I heard a great Sales person depiction this week that seems worth sharing:
Picture two Sales people, like two boxers.
The lights go down. The announcer shouts with beat thumping music accompaniment, “Let’s get ready to RUMBLEEEEE…..”
The Prize Fighter
He shuffles down the aisle toward the ring. A gaggle of his support crew all wearing matching outfits follow in tow. Out in the parking lot, back at the gym, this guy leaves a wake of tired people. Always needing more, always wanting more, always requiring more from his ever-growing team.
He fights to get paid.
He wins big fights. He doesn’t even show up for the little ones. “Go Big or Go Home” is his mantra.
I’ve worked with guys like this. Always going for the proverbial sales “Whale”-size customer. Always requiring tons of internal resources, more marketing, more features from development, more (fill in the blank)…..
And, they close a big deal once a year or every two years, so they silence the naysayers.
The Scrapper
He has his trainer and brother-in-law. No entourage or girls in bikinis. (Sounds like the first Rocky movie, huh?)
Man, this guy can fight. He fights with heart and guts and gumption. He doesn’t turn down any fight.
He can jump in the ring with the Prize Fighter or he can trade blows down at the YMCA with the local neighborhood hero. And he wins. His team trusts him, and he trusts them. There is substance and meaning to his training.
I’ve worked with sales people like this. And I love their style. They wake up early, swallow their blended shake of raw eggs, and do the work. They make the calls, learn the product, and develop a conviction for their solution.
They require so much less energy on their surrounding team.
And they also win.
Everyone has a style of winning.
I’d rather carry the stool of a Scrapper than be on the payroll of the Prize Fighter.
Which are you? How do you fight?
