are grown after it. 🤓👍🏻 As an strategist and innovator you hate selling always the same bullshit which is not innovative for you (maybe for others) or talk endless about digitalization, future of work, transformation, the best recruiting recipe, bla bla, you like more to do it silent, but effective with a solution and no fake facts and figures.
I admire people who can sell boring things with an enthusiastic feeling about it to others and sometimes I wonder if they are Alzheimer patients calling everyday people and ask them: Have you heard about headhunting, insurances, new hedge funds, banking, new washing machine, ironing, ... I have here something for you.
"Wow, great, really? Never heard about." - Yes sometimes I am not sure if you don't get brain dead with such a behavior.
Maybe sales it's in the end also more about the 2 voices talking to each other and find each other likable than the product and, yes ok, in the end you help each other as client and salesmen, because you solve together each others problem. The client gets a new employee or lawn mower ;-) or both and the headhunter gets a new project.
The point is, that I think sales is a bit like education or reading, you like it or you hate it, but both is necessary. Some people hate reading, but are forced by school or university to it and in the end they had a learning experience with more knowledge and if you hate sales and made the cold call and got the new project, it has the same effect, because you made it. So therefore it's important to get out of the comfort zone and do everyday something you don't like, but which has an positive impact that moves you forward. Yes, business is about building client relations, I know, but if you don't start it, you will never get it. Building relations does not come from heaven, its hard work, but with empathy and not being a meat fly visiting or calling clients every week.
Good morning from Vienna and I hope you have Alzheimer, when I call you next time and ask: "Have you ever heard about headhunting and finding the right employees for your company?" -
I expect, that your next answer is: "NO! Wow, interesting, what it is? Where can I buy that?" :-p
Picture Source: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/330451691380825130/ and The New Yorker, cartoonbank.com