"Situational" Sales Management

Anyone who has managed sales people for any significant period of time knows it is obvious that different individuals call for different management approaches.


Ken Blanchard wrote a book on leadership a number of years ago in his "One Minute Manager" series. I love Ken's books and used his four styles of leadership in managing sales people, other sales managers and even our support staff.

In it's simplest state, situational leadership purports that there are four actual leadership styles. Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating. Blanchard labels each style S1, S2, S3 and S4. I've taken this wide view of leadership and plugged it in to sales management.

S1: Directing. Sales managers typically find themselves working with brand new people, when this is the case, a directive style is best. A directing style defines the roles and tasks of the sales person and supervises them closely. Decisions are made by the sales manager regarding prospecting activity, what accounts are worked and what products are sold. Communication is largely one-way.

S2: Coaching. Sales managers spend A LOT of time coaching. In doing so, they are defining roles and tasks, but also seek ideas and suggestions from their sales people. Decisions remain with the sales manager, but communication is much more two-way.

S3: Supporting. As sales people become sales professionals, managers pass day-to-day decisions to their people. The sales manager facilitates and takes part in decisions, but control is with the sales person. The ability to function autonomously is critical from this point forward for the sales person. Top producers are made at this juncture as are mediocre producers.

S4: Delegating. When this situation is reached sales managers are still involved in decisions and problem-solving, but the sales professional is in control of their production and scheduling. When this situation is reached, the sales person decides when and how their sales manager will be involved.

Sales management is the toughest task in American business. Situational leadership can help clarify the different individuals managers are presented with over the course of their careers.

TK

Quote of the Week

"Nobody sent me a Christmas card today. I almost wish there weren't a holiday season. I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?"

Charlie Brown

If you didn't get a Christmas card this season - Merry Christmas!

TK

Treat Your Sales Career Like a Business

If you've been in selling very long you've heard of Brian Tracy. Guaranteed. Brian is one of the most respected personal development trainers in the world. His ideas and experiences have changed the lives of thousands of individuals.

As I've mentioned before, selling is such a unique field, if you jump into the arena you need constant, relevant and inspirational training on a consistent basis.

I recommend Brian Tracy be a major source of inspiration. One of the best quotes I've ever heard came from Brian - here it is:

"The top people in our society have an attitude of self-employed. 100% of us are self-employed. We are presidents of our own personal services corporation. You work for yourself. The biggest mistake we can ever make is to think we work for anyone else. We work for ourselves. The person who signs our paycheck may change; our jobs may change, but we are always the same. We are the one constant--we are always self-employed.

The fact of the matter is this is not optional, it is mandatory, you are the president of your own company, you're the president of your own career, your own life, your own finances, your own body, your own family, your own health. You are totally responsible. We are responsible. No one will ever do it for us. It's the most liberating and exhilarating thought of all, to think that you're the president of your own life."

That's good stuff.

So Mr./Ms. President - how are you doing? Would the stakeholders in your "company" retain your services in 2007? Do you have a pay raise coming or a pay cut looming? Stock options? Bonuses? How do you treat your sales career - are you running it like it's a business the entire business world would emulate? What if CNBC followed you around tomorrow from the time you woke in the morning until you ended business... would people be impressed, or would they be laughing on the floor?

In selling, many people quickly learn that autonomy is not for everyone. Everyone loves it, but not everyone can be successful with it. If you're struggling with this, and a ton of sales people do, try imagining you are the president of your own company.

TK

Quote of the Week

I am always inspired by quotes that "hang everything out there" and let the chips fall as they may. If you are prepared and if you will stake everything on your own efforts you can have success.

Here's Jim Rohn on the topic of resolve:

"Resolve says, 'I will.' The man says, 'I will climb this mountain. They told me it is too high, too far, too steep, too rocky and too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You will soon see me waving from the top or dead on the side from trying.'"

Jim Rohn

I love this stuff!

TK

Quote of the Week

Sticking with James Allen and his all-time classic "As a Man Thinketh" here's the quote of the week!

"Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts inevitably bring about right results."

James Allen

This is Mr. Allen's take on "Karma" and of course what he's expressed is truth. The key word is "inevitably." Some results take time, but they will come.

