Lack of professionalism in Sales: a rant

[bajabum]

I bet it wasn't price, even if Dave's Tractor offered the best price. Am I wrong?

I'd read numerous posts by Dave here at TBN, Liked what I was reading, and stopped by on my way up to Oregan last November.
He sells mostly Mahindra, and the occasional Branson.
Heckofa guy, neat operation, HAPPY CREW and darn good prices!

( I got a 2013 Branson 2400H with a FEL (SL00) and a backhoe (BH66) for $17K )

Dave is a modest guy, so I'm tooting his horn a bit for him...

(( He ships all over the west, I think))

 

[MoMower]

Was searching between Massy and Mahindra, Mahindra salesmen lost a sale when he couldn't remember from Sat to Mon what he had quoted for price. Massey dealer got the sale because he knew what he was talking about from one conversation to the next and the story didn't change.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Agriculture with a minor in machinery.

I had no idea there were minors in machinery. Cool! Is the program something like a blend of four year BS in Ag combined with a trade school-like hands-on minor?

 

[chopped]

Just wanted to comment on the posting that I read it all, it kept my interest and I could relate..Wish I could write that well. Usually i get to upset and fidgit.

 

[smstonypoint]

I had no idea there were minors in machinery. Cool! Is the program something like a blend of four year BS in Ag combined with a trade school-like hands-on minor?

I don't know what degree the poster obtained, but Clemson offers a BS degree in Agricultural Mechanization and Business.

The Agricultural Mechanization and Business (AGM) curriculum provides a sound educational experience based upon relevant technologies and basic business education necessary for success in modern agri-industrial careers.

This unique combination produces graduates qualified to pursue a broad array of career opportunities extending far beyond the agribusiness arena to many related and similar business/industrial endeavors. For example, expertise and knowledge of hydraulic systems qualifies the graduate for agricultural machinery and for heavy earthmoving and other industrial equipment.

Graduates from the program can pursue careers in many different professions: government regulation, irrigation, agricultural chemicals, construction or agricultural machinery sales and marketing, soil and water conservation, agricultural seeds and fertilizers, precision agriculture, and corporate or family farm management. It is obvious that AGM is not an inclusive name for a program with such diverse fields of application.

Agricultural Mechanization and Business : College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences : Clemson University : South Carolina

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I don't know what degree the poster obtained, but Clemson offers a BS degree in Agricultural Mechanization and Business.

Interesting. It has been years since I was hiring people and looking at resumes and I was in a different industry as well, but I'm interested in schools that are commingling college educations with the theory and hands-on training of trade schools because we have a series lack of skilled tradesman and an overabundance of college graduates in this country right now.

College promised my generation to teach us how to work smart, not hard and led to way too many people sending their kids to college instead of trade school. Suddenly, every company in America is complaining about the skills gap and their demand for workers who can not only work smart, but also work hard.

Anyway, the skills gap issue is somewhat off topic to my rant about a lack of professionalism.

What I can say from my own tenure as a business owner and sales manager is the requirement for college graduates for sales positions isn't necessarily the answer because college didn't prepare workers in the capacity to sell. What it really came down to was the person's internal drive, not their education: the sales person had to be able be chatty, be able to shut up and listen so they could empathize with the customers' situation and needs, and then be able to follow through.

While a college education raised the level of formal, written communication and provided a broader basis of education, as a sales manager, I made myself available to those workers I hired that I knew may need help in those areas. Let's face it: the average four year degree has only one 4 credit class in composition where we took five or six tests, wrote four papers and spent most of our time reading something like the Guide to Rapid Revision to learn the rules of grammar.

Anyway, my point is that college educations are not the gateway to professionalism in sales: the right kind of person who has been taught and then exercises best practices make the most professional sales people, and their reward is increased income from the sales they generate.

 

[coobie]

Ran into the same dumb I DON,T CARE TRACTOR SALESMAN just last week.I was buying new bush hog a 7 shank plow.My first young and dumb salesman kept telling me he had to speak with the bush hog rep. on price,REALLY ?.Called salesmans back the following day he states bush hog rep. has not got back with him,he will step out for a lunch and get back with me ASAP.Called him back after 3 hours of waiting office girl states my salesman has left for the day,WHAT? Well now I am Pi$$ed,I ask for a new sales person,I get a older gentlemen in his mid 60,s who give me a price right away.I bought my 7 shank plow plus a new rotary cutter in the same day $4,000 cash.Hope the young salesman did not need to feed his family this week.

