Becoming a super salesperson - Part

1

By Bill Blades William Blades, LLC Gold Canvon.

(2) Over SOVo of clients make their vendor selection because they like, trust and respect the salesperson. Ask yourself what you are doing to get prospective clients to like, trust and respect you. You have to eiln a great reputation as a leader or else you will be stuck in the role of selling something, to somebody, at a price. That's not a profession, but a boring job.

(7) Winners understand they can't be status quo. They know that they will never arrive. Even if you become the best in the world, you can't remain the best if you start feeling and acting as if "I have arrived." No matter how good you are today, you can be 25Vo better in 90 days. And over 90Vo of all the sales representatives I have worked with could become 5OVo better-yes, 507o better. Grow or perish.

(8) Those who are serious about their profession become certified. Sales people are like consultants in that only one in about 25,000 become certified. I'm certified in both of my professions, a CMC and CPS after my name means that I have earned them-and I earn more. My two big needs are money and oxygen, and designations bring me more of one of them. Earn yours.

(9) Don't be a salesperson-be a fantastic business person. Fridays are a great day to be such a person. I suggest you forget about making sales calls on most Friday afternoons. How many visits can you make between 1:00 and 5:00? One? Two? Work at your desk instead.

ERHAPS l%o to 2Vo of all sales personnel can be classified as great.

Shocking? It shouldn't be, because most corporations hire salespeople who have never been trained, educated or held accountable for greatness. Then after being hired, most are not trained and educated. And then one of them is later named vice president of sales-without any skills or training to be a great vice president of sales. The cycle goes on, resulting in lower sales and margins than could be achieved.

Individuals wanting to be in the top 27o take charge of their own destiny. How?

(1) They work harder on themselves than they do for their employer. Who wins with this philosophy? The individual, the clients and the employer. Most industry representatives do not read every trade magazine in their industry. Read. Be an expert. I read over 400 trade magazines monthly. Clients don't want to deal with a salesperson who has gone stale. Don't just read magazines in your industry. Read magazines from other industries to help you get out ofyour box. They are usually free. If you don't read, you don't grow.

(3) Are you a giver? Do you give more of yourself to your clients and employer that anyone else does? The top 2Vo do. If you receive more gifts from clients than you give out, you're in the top 27o. If you pay for golf every time, you're not. You have to give a lot to get a lot.

Ifyou are not in the habit ofgiving, the next time you exit a toll booth, pay for the person behind you. And don't Iet them catch up to you to see who you are. It drives them nuts.

(4) Think of and for clients at all times. Don't just read for your personal benefit. Read with the eyes of a "servancy business person." If you see an article that would be interesting and beneficial for a client, send it to them so they will find you to be interesting and beneficial.

(5) Be a value-added sales professional. Figure out how you will provide unheard-of services that no one else offers.

(6) Be more creative. Always think and act on this question: "What am I going to do to make this the best sales visit they have ever seen?" Creativity (emotion) beats logic (technical) almost every time in sales. Win them over emotionally first followed by the details later.

Mail 15 postcards, make 15 phone calls, and get organized. Once a month, invest a full day at your desk and mail 25 postcards, make 25 phone calls, and act on every item in this article. Beats three or four prospect and service visits almost every time.

(10) Be a leader in your association. Be a good speaker, serve on a committee orland run for an office. The message is: don't do what 98Vo do, which is to just show up at the

Don't be a salesperson

-be a fantastic business person.

convention or trade shows. Most trade show booths look just like they did the year before. Most advertisements look like they did the year before. Prepare now to be different at next year's show. You will gain respect.

Next month I'll share 10 more activities that the top 2Vo of sales performers do-and do well.

*ales ,..

California Do it Center, Hemet, Ca., has closed

Thompson Building M aterials has ren0vated its E.R. Strong Bui[ding Materials yard in O*rng+, Cfli, to increase its retail.facus

Payless Cashwaysplans to opn a store in Tempe, Az., and move its Hq. from Kansas City to Lee's Summit, Mn. ..

Ganahl Lumber held a grand opening celebration for its new building at its Los Alamitos, Ca., yard ...

Tynan Lumber has closed its Kin! City, Ca., branch ...

Arrow Lumber & True Vnlue H ardwa re, Buckley, Wa., anticipated a July I opening; Shawn Roehr, mgr-...

Nayward Lumber has closed its Hollister, Ca., lineyard

Coastal Farm & Home Supply, Albany, Or., received the go-ahead to begin work on a 5,000-sq. ft. garden center and the first of two '50,000-sq. ft. retail buildings ...