I've pushed myself and others towards success only to have some people quit on themselves and it's extremely frustrating. Remember that anything worth having is worth working for and waiting for... instant success (although they do happen occasionally) is rare. It's like an "instant classic" or an "instant antique."

There are no such things... but inevitably, anything is possible.

TK

Selling is a Numbers Game?

No... But it is a game of numbers.

I once attended a meeting with Brian Tracy in which Brian was introducing a new training product, and as he started the meeting there were a number of people from my industry that Brain introduced personally. One of his top representatives had just sold his company for a large sum of money and when Brian asked him what his key to success was his answer was simple... "Know your numbers."

The statement "selling is a numbers game" implies that just throwing numbers up each week will insure results - not true. Results may come, but they come with no guarantee. There must be a level of quality in everything we do in selling - including, prospecting, closing deals and providing customer care to insure consistent results.

Once you begin doing everything with minimum standard of quality... then selling is truly a game of numbers.

Start with learning your ratios for prospecting and closing sales. Keep track of everyone you contact and which encounters turn into appointments. Keep track of every presentation and which opportunities turn into sales. If your company won't track data in a format that motivates you to excel, do it yourself.

Over the years I've seen top people reach superior levels of success by pushing themselves to improve on their numbers. Leads gathered, units sold, revenue generated - you name it. They only needed to see the information and they were inspired to take action.

I've also seen weak sales people manipulate numbers to make themselves look better than they are performing. Big mistake. Usually the blank for sales made ____ can't be manipulated... All the BS they put in other blanks won't add up in the long run and in the end, the real results will expose their weakness and lack of ethics.

The best approach is to be honest and consistent in determining your ratios. Once you've done that, set out to improve them. If 10% of your leads turn into appointments - get that number to 20%. How many of your appointments cancel? Cut that number in half - would that make a difference in your income? You bet.

Follow the lead of every major sport in the world. Owners, coaches, players (and their agents)know their stats! It's the difference in what they pay and get paid. Know your numbers and reach the level of success you deserve.

TK

Quote of the Week

The battle for you mind is the most important fight that you will ever engage in your selling career. There are too many examples of men and women with physical disabilities and have still had huge success in selling and business to prove that your mind is the key to your achievement.

Here's the perfect quote for this truth...

"Man is made or unmade by himself. By the right choice he ascends. As a being of power, intelligence, and love, and the lord of his own thoughts, he holds the key to every situation"

James Allen

Don't worry about your physical limitations. Do all you can do to improve your health and appearance, but focus more on your mind. It's more difficult for most of us to "think right" than it is to do physical exercise. Start with your mind!

TK

Quote of the Week

In every true profession there is a need, in fact a mandate, for continuing education. Engineers, doctors and attorneys must all participate in on-going training.

Sales professionals, true sales professionals, although not mandated to continually train themselves, do so anyway. Check this quote out...

"Sales professionals more than any other profession need consistent, relevant and inspirational information to maintain long-term success." (I came up with this one...)

If you've been in the sales training business than you know this is a true statement. Not just training other companies (like my group does), but training within your own organization. Let's pick this quote apart and prove it out:

1. Sales professionals... Selling is a profession. Just like there are bad docs and bad lawyers, there are bad sales people, but make no mistake, there are individuals that are not only making big money selling, they are big business people too. Their skills continue to grow and they could do almost anything in their company, they just happen to sell.

2. More than any other profession... Is there any doubt that sales professionals are experiencing more rejection than in any other career? Nope. For this purpose alone training, and just gathering to experience training, is a necessity. In the training environment attitudes are refreshed and confidence is restored because like experiences are shared. These are the times that provide validation. Validation of the company, the product, the service and the self-worth of the sales professional.

3. Need consistent, relevant and inspirational information... Consistent because it's always needed, relevant because it must be valuable to the trainee and inspirational because when most people are inspired and they add their own positive attitude and strong work ethic, results are met.

4. To maintain long-term success... Anyone can be successful initially or for a short period of time. Long-term success is different. It is obtained over the business cycle (ups and downs) which weed out average individuals.

My company is built on this quote... it defines what we are doing for sales professionals all around the country.

