If you don’t already know it, you made your first sale before actually starting the job – during your interview!
You worked to establish the problems your client (aka employer) has, demonstrated that you could help solve them and both sides agreed on a value that you’re happy to do this for. You’re off to a great start…. let’s keep it that way.
This is a very exciting time for you, emotions are high, your energy is bubbling, and you cannot wait to get started on achieving the targets.
Do you know what the targets are? Do you have a job spec that spells out clearly what is expected of you? Do you know what needs to be achieved for you to pass the probation period? Do you know who to go to when you need support?
I know you want to be careful not to upset anyone (and rightly so) so you don’t want to ask questions which might make you come off as ‘difficult’ but if it’s a NO to any of the above questions, ask yourself what’s the benefit in not asking for clarity? If it’s a NO to all of them then, if you haven’t already left (which you should seriously consider doing if your new employer hasn’t got any of this seriously important info ready before you started), how can you start working without knowing any/all of these?
To keep this brief(ish), let’s now assume you’ve got those answers…. what next? Plenty of people will advise you to make a beeline for the best salesperson and learn from the master but there’s potentially a big flaw with this advice. If the best salesperson has been there for a long time, can they even give you relevant advice to where you’re at right now? Would a Private starting out in the Army look to get advice from the Field Marshal as to how to succeed? No, of course not – instead, they’d probably look for a Lance Corporal or Corporal because their recent experience is more relevant. So, if you’re joining an established team with people who’ve been there a while, focus instead on understanding who has most recently been promoted out of your role and look to learn from them.
Okay, you know exactly what needs to be achieved, you have a good idea on how to do that, you have support available when you need it and you have a relevant example showing you how to be a success right now – time to get your head down and laser-focused on getting over the first of the hurdles in front of you. This isn’t a beauty contest, it’s not a popularity thing and no-one cares about what you’ve achieved beforehand – if you want to keep your job, be a success and have respect from the other sales pros then it’s simple:
• stay relentlessly focused
• ask sensible questions
• learn from your mistakes
• make progress every day
Soon enough, you’ll be the Lance Corporal that the next Private is looking up to.
Contact Owain for help in achieving your sales dreams: enquiries@dremur.co.uk
