Business Eye: Salesman no thanks, commando is better

Alex Pratt
Alex Pratt

If you accept that being great at sales offers you a serious business edge over your competition, the question arises as to what it takes to become a ‘Sales A Player’, which we might define as being 90% likely to achieve the results and performance that only 10% of people are capable of delivering.

It all starts with your psychology.

It certainly depends heavily on being bothered enough to stay abreast of the science of selling.

And it is only possible  if you are determined to also master the fine art of sales.

The science and artistry are for another time and they are in any case of little value without the necessary accompanying commando mind set.

Only a particular type of individual will achieve breakthrough results.  In the military they would be the commandos who live life beyond the safety of your area of control, and set out to create conditions which allow the rest of the team to sweep in and exploit an opportunity on someone else’s turf.  

A Commando sales  mentality is built upon the certain knowledge that the people you come across are not likely to know or like you very much, will be of the “No” persuasion and will at the first opportunity probably take pot shots in your direction to try and get rid of you.

To succeed you need  absolute clarity on the mission deliverables, you must relish the prospect of adventure into difficult territory, you require a warm and welcoming tolerance for measured risk, and above all you have to be hard wired to care deeply about achieving your mission, no matter what.

The massed ranks of sales infantry are not sales  people, they are order collectors who don’t sell and need mostly not to get in the buyers’way.

Outstanding sales people are no mistake.

Built by an extraordinary psychology, they push progress by seeing more clearly and learning more deeply.

Acting more decisively than the crowd.

Commandos don’t dabble.

They decide.

They deploy.

They deliver.