 

[ShowroomShine]

Ran into the same dumb I DON,T CARE TRACTOR SALESMAN just last week.I was buying new bush hog a 7 shank plow.My first young and dumb salesman kept telling me he had to speak with the bush hog rep. on price,REALLY ?.Called salesmans back the following day he states bush hog rep. has not got back with him,he will step out for a lunch and get back with me ASAP.Called him back after 3 hours of waiting office girl states my salesman has left for the day,WHAT? Well now I am Pi$$ed,I ask for a new sales person,I get a older gentlemen in his mid 60,s who give me a price right away.I bought my 7 shank plow plus a new rotary cutter in the same day $4,000 cash.Hope the young salesman did not need to feed his family this week.

While there are many things that this salesman did wrong in my opinion, when you are new (like I am) you do have to ask the rep what the discounts are so you can price the machine accordingly. The first Woods mower I sold I had to do this. Never been told the discount. Called the rep immediately and got the numbers, and brought them right back to the table.

Be patient with us new guys. That being said, I'm almost over calling customers when I get information they need. I called several times to the guy that bought the Woods and informed him of delivery times, cleaned it myself when we got it in, and went to his farm the following week to check up on it. It does not matter that it was only a $2850 mower, it matters that the customer is happy.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

While there are many things that this salesman did wrong in my opinion, when you are new (like I am) you do have to ask the rep what the discounts are so you can price the machine accordingly. The first Woods mower I sold I had to do this. Never been told the discount. Called the rep immediately and got the numbers, and brought them right back to the table.

Be patient with us new guys. That being said, I'm almost over calling customers when I get information they need. I called several times to the guy that bought the Woods and informed him of delivery times, cleaned it myself when we got it in, and went to his farm the following week to check up on it. It does not matter that it was only a $2850 mower, it matters that the customer is happy.

Two things a salesperson shouldn't be without:

A pen to take notes on what your customer wants and the ability to rattle off a price range. If you're unable to rattle off a price range, then ask your customer what he or she is expecting to pay. Most people are pretty straightforward on that.

At any-rate, I think your sales manager is simple for not allowing you to price things. Think it through: why were you hired? to sell and service customers and their accounts. But if you cannot sell without checking with the manager, the manager is the one selling, not you. That sort of thing is management arrogance. Underlying it all is that management has forgotten that the customer's time, like their own time, is precious, and they are messing around wasting the customer's time with needless middlemen.

The same thing happens in auto dealerships and you know what happens? The manager ends up face to face negotiating the price for the car and when that happens to me, I ask manager why he or she even hires sales people if the manager is not equipping his or her sales people with the skills and knowledge to sell and close on their own. Mr. Manager are you still trying to be the shop's number one salesperson? Really?

Anyway, you're at where you are at, but the day may come when you're the manager and you'll have the power to empower your people. Don't waste that position by having a Monday morning sales meeting and asking everybody how much they think they will sell that week.

 

[arrow]

Two things a salesperson shouldn't be without:



At any-rate, I think your sales manager is simple for not allowing you to price things. Think it through: why were you hired? to sell and service customers and their accounts. But if you cannot sell without checking with the manager, the manager is the one selling, not you. That sort of thing is management arrogance. Underlying it all is that management has forgotten that the customer's time, like their own time, is precious, and they are messing around wasting the customer's time with needless middlemen.

Anyway, you're at where you are at, but the day may come when you're the manager and you'll have the power to empower your people. Don't waste that position by having a Monday morning sales meeting and asking everybody how much they think they will sell that week.

I cannot agree with this more. When a manager does this, it's about control of the sale and the dinosaur attitude that is pervasive in management that they shall be the last say. "Don't let anyone leave" they'll say where I'd retort, "then let's not give them any reason to do so" as if to say, "I'm doing my job I'm hired for so trust me to do it" Of course I was no young whipper snapper at the time and not about to take any bull from some "30 something " manager who knew all about the world. I spent 30 years in what was said to be a very dangerous profession before hand so I had no room for the sales "game" as games in what I did before could make you dead. Games in my mind was what made sales die as well.