Selling… selling… selling.

As a practicing sales manager, I believe selling is like just another trade. There are people who are good at it. Then there are people who are bad at it. Lot of them think they are good and the other lot do not know what the purpose of the trade.  Yesterday was a day when I saw two contrasting selling traits and both of these are not advisable.

Pushy sales: I was talking to a real estate company executive. He wanted me to take a call then and there itself. He was rather pushy. What he does not understand is that the more he pushes me, the more I will be scared to make a decision in his favor.

Pleading sales: Later in the day, an old friend ping-ed on a chat session. The conversation opens stating that he has a big target to meet and he has not achieved much. He wants me to buy because he has to achieve his targets. Talking directly about his bad situation, in a conversation after 15 years, he has earned my pity. But more than pity I did not want to do much, because I do not want to buy something when some in a despair is selling.

So what do I think should be the best nature of a sales person?

1.       Patience: This sounds like a heavy word of dinosaur era, but the sun still rises in east and the word stands the test of time. More than anything a sales person should be patient enough to wait for the customer.

2.       Empathize: As a sales person you should read your customer’s mind. Understand how much time he needs to make a decision. Sometimes he needs to convince other decision makers before taking the call. So help him to convince others, in process he will be convinced himself.

3.       Follow-up: All prospects want to be pampered. They want to be followed-up. Period.

4.       Be confident: No prospect wants to go with a suggestion from a meeky individual. They want assurance that they are doing the right job and that’s given from the sales person’s confidence in the solution.

Two hours on working morning!!

This is might be a narration of just one morning, but most of the days are similar.

I wake up at 7:30am. Looks like another fulfilling day. Need to finish my morning ablutions. 8:30 is the call, If I start at 9, I should be at office by 10. 6kms in one hour might be a joke in other cities, but Bangalore is different. With a brush in my mouth, I open the front door to pick paper. I did not see the next door girl studying this morning. Prob her exams are over. Gosh!! People slog so much on things that don’t even matter. Skimming through the headlines… BSY, someone killed and India dooming. Not interested. Look into the mirror, my hair is still oily no need for applying it today. I am not sure if my stubble is gonna disturb people. But this being a Friday and Oh!! … a client call to be attended along with CEO.  I better finish shaving. Gosh… forgot to switch on the geyser.  So what is there next in Mint? Let’s see … Greece woos, Stock dips, Rupee raises, RBI intervention. RBI intervention seems interesting. Why should RBI pump money now? The export import balance. Thanks to MHB (Prof, IISc) for kindling my interest in Economics and making be clear about the fundamentals. By the way where did I keep my green bottle yesterday? Did I fill it before keeping? Let me find it. It’s time for my customary gulping of one litre water to help morning ablutions. Wait I am drinking water so there is one more thing I need to do at this time. I remember the phrase I coined “When drinking morning water, also make the plants drink water”. As fill the mug with water, what is it I see, the puja accessories. It’s been so many days since I chanted the Gayathri mantra. I need to start. What is time now? Grope for mobile.. where did I Leave my mobile.. ok 7:56. Another 30 mins for getting fresh.  8:30 is the call. I do not have time for puja now. Tomorrow is Saturday, let me start tomorrow. I want to do it in more relaxed way and not in hurry. While watering the plants, the tulsi has grown strong and tall. How fulfilling I feel to see efforts shaping up. Ahh … the moss, it just adds a different sheen to the surface. Another 10 days before it fills the entire pot. It should be so good. Where is my bottle? Another gulp. The “Vaamu” (Ajwain plant) has completed died down. It’s bad. I will get a new pot and plant it again. The crotons have more leaves than a month back. Was it because I moved its place or was it because of the rains? Must be my effort, the Gods always put equal effort on anything. Putting some additional water in the pot holders, these are for the pigeons and eagles. I hate those monkeys which come here often. I wonder from where they come. Anyways what time is it? 7:59. I better go.  Where is the towel? I should put this towel for a wash. When was it the last time when it was washed? When Dad was here … no no I washed it after that .. I think it must two weeks back .. no a month back. When did Dad come? Doesn’t matter.  Is the geyser switch on? Ohh .. did I switch it on? Or was it I forgot since yesterday.  No … I am not that forgetful. Aah! .. I remember it was after I brushed my teeth. Or was it after I shaved? Forget it, it’s on and I switched it on this morning. It does not matter when.  Is there a soap? Oh.. the Mysore sandal. The Floral one, Deepa  brought it from Bali is over so fast. I think that’s the way the world works. Thinks you like get done fast, while things you are not interested last more.  The Mysore sandal will last one more week now. What should I buy next? I do not care. Probably I should not buy any. The Lux shower gel, which I got from Singapore still there. Anyways I will think about it later. Is the water hot? It should be its more than 15mins since I finished shaving. Where is the newspaper? BSY, Murder … ok not the main paper. ‘Bangalore times’. Why this so heavy? Oh!! .. it is Friday. Wow then there must new movies released. And Haan!! New eat outs also listed.  Let me check. Priyanka. Don’t know where she gets money from these days. Her last movies was months and months before. Do not remember which one. Was it with Shahid Kapur. Anyways let me go, its already 8:06. 15mins for toilet and shower and then dress up before 8:30.

I come out of bathroom.. what time is it? Oh! 8:28. I am always like this. Taking shower quite leisurely. I could have hurried today and taken a leisure one tomorrow. What do I do now? What time is it? 8:28? Ok let me switch on the laptop. Did I shut yesterday night? Forget it let me find it first? Ahh! Let me dry myself before this boots. Do I put the Reebok or the Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss. Let me hurry. Am I logged into Skype? When did I log out yesterday? What was my last conversation? Was it with Jey? Or Chris? Forget it, let me log in now. Let me sit on the table. Sitting on bed will not give the correct posture. The client has not logged in yet. Wow!! Lucky me…  let me dress up.