TK

Quote of the Week

As we head towards the end of the year I wanted to focus on some of the greatest thinking ever produced on the topic of personal excellence. Years ago, Napoleon Hill wrote "Think and Grow Rich," and ever since then, successful people have used the concepts shared by Hill to achieve greatness.

Here's the granddaddy of them all...

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve."

Others have elaborated on this concept over the years and each has done their best to clarify Hill's original idea; however, as with many things, the original is the best.

No matter what you do, if you can create an idea in your mind, and repeatedly focus on it, you can make it happen.

As 2006 winds down and 2007 comes around it's time to determine if 2006 was as good as it can get. If not, remember that whatever outcome you can create in your mind... you can make happen.

TK

Quote of the Week

Hey check out our new feature called “Quote of the Week.” In no other profession other than sports and politics are quotes so prevalent than selling.

So here is the first quote with a little commentary to keep the post at a respectable length. It comes from the most irreverent sales gurus Jeffrey Gitomer. In his book the Little Red Book of Selling Gitomer threw this gem out:

“The more you watch TV the more the competition will kick your ass.”

You’ve got to love the directness don’t you? The only way you wouldn’t, or think the contrary, would be if you were a couch potato posing as a sales professional.

Just to clarify, I watch television. I watch Meet the Press, 60 Minutes, Studio 60, Lost and every college football game I can during the week. Thanks to TIVO, I can watch the first four programs whenever I want to and without neglecting my “familia” obligations.

College football is different… when it’s on, it has to be watched!

Back to the quote – Gitomer, master of the eloguent statement nails the challenge many people struggling in sales are facing. When you watch ESPN and the same game is recapped more than once, you're watching too much television. If you watch the local news in your hometown, your watching too much television. "What about the local weather, I have to know if it's going to rain tomorrow!" Check it out... http://www.weather.com/.

Television isn't the only challenge salespeople face. It could be going to the movies in the middle of the day, going to the mall in the middle of the day or any other non-productive endeavor. If you're doing it during selling time, your bound to get crushed by the competition.

If you watch television or do other non-productive matters when you should be making yourself into an "industry expert" then again, you deserve to get crushed by the competition. Anyone willing to do more and become more deserves to kick your butt.

Tom Hopkins once wrote that "selling is the highest paid hard work-and the lowest paid easy work..." You can't sum up the income opportunities provided by selling better than that statement.

Stop watching and start selling. Stop watching and start learning.

TK

Success Ideas from IBD - Part Two

Here are the final six ideas from the newspaper Investor's Business Daily on the subject of success...

6. Learn to Analyze Details - Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes. Many sales professionals have a challenge with the critical area of success. Taking the time to analyze data and LEARN from errors in judgment is critical. Plan and take accountability for mistakes.

7. Focus Your Time and Money - Don't let other people or things distract you. Daily planning is not a good thing... it's a GREAT thing. It is one of the disciplines that that is part of the foundation for all great business people.

8. Don't be Afraid to Innovate; Be Different - Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity. Nothing great comes from doing the same thing for too long.

9. Deal and Communicate with People Effectively - No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others. Be straight with people. Telling people what they want to hear usually ends in disaster. Leading people happens outside of management. Be a Leader!

10. Be Honest and Dependable; Take Responsibility - Otherwise, Nos. 1-9 won't matter. Selling is a tough business and there are people that destroy the reputation of sales professionals because they are not honest, dependable and take no responsibility.

Good stuff? You bet. Look at these every day and do your best to become the type of person that follows these secrets of success.

TK

Success Ideas from IBD

If you've never heard of IBD - Investor's Business Daily - you should take a look at one.

This newspaper is great if you are investing in your financial future, especially so if you are taking an active roll in building your wealth. However it has great commentary and an even greater section devoted to success.

Every day the paper highlights one of "IBD's 10 Secrets to Success" Each of these ideas are PERFECT for anyone in professional selling. Check these out:

1. How You Think is Everything - Always be positive. Think Success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment. This is the foundation for every successful individual and entity!

2. Decide Upon your True Dreams and Goals - Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them. Just as important... review your goals EVERYDAY.

3. Take Action - Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started. Just do it. W. Clement Stone advised everyone to repeat the phrase... "do it now" three times whenever you feel like procrastinating anything!

4. Never Stop Learning - Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills. Do whatever it takes to become an industry expert. It's what can set you apart from the competition.

