Are you proud to call yourself a salesperson?

Let’s be honest, most people have a less than favorable view of the sales profession and salespeople.  You throw in insurance sales on top of that… YIKES!!!   Truthfully I told my buddy from church when he first tried to recruit me, that there was no way I was EVER going into sales.  I will be forever thankful that he persisted.  He literally changed my life!

I think that there are three reasons so many people have such a poor assessment of salespeople:

• We have all had “that guy” try to sell us something.  You know him.  The guy in the loud sports coat that won’t leave you alone on the car lot.  The one that after you get done talking to him, you feel like you need a bath.  Has this guy never heard of a breath mint?  And WOW, you didn’t know Costco sold Old Spice in 55-gallon barrels.
• Hollywood hasn’t done our profession any favors.  Think Alec Baldwin in Glenngary Glen Ross or Ben Affleck in The Boiler Room.  If you haven’t ever watched these movies, I’ll warn you that the language is atrocious.  I’ll admit that sometimes as a sales manager, especially when the team isn’t exactly blowing out their sales plan, I have daydreamed about giving my team those speeches……  But I realize that is not the way to motivate ANYONE long-term.
• Many people think that salespeople have to win and the customer has to lose in order for the salesperson to make a living.  Again, we have all worked with salespeople that you can practically see the dollar signs in their eyes when they are talking to you.

Here’s what I firmly believe about what we do in this honorable profession of voluntary benefits sales.  We get people to do what they should do anyway, but wouldn’t do if we didn’t come along.  Let me repeat that one more time:  We get people to do what they should do anyway, but wouldn’t do if we didn’t come along.  I mean this in EVERY aspect of this business:

• Employers:  I hope you truly believe that what you have to offer the business owner is worth his/her time.  By strengthening their benefits plan, you will help them attract and retain better employees, stay out of the loan business, limit fraudulent worker’s compensation claims, look like a hero to their employees, and perhaps even save them some money in payroll taxes.  But here’s the catch: They are NEVER going to call you and ask for your help.  You have to (persistently) come along.
• Employees:  Often times we are literally the only thing standing between our clients and financial devastation.  Our products are affordable, powerful, and incredibly necessary!  This is a quote from a claimant letter that I received this summer, “If it wasn’t for this check, I don’t know how we would have been able to send our daughter back to college this fall.”  Later she said, “When I first sat down with you, I did it reluctantly because my boss said I had to.  My entire family is so thankful that I had the opportunity to work with you to pick the insurance programs we needed.”  Guess what?  She showed up because she HAD to.  Do you think she would have EVER sought out our coverage on her own?  Of course not!  I had to come along.
• Recruiting:  You have someone in your life right now that would be great in this business, but you are hesitant to talk to them.  Maybe you already tried to recruit them into some crazy multi-level-marketing scheme.  Or maybe you haven’t yet made as much money in this business as they make at their current job and you are worried that they might not take you seriously.  Or maybe you just don’t care about them…… WHAT?!?!?  Did Tim just accuse me of not caring about my friend or family member?!?!?  Listen, if you really care about that person, how could you let them continue to go to a job that caps their income?  That asks them to trade their time for money.  That offers them the illusion of security, but could layoff half their workforce tomorrow. “Did you know that the Pilgrims did not come to America for a 9-5 with benefits?”~Tim Martin (Tweet That)  If you don’t come along and show them there is a better way, who will?  You may change their life!  Again, I am thankful my buddy cared enough about me to MAKE me sit down with him at Starbucks to show me how we change people’s lives.  I am thankful he came along!

Conclusion: Tim’s definition of sales (for what we do):  We get people to do what they should do anyway, but wouldn’t do, if we didn’t come along.

Closing Thought:  Are you coming along often enough?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!