Media Reinforces Negative Sales Stereotype

I wrote recently about the new ABC’s of selling (the old was Always Be Closing and the new was be Attentive, Branded and Consistent).

The problem with the old ABC’s of selling is that it builds on the concept of the negative stereotype of a salesperson.

The value of the new, is that it builds on the positive professional image of a salesperson.

In this post, I want to highlight how sometimes the negative stereotype of a salesperson just keeps getting reinforced by the media……no wonder many salespeople feel their efforts and performance are not valued by some.

What’s Wrong With Rewarding Sales Success?

Those of us who own our businesses and/or are in a sales role, know only too well that if we haven’t got sales, we don’t have a business.

I’m a big believer in rewarding people for performance. Sure….rewarding for effort is good….but performance and sales success deserves rewarding.

Let’s talk Banks for a moment…..I’m still stunned when people say that the major banks’ profits are too big…..I wonder if it was their own business….would they want to limit their own profitability?

In a recent media attack on one of the major banks who rewarded their top performers in their Insurance business for their sales performance….out of the profits they have generated through their sales success, and provided them with a holiday on one of Australia’s Island Resorts……I just don’t get why the media takes the high moral ground to say that it’s wrong to reward performance.

If you missed the reports in the news a couple of weeks ago, then I won’t bother bringing you up to speed here, but suffice it to say, the key point I want to make here, is that business owners and salespeople should be proud of their sales success and the rewards that they either provide for themselves, or are provided for them by their employers, are absolutely justified.

My financial adviser many years ago gave me a great piece of advice…..”when you have a good and profitable year, remember to reward yourself”.

So to all business owners and salespeople, my tip for you, is remember to reward yourself for both effort and for performance….and when others who have no idea what it is to build a business, develop sales opportunities and deliver great value for their clients, decide to be jealous or envious…..take pride in your achevements and enjoy the spoils of your successa and rewards.

Reward yourself for effort first….then for performance!

Sometimes the rewards that we pay ourselves for our efforts (doing the sales and marketing activities that are essential to give us our best opportunity for sales success) will prove to be the inspiration for us to achieve the sales performance we are required to meet.

And then it’s time to reward ourselves for our sales performance.

Anyone who doesn’t see merit in rewarding salespeople for their sales performance, has obviously never sold anything in their life, have never owned their own business, or just doesn’t believe in the wonderfully powerful adage of “Behaviour that gets rewarded gets repeated!”