“I want my sales reps to be ruthless”. This is the feedback I received earlier this month from a regional sales manager at a solution provider client of mine. His comment got me thinking.

I honestly don’t know if he meant that he wanted his team to be a mean, cold hearted group of SOBs when it comes to selling. He may have. However, instead I think it was a little deeper than that.

I think what he meant was, something that I’ve noticed with a lot of folks both young and old. From the younger sales folks it seams like many expect too much for little effort. And from the older folks…well many have been burned with what worked before not working now. And so many just don’t seek the risk and the reward enough, instead they seek shelter in a steady paycheck and less risk.

WHAT SALES IS ALL ABOUT
Believe me, I could understand that. Probably better than most and I have the scars to prove it. But if you want to be in sales, you should understand what being in sales is all about. Being a salesperson is about high risk for high reward. It’s about seeking the uncomfortableness of confrontation and rejection because you know that beyond that lies winning.

I know this truth isn’t what you want to hear. You don’t hear this from Anthony Robbins or the politicians in charge or countless others promising you, you’ll get rich. They make it seem easy. While I’m here to say it is not.

So to my friend the sales manager, I say I agree.

SALES REPS MUST BE RUTHLESS
Your sales reps should and must be ruthless. Not SOBs but they must be ruthless in their action. They must make sales calls when others won’t. They must keep going when others stop. They must run right through walls when others prefer to knock, and they must keep going, going, going. Ruthless in their sales actions and ruthless and voracious in the desire to fail, learn, and win, preferably in that order.

Let me know what you think. And I don’t mind if you disagree. Constructive confrontation is a great way to learn.

(Btw, I know there is no such word as uncomfortableness. I like it anyway.)