Working Smart

The Risk of Making Snap Judgments
by Francine Watkins

We all do it. We meet someone and, within seconds, we form an opinion of that person. That opinion may be light-years away from accurate, but unless we have more to go on, we'll never know if we were right or wrong. Ordinarily, a misjudgment may not be a big deal. But in direct sales, when it comes to sponsoring, it can be. That person we decided against just may have been tomorrow's top sales performer.

Over the course of my professional lifetime I have had the glorious opportunity to know hundreds of top sales leaders. Listed are just a few of the ways I could describe them:

• High School Dropout, High School Graduate, College Graduate, Advanced Degree
• No Business Experience, Corporate Leader
• Country, Suburban, City Dweller
• African-American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic
• Wealthy, Modest Income
• Young, Retired
• Single, Married with Children
• Extrovert, Introvert
• Short, Tall Thin, Wholesome

Did those top performers have anything in common initially? Yes-just one thing:

They were willing to give it a try.

Many would have been sadly overlooked if "first impressions" were the sole criteria for approaching them. First, let me clarify that I'm not saying your sales team shouldn't seek out likely candidates: those with an obvious need, the outgoing, the quick-witted, the fans of your product or service. Nor am I saying that your company wouldn't benefit by using current programs that help single out salespeople who should be given extra attention once they have joined your company. What I am saying is that, initially, it's difficult, if not impossible, to determine who will do what.

In the past, I have made many inaccurate initial judgments regarding who is recruitable and who isn't, who will succeed and who won't. I finally "got it." I stopped prejudging. Although it goes back many years, I have clear recall of one touching example that had an enormous influence on that decision.

I was given the name of a young woman who lived down a dirt road in a remote area in the country. (Let's call her Jane.) Two rambunctious preschool children greeted me at the door. To say the home was modest would be an understatement. (Modern conveniences that I took for granted were nowhere to be seen.) During most of my visit, Jane made little eye contact. She told me she had minimal work experience and I assumed, from our conversation, that she hadn't finished high school. Jane's only transportation was an old pickup truck. She had a phone but, initially, no bank account.

On the plus side, Jane was familiar with the product and she seemed highly motivated to give it a try. Although I kept my opinions to myself, I was convinced she would never get off the ground. I was dead wrong.

Nothing seemed to stop Jane. She was dear and sweet. I loved her and her customers loved her. She not only got off the ground, over time she became a solid sales performer. Interestingly, I spoke with the president of a top international company a few years later. He shared a moving, personal story. Although the circumstances and details were different, the road he traveled to reach the top was strikingly similar to Jane's.

So if it's difficult to determine who will be successful initially, how do company leaders get that across to their team? How do they minimize the risk of their salespeople missing those with potential, prejudging and deciding not to approach certain people?

Tell the Stories

In various forms of communication with your salesforce, periodically highlight individuals who most of your team would not have singled out as likely prospects. (Select those with various levels of accomplishments rather than just top performers.) These stories will have an even greater effect if the prospect had to approach the salesperson. Eventually your message will sink in, and your sales team will begin to understand the risks of prejudging. Consider a periodic segment titled something like: Would You Have Passed Me By?

Don't miss opportunities to deliver the same message at company functions. When you recognize top performers, periodically, ask one super star to speak about "Why You Might Have Passed Me By." If your own story fits-share it. Your sales team will feel closer to you for it.

Emphasize the Risks of
Snap Judgments When Training

Consider covering the various descriptions of top sales performers I listed at the beginning of this article. It will likely get a laugh-but it's a way of emphasizing that there is no pat formula for those who can make it in sales. Your team will begin to recognize that it's easy to overlook those who don't fit their preconceived ideas.

In my book, From the Ground Up, I wrote about a training session that Lori Moser, a national marketing and training consultant, held with established salespeople. She asked the attendees to share something about themselves that might have made others decide not to approach them with a business opportunity. As she went around the room she heard comments like: I already work; I'm quite busy; I have three small children under 6; I have no financial need (a subtle way to say she was wealthy), I'm way too quiet and reserved. Lori said the most poignant response of all was: I'm too old. Consider including this exercise in future training.

Challenge Your Sales Team

For two months ask your sales leaders to single out just one person they have decided is an unlikely prospect for every three or four prospects they chose because they are likely candidates. When they sponsor someone in the "not likely" category, ask them to tell you the details. The recognition will help broaden your leaders' thinking. They are also likely to remember that experience the next time they say to themselves, "Not him!" or, "Not her!"

There's one other phenomenal advantage to this message. When prospects raise objections-as they inevitably will-your sales team will be far better equipped to handle many of them by pointing out the success stories of others with similar challenges.

For reasons too obvious to mention, new people will always be the lifeblood of the direct sales industry. It's just plain good business sense to help your sales team widen the pool of potential candidates. Hands down, it's a win-win-win. The company wins, the recruiter wins, and that person who might have been overlooked wins because.

They were willing to give it a try.

Francine Watkins is the author of From the Ground Up: The Lift You Need to Succeed in Direct Sales. She has served as sales trainer and Vice President of Educational Services for a Fortune 500 company. She has co-created an interactive, in-depth leadership seminar, which she has facilitated in the United States, Canada and Australia. Contact Watkins at info@directsellingedge.com or visit www.francinewatkins.com.

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