Yesterday in class, our guest speaker Evan Adams talked about what he believed is the true role of the salesman. There is nothing glamorous about his answer because it is more simple than complex. It is an idea that some salesmen do not understand and that is why salesmen get a bad rap. Evan explained that the true role of a salesman is to partner with the customer and help guide their decision-making process in any possible way. I believe the key words in this definition are “partner” and “guide.” For example, as opposed to some retail salesmen, the partner is not acting as an adversary towards the customer by telling them what will suit their needs best. The salesman guides the customer’s decisions by being supportive and a resource, and not discouraging if the customer leans towards a product that doesn’t generate the largest commission.
The idea of the “partner” and “guide” are such different concepts to some salesmen as they act as the judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to selling. They believe they have the best solution for the customer when the customer may want something totally different. However, they wouldn’t know that because some salesmen do not ask the right questions, or the questions that really dissect the customers true needs. The salesman assumes the customer’s needs, maybe tries convincing on why this would work best for them, and nearly corners them into making a decision.
Evan’s belief in the true role of the salesman redefines the way we should be selling by not forcing products on customers, but acting as a guide to their decisions in discovering what is best for them.
BoweryJE22
Another great point Evan made in relation to this topic is that salespeople are not “commodity agents.” I liked his phrasing on that because it was a great reminder that the product or services isn’t of primary importance, but rather the person themselves. Thanks for sharing your insights, Sam!