Inconsequential sales training update.

Who received the judges’ highest rating during a cold call role play with a bunch of salespeople even though I’m not in sales:

ME

Who received the judges’ highest rating during a sales call role play with a bunch of salespeople even though I’m not in sales:

ME

Who has never sold anything effectively, as proven back in cub scouts with a bunch of candy, junior high with a bunch of catalogs, young adulthood with a screenplay, and just about any other time you could point to:

ME

Who suspects there may be something fundamentally flawed about this whole new sales method:

ME

Didja use the old “c’mon, Gil really needs this one!” approach?  Cause that’s how I sell.  Cause I truly suck at sales, and regularly have people tell me I’d be good at it.
Well, there’s a sucker born every minute.

Posted by rockgrrl  on  07/14  at  06:02 AM

what do you exactly do - if i may ask…

Posted by cav  on  07/14  at  06:02 AM

I think you’re completely wrongheaded on this one. All of the recent studies show that we are entering a real pro-Greg set of market conditions. Hit it while it’s hot...your time has finally come!

Posted by Dirty Dan Sin  on  07/14  at  06:02 AM

sales.  bleah.  i so need a new career. 

i once had a car guy ask me, “do you know how much pussy you’re gonna get in this car?”

i thought, “no, but i know how much dick i’m getting trying to buy it.”

Posted by the mighty jimbo  on  07/14  at  06:34 AM

a flawed sales method? aw, you’re all hat and no cattle on that one, son.

Posted by snowy  on  07/14  at  06:51 AM

Cav, I’m in the marketing department.  I support sales with collateral and PR and stuff, and work closely with them, but I don’t go out and sell our product.

Posted by Greg  on  07/14  at  07:21 AM

Define “collateral.” Is that collateral as in the money Halliburton paid to get its contracts (allegedly) or the money ELF paid to get favorable political treatment (proven)?  Are you sure you want to use the C-word?

Posted by Papa Goose  on  07/14  at  07:43 AM

Have yourself a nice steamin’ cup a joe, because damn it, coffee is for closers!

Posted by Alex  on  07/14  at  08:39 AM

Where might one find this screen play of which you speak?

Posted by jennn  on  07/14  at  09:09 AM

jennnnnnn: on my hard drive, under lock and key. Dad: Why would a Will Ferrell movie have paid for favorable political treatment?

Posted by Greg  on  07/14  at  09:13 AM

So did you get the Cadillac of the set of steak knives?

Posted by Mrs. Kennedy  on  07/14  at  09:15 AM

OR the steak knives, OR.

Posted by Mrs. Kennedy  on  07/14  at  09:16 AM

While I would not be surprised that Will Ferrel or his agent bribed some of the reviewers who gave that dog of a movie good reviews, I was referring to a different ELF as you undoubtedly knew.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jul2003/tota-j11.shtml

Posted by Papa Goose  on  07/14  at  09:20 AM

Did you use that type of call and response ("Who’s gonna buy my product?” followed by “ME!") in your role play?  If so, I can see why you were the winner.  It’s catchy, effective, and really ensures a buy-in from your partner.

Posted by Kathy S.  on  07/14  at  10:52 AM

so, would you say that salespeople are all telephone and no pitch?

(ps: c’mon gil, give ‘em the old ah-cha-cha!)

Posted by bryan  on  07/15  at  06:04 AM

I’d love to read that script you tried to sell. Just putting it out there…

Posted by gimmy  on  07/15  at  08:04 AM

maybe you’re just aging well, sales-wise that is

Posted by Jules  on  07/15  at  10:25 AM

Oh my, I agree - get that script out there!  BTW, Papa Goose, why would Halliburton need to be as crass as to buy a contract?  They are way to sophisticated for that… they bought the guy who approves the contracts… sooo much more efficient that way.

Posted by john  on  07/18  at  04:20 PM

I am in mkting as well.  I feel sometimes I know it better than they (sales) do bc I (we) create it all. 

Posted by cav  on  07/19  at  12:08 PM

One of the things I like about my job is the give and take between marketing and sales.  Yes, we bring a level of professionalism to the messaging because of how we present the information, but I always learn things from the sales people who are out there in front of the customers, trying to hock our product.  I think you really can’t have effective marketing without a strong sales influence and vice versa.

Posted by Greg  on  07/19  at  01:33 PM