True Value Hardware, Smokey Point, Wa., is closing due to big box competition .., -

Canby Builder's Supply, Canby, Or., is building a 42,000-sq. ft. building set for a Sept. finish

Home Depot opens new Expo Design Centers July22 in Huntington Beach and Monrovia, Ca.; new home centers July 22 in Eabt Palo Alto, Ca., and Vancouver, Wa., and July I in West Relo, Nv., and a replacement store July I on E. Thomas Rd. in Phosnix, Az.

Home Depot has targeted tho San Francisco Bay Area and Orange County, Ca., for the "first wave" of its massive expansion in the West of Expos; as many as six different sites are currently under review in San Frmbco and plans for a 95,00Gsq. ft. Expo in Laguna Niguel, Ca., received planning commrssion approvd ..,

Home Depot has begun construction on a I I1,555-sq. ft. store with 24,000-sq. ft. outdoor center in Whittier, Ca., to open late this year; hopes to convert the vacant Schlage lnck Co. property in San Francisco, Ca., into a unit, and is negotiating to buy a site in Glendora, Ca.

Lcwe's will open a 150,000-sq. ft. superstore early next year on 13 acres in Palmdale, Ca.; received preliminary planning commission approval to add a 135,000-sq. ft. home center with 21,000-sq. ft. garden center in Redlands, Ca., and is eyeing a site in Mis*ion Valley (San Diego), Ca.

Truitt & White' I-anber, Berkeley, Ca., plans to sell its inventory-access software through spin-off company Softwood Inc.

National Wood Flooring Association honored Michael Palembas Hardwood Floors, Escondido, Ca., in three categories including 1999 Floor of the Year-Expert Division and gave DM Hardwood Floors, Mission Viejo, Ca., a Member's Choice award

Wr or :snrrs/illrurltru nrns

Louisiana-Paciftc agreed to pay $408 million for Montreal-based Le Groupe Forex /nc., North America's 4th largest OSB producer with three OSB plants and two sawmills ... L-P will spnd $3 million on the first phase of a sevenyear plan to modernize its Chilco, Id., sawmill and Saa*gtint, Id., finishing plant

Boston Cedar & rtilillwork has f_ormed Boston Pacific, Redding, Ca., with Rich Stolz serving as presider:t of the new *ubsidiary-...

Ace Hardware Corp. agreed to merge its Acc IBM division with Builder MarB $ America to create the nati-o_n-'s largest non-cooperative LBll4€ing gro+rp ...

C@nai ftnUer Products is t new Yrkkialer in Coeur d'Ale,nc, Id., staffed by Carl Hill, Tom Hson, Steve Plummer and Mark Swenson

OrePac Building Products has purchased the assets of Rugby Building Supply, Kent, Wa., merging its operations into its Tacoma, Wa., operations; former Rugby employecs havo joined OrePac to form an industrial products div. Mendocino Forest Products is converting its Willits, Ca., sawmill to tanoak production

McKillican International, Edmonton, Alb+rta, opened DC #16 in Portland, Or. ... ^

Continental Timbcr moved to new Coeur d'Alene, Id., offices Channel Forest Products, Springfield, Or., is no longer in Duslness... ':= : tS.i. Timberlands Co. affiliate U.S. Timberlands Yakima, L-L.C. *greed to huy 56,000 acres of timberland in central Washington from Baise Cascade for aboui$60 million in cash ...

Georgie-Pacific's Timber Co. *r:bridi*ry is exploring options for the sale of its 196,000 acres of timberland in California ...

North Pacific Group, Portland, Or., added a new division in St. Petersburg Beach, Fl. ...

Willamette Industries, Portland, Or., agreed to purchase French particleboard firmDarbo SA

Western Wood Preserving Co., Sumner, W,a, added its 3rd truck, a 1999 Kenworth tractor

A*riversari es: Simpson StrongTie Co., Fleasanton, Ca., 85th ... 3-C Trucking, Long Beach, Ca., 21st

N** W"a site: .I.F/. Baxter, San Matea, Ca., wwwjhbaxter.com

Housing startt in May (latest F figs.) climbed6Vo to an annual rate of 1.676 million single family starts surged I37o, multifamily were at a 238,000 rate for 5+ units and 29,000 for 2-4 units ... perntits rose lTo to a 1.586 million raE

(Please tum to p. 25)