What time is it? Where is the mobile? 8:34. Did he come by now? Not yet? How is this possible? Did he forget? I think very less chance. We talked only 10 hours back. He has decided the time. Anyways let me pick my accessories. I need to put this towel  to dry as well. Do I wear a watch today? All the watches have dead battery. I do not need any. Do I take these business cards? I have there email ids. So do not need them today. What was his last email? Yeah, I need to send a proposal to him today. One more thing to do today.  Where is my credit card? I think I left it in wallet yesterday. No its here. Com’on how can you be so forgetful?  Quick need to check if client has pinged. Not yet? How is this possible? Is he stuck somewhere or just waiting for my first move? Let me ping. 8:37.

Gosh he wants to put it off to Tuesday. He could have told me yesterday night itself. I could have better planned. Is this guy really serious or fooling around? He is making me spend so much time, will he sign the deal or enquire and move on? Where will he move on? There is no other good partner than my company. But what if he is not serious and this will not come to signing a deal stage at all? No way. Then why would he ask for the call and all. Why would Chris refer me here? He will come by end of the month.  Where are my shoes ? These are yesterday’s socks. Should I wear them? Remember the itching wearing previous day’s socks. No ways. Let me pick a new pair. A brown or black? Let me wear white. Brown I can wear on Monday with the brown trouser. Do I need to polish my shoes? No external meetings forget it. What time is it? 8:41. Do I eat breakfast here or goto office? Ah. Let me first goto office.  Where are my keys? What should I do in evening? Tarun will get vegetables. I do not to do anything. Devi…. Ahh devi… I need to give her 500 bucks more. She is so reckless these days. Does not come for days, yet she asks more salary. Anyways she does a good work so I do not mind paying.  When do I pay if not today. Tomorrow is Saturday I will pay tomorrow. Do I start jogging tomorrow morning? I also need to do puja. Forget it, let me plan in the evening. Do I take the lift or stairs? I becoming lazy… no lift.

The clothes pressing guy is here today. I need to give money. How much was it? Do I tell him to improve upon the way the clothes are pressed. Last two times he was better. Let me tell him next time.

What time is it? 8:46. This security guard is better than the previous guy. He smiles every day in morning.  I wonder where is he from? They work so hard. They never seem to go home anytime. Anyways where are my sunglasses?

The traffic is so slow. Getting bored. Do I need to call anyone now? No officials calls. Do I need to call Dad? No let me call in evening. I can then talk about their travel as well. Ramesh. Its been so many days since I talked to him. He will feel bad. And my bhabhi too. Let me call them in evening. Jayanth. So many days since I spoke to him. I will call him also in evening. Murali. I did not speak to him properly last two times. So let me talk to him properly in evening. Wait I think he said he will come in evening. I will talk to him face to face in evening.  This red light takes too long. That silver swift where is he trying to squeeze. Some people do not have traffic sense. They are in a perpetual hurry.

This signal takes so long. But I am opposite the SBI Atm, so I think I should be clear in next green light. Whenever I was opposite this, I clear the signal the first time. Hopefully it should not take long. That women is looking hot. Wow!! Some women are really made hot. Just Look at her, she is so traditional in sari but her figure is just fine. She would be really pretty in her college days. Where does this bike want to go? Is there enough place for him? The two wheelers are real pain. What time is it? 9:03. I will be in office by 9:40. Will have breakfast immediately. I am feeling so hungry these days. Do not know why? It might be because of the long and tiring working hours.

Thank God this is a short signal and I am in right lane. That’s the best part of Bangalore. Be in the correct lane and you will have a smooth ride. The red car in Hyderabad, he overtook me from left and went right. That’s why Hyderabad traffic is so pathetic. What’s the use of the big wide roads when people do not have traffic sense. Is it the other way? The big wide roads, made people lose traffic sense. Anyways where is my Blackberry? Any calls? Airtel is an idiot, he did not activate the services yet. Do I play FM? There will be too many ads. Let me not. Do I play the CD? I have heard those songs so many a time. Let me try FM. I will switch off when ads come. What this a big strand of hair in the front seat? Whose can be it? It’s been so many days since a girl sat in the front seat. When was it? Was it meenu? I do not remember. It’s been so many days and yet I find a big strand of hair? Who has done this? Was it the car cleaning guy? He must have made my car his bed-room. Got someone in. Wait. I did not give him the car key. He cannot get in. This fat police man, he never knows how to control the traffic. He always messes up with the way he handles. Let me squeeze before the Verna comes in.  Today seems to be pretty easy on traffic. Was it because I started early? No I start every day at this time. That client, he made me hurry things. I need to check if he is genuinely interested or wailing time when I talk to him on Tuesday. The traffic seems to be light because I am getting green at all posts. Whose hair strand is that? There was no girl in my car for more than five months now. I should have breakfast feeling really hungry. 

What time is it? 9:37. Good reached a bit early than expected. Today’s afternoon call is important. Wow the whole parking lot seems empty. Which one do i pick? I need to set the expectations right with client in the call in afternoon. Let me take the third one. I will leave the first one for big cars. I get it…. It is JP, its him .. he has a long strand of hair. Its him!! It his pony tail!! Let me park fast, go up and check with him what happened about the proposal we need to send, after all he came in my car for that meeting!!