Why I Hate Salespeople

I was speaking to a friend the other day, and he was telling me about something he had purchased that was not to his liking. "I just hate salespeople", he said. "Always in your face.."

And I said, "Yeah, me too".

This might surprise some because I have been in the sales industry for over 13 years.

But I truly dislike salespeople.

But sales professionals...that's an entirely different story.

It seems that sales people have a bad rap almost as bad as attorneys and probably worse than preachers. Which by the way, in my opinion, are salespeople, only more thinly veiled.

A salesperson is genuinely someone who is in an industry or line of work for a fast buck. They are "too cool for school" so they don't get any real learning on their product nor do they care to learn much about the people in whom they serve. They are satisfied doing as little as possible to meet the needs of their clients and generally treat them with contempt. The first words out of their mouth whenever they meet someone is usually, "Let me tell you about..." When they make a mistake, it is generally because the company or the client failed, rarely them.They are glib, stylish and their shelf life in most industries -- be it sales or anything else -- is about 2 years. Their clients see them and say, "Oh great! I gotta get out of here, FAST!" In their wake they leave disillusioned clients and a nightmare for those that might share their industry.

Sales professionals on the other hand are in something for the long haul. They realize that all businesses have cycles and they both understand this and expect it. They aren't in something because it "is a great place to make money". They take time and expense and effort to learn the product line, they work to make themselves better with people. They make a lot of mistakes but learn from it. They realize the past is what can make you better as long as you don't live there. The first words out of their mouth aren't words, but generally a nod or a smile...they may not even talk that much, because they have learned the art of listening to others. They are quick to point out when a product won't match their clients needs because the only thing worse than an unhappy client is the ten people he or she will tell about their experience. Far better to miss the sale and save one's integrity. Their clients see them from afar and say, "Great! Someone who cares about me and will provide possible solutions to challenges. " Their shelf life in any organization, unlimited.