Do You Help or Hurt Sales?

Credit: Bill Gillespie

Most of us are familiar with the phrase, “that’s the pot calling the kettle black.” My parents were country folks (Dad – Clarkesville Ga. & Mom – Copperhill Tn.). I heard that phrase often. It was obvious what it meant too. Someone was complaining about someone else that was the same as them.

It happened to me a while back. As I arrived at work the receptionist said, “Larry showed up with his sweater on inside out. Tease him about it.” Larry was my boss and one of the owners of our company. He was also my best friend.

I found him in the customer service area. His sweater was one of those unexplained fashion choices that puts the label on the outside. That’s what threw him and led to him getting dressed improperly.