5. Be Persistent and Work Hard - Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you don't need to work hard. Want to play hard? Never stop working hard.

To be continued...

TK

Behavioral Style Selling - The Concept

Learning to sell to different styles of buyers has been taught for a long time. There are all types of assessments that can be administered and all types of descriptions that come from the results. Labels describing members of the animal kingdom, colors of all kinds, letters describing deep psychological behaviors and the list goes on and on...

These are interesting concepts and they have a firm place in training and coaching. However the most important thing about this concept, is the concept itself.

You see, the fact that two totally different people, can buy the same product or service, for two totally different reasons, is huge. As soon as you realize that the way you approach each person depends on those differences, the sooner you will be closing more sales with less effort.

For example, let's say I was looking to purchase a new Lexus GS 430 and you were looking at a new Lexus GS 430. I have done my homework and built the car online dozens of times. I know what I want from the engine size to the color of the interior. Money is not an issue for me.

Let's say you walk onto a Lexus dealers lot just messing around on a Saturday afternoon. You see a GS 430 and you want it instantly. Money is not an issue for you.

If the same sales professional engages me, and two hours later approaches you, they better know how to determine what benefits are important to me and what benefits are important to you. Here's why... it's very possible I want the vehicle for different reasons than the other buyer and it's guaranteed that I will expect the sales experience to be different from the person that will walk into a dealership and drop 50K just because they were driving by and liked what they saw.

I highly recommend that if you haven't been trained in behavior style selling that you get trained. Now that you know of the "concept" you can begin to the learning process of identifying behavior styles and how they like to be persuaded.

TK

Ethics in Selling

John Maxwell wrote a great book on the subject of ethics. The title... Ethics 101. Sounds a bit basic to you? It should, because doing what is right is very basic.

When Mr. Maxwell was first approached about writing a book on ethics he was asked something along the line of "John, why don't you write a book on business ethics?" To which Mr. Maxwell replied, "there's no such thing." Not understanding his reply, his friend asked him to clarify at which point Maxwell made this statement:

"There's no such thing as business ethics, there's only ethics."

Simplicity is profound isn't it? So ethics in selling, or any other facet of business, is the same as non-business ethics and can be defined by simple (thus the 101) principles. Most notable by Mr. Maxwell - The Golden Rule. Treating people the way you would like them to treat you.

Maxwell writes, "Asking the question 'how would I like to be treated in this situation?' is an integrity guideline for any situation."

Now plug this concept into selling, and situations that arise in selling transactions, and you have some great questions to ask yourself... check this out:

1. How to do you treat individuals that don't say yes to your offering?
2. How do you treat gatekeepers that don't let you in?
3. How do you report your expenses on your expense report?
4. How do you speak about your competition?
5. Are you honest in all your dealings with your clients and your company?

Finally, if you were a client or you owned a company... how would like to be treated?

TK

Prospecting Drives Man to Quit His Job

No this is not a headline from the National Enquirer... it's a true story!

The other day I did an incentive at the end of one of our weekly sales meetings. Two of our sales people were offered one hundred dollars for the most leads generated by the end of the day. At 5pm one of our most respected team members returned to the office with 20 business cards and notes on the back of each card with key details on the prospect and their business. The number to beat - 20.

The other guy... didn't show up. At 6pm I tried to track him down... he didn't answer his phone. Later that night he sent an email... quitting his job. No joke.

The thought of prospecting scared this kid so bad he quit his job. He was a hard worker, in fact, I would say he was our hardest working sales person. Unfortunately he'd rather lug boxes than find new business and make more money. Sad.

In his book "Advanced Selling Strategies," Brian Tracy writes "You can be excellent at every part of the professional sales process, but unless you can find someone to talk to, your skills won't help you." That's powerful stuff. You see if you suck at prospecting you have to depend on someone else to find qualified contacts for you to persuade. The problem with that approach is what if they don't find enough to keep you busy?

Answer - you go hungry. What could be worse? You now begin to blame someone else for your own lack of effort. The old saying about giving a man a fish and teaching a man how to fish is true with prospecting.

Check this out... "Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish and you will not have to listen to his incessant whining about how hungry he is.”

Now insert the concept of prospecting...

“Give a man a lead and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to prospect and you will not have to listen to his incessant whining about how broke he is.”

Sales managers, teach your people how to prospect and do anything to help them see how important it is. Sales people, remember the words of Brian Tracy...

"You can be excellent at every part of the professional sales process, but unless you can find someone to talk to, your skills won't help you."

TK

Application - The Difference that gets Results

One of the knocks against all training seminars is that they just don't make a lot of difference.

It amazes me that occasionally someone at one of our training events will feel that they won't get anything out of our training BEFORE it is even over! The amount may be less than one half of one percent, but it still blows my mind anyone would pass judgment before they even have an opportunity to use the information in their career.

It is impossible to evaluate ANY information before you actually APPLY IT.

That's the difference that get Results - Application. Everything we teach in our seminars are backed up with opportunities for application. That's the challenge with other seminars... They don't provide an opportunity for you to apply the information taught.

Some seminars, particularly sales seminars, are just too basic. They focus on a simplistic process and information that any adult already in business understands. Our events are more sophisticated, but still require application to make a difference. Application is EVERYTHING.

If the American Dental Association has irrefutable evidence that flossing your teeth will reduce gum disease by 50% why would people still not floss? Is it because their dentist doesn't tell them to floss? No way, ask me! It's because they don't apply proven information.

One of the icons of personal development was W. Clement Stone. At the age of 6, Stone was selling newspapers on the streets of Chicago to help his widowed mother pay rent. He had his own newsstand at 13, and later founded what would become a multi-billion dollar insurance empire with just $100 of his own savings.

One of Stone's keys to success was application. His formula was simple... "When you wake up in the morning, start with the phrase, 'Do it now, do it now, do it now." Repeating the phrase three times often.

In selling, more than any other endeavor, positive and relevant training information is required to survive! It can be that rough, it can be that tough. Once you move past that point and move towards success application is no less important. To survive you must apply. Success is the application of proven principles.

TK

BB King Sings Success

I am not a big concert guy, but I have always wanted to see BB King live. He just looks cool... look at the man. If you've ever heard his music then you know that he puts everything in to what he does. Sometimes he has to sit down on stage, he's giving it that much.

He's got this tune I happened to listen to recently that actually gives some solid advice for success in selling, business in general and in fact, life. The name of the song is "Better Not Look Down" and it's a winner. Check it out at iTunes and you can own it for a mere 99 cents!

Anyway, BB starts out "I've been around and I've seen some things. People moving faster than the speed of sound. Faster than the speeding bullet, people living like Superman. All day and all night."

If you are really pursuing success I bet you can relate. Between all of the responsibilities we each have at work, at home and at any number of other places, we all move pretty fast. Add to that the challenges that can come with the selling industry (slumps, territory changes, new managers, new owners, new team members) and stress can manifest itself quick!

BB is the man... he's got the the answer for everyone who is pushing 110% "all day and all night."

Here it is, in the chorus of the song:

"Better not look down, if you want to keep on flying. Put the hammer down, keep it full speed ahead."

It sounds like BB is saying is keep moving, don't give up, don't think too long about what you've done that you can't change - just keep pushing forward at full speed. I like it. I really like "put the hammer down." The only thing that will kill you is sitting around and doing nothing. Floor it man.

Some day I'll see this guy...







TK

The S Word...

This is the letter "S" and in sales (it doesn't stand for sales) if you want to be truly successful you've got to work on your "S" until you are extremely proficient at using it.

Of course the "S" word is script and most sales people use the other "S" word when managers talk about creating a script, working on a script, following a script or saying we sound like we're reading a script! Interestingly enough, the graphic I used for this entry has an "S" that's sort of hidden inside a bunch of other lines going in all different directions.

That's what your sales presentation can sound like when you don't have your script down, and the person you are presenting to can't understand what you're trying to tell them or what you want them to do. It doesn't matter if you are in a simple or complex selling environment, or if you work on the phone or work in the field. You have to sound confident and natural when you speak to clients.

If you think that creating, following and eventually internalizing a script is for low level performers - tell that to Al Pachino, Robert Duvall or any other top actor. They learn their lines and practice them over and over again before they deliver them on camera. When you see them, you believe what they say and they also convince you they really are a doctor or a cowboy or a Godfather.

How do they do that!?

It is simple, but it is not easy. They are dedicated to their craft. They work HARD and they know their lines and they know how to deliver them with passion when called upon to do so. It's not uncommon to hear an actor talk about the research they did when they preparing for a role. They beleive in what they do, even if it's only for the short time of working on a particular film.

Let me ask, what do you do to prepare for your role as a sales professional for your company?

TK

The Pursuit of Personal Development

When training new people at our company I often take the time to discuss the personal develoment industry. I start with Earl Nightingale and Lloyd Conant and talk about what I've learned over the years from different speakers, books and other products.

It's amazing to think of the wide spectrum of products that fall into the personal development industry. You can buy a book at Walgreen's by Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking) for $9.95 or you can go to Fiji and spend a week with Tony Robbins for the bargain price of $15,000 - give or take a few thousand bucks...

It really doesn't matter what you spend. What matters is what you find... and that pursue it constantly. Jim Rohn (my favorite speaker and personal development icon) reminds us that humans don't naturally reach their full potential without pursuit because we have been endowed with "choice." The freedom to choose whether we'll do the things we know will make us successfull.

Once you "find" personal development (or it finds you) in the form of a book or a seminar you get hooked pretty quick if you are striving to grow in some area of your life. Once exposed to personal development a person is never the same in one key component - there are no excuses as to why you don't do well in the future. You see, like a religion that lays out a plan that takes you to live with God again (or any other divine being or place), if you don't make it there, it's your own doing.

Personally I find this empowering some days and terrifying other days... depending on how I'm doing in the making of my life. It's one thing to know what to do - it's another thing to do it. Nike figured this out didn't they - Just do it!

Easier said than done. I suggest the following exercise. Write out your personal development plan and review it every day along with your goals and affirmations. (No goals and affirmations? Get some!) Detail what you want to work on and what you want to become. What you want to accomplish and how you can achieve those things. Here are some keys areas:

Leadership, selling, negotiating, networking and communication...

What if you were more skilled in each of these areas? Would you close more sales? Be more of a positive influence around the people where you work? Would you make more money? Would you feel more confident by the way people responded to your ideas and input? You bet.

TK

Lighten Up Sales People

Sales professionals take it on the chin every day don’t they… not only are people telling them “NO” more than they tell them ‘yes,” they have to live up to that old adage, “the customer is always right.”

Well I think that old adage is old for a reason. I also think that statement is a bunch of crap.

I say the customer (client in my vocabulary) is right sometimes and the client is wrong sometimes. Doesn’t that make a whole lot of sense to you? It does to me. If something goes wrong, sometimes it’s our fault as sales people, sometimes it’s the fault of someone in our service department or billing department and sometimes, believe it our not, it’s the clients fault.

Who are some of the worst clients? Other sales people. Yep, admit it.

When things go wrong and we’re the client, we get really crazy and sometimes say the most revolting things. Why? Because our clients do it to us and we want a little revenge. A little payback. (You’re doing one of three things right now: 1. Smiling. 2. Grimacing. 3. Pondering.)

If you are number three – it means you may have taken someone’s head off before when they have missed your expectations. Perhaps you’ve fallen into the habit or you just identify with the concept. If you are doing this… stop now. Give your sales “brethren and sisters” a break the next time they fall below your expectations. Ask them to make things right if it’s appropriate, but don’t look to hang them out to dry and don’t get verbally abusive.

If you are a number two – that means you most likely don’t have this challenge.

If you are number one – you are a sadistic piece of work and you must stop this practice immediately! Ever heard of Karma?

Here’s my advice on dealing with clients who get out of line… tell them they are out of line. Tell them you understand that there is a challenge and that you’d like to find a solution that is best for both parties. BUT tell them that acting rude or making ultimatums that cannot be met is not a solution.

Remember, some clients are not worth having. Have you ever heard that before? I’ll say it again… some clients are not worth having. Selling is about building relationships and helping other people. Some products and services are more complex than others, but an interaction is taking place and it doesn’t need to be unpleasant.

I don’t like “mean people” and I try not to be a “mean people.” As a fellow sales person let me admonish you not to be a “mean people” either. Next time a salesperson blows it, don’t stick a nuclear weapon down their shorts.

Lighten Up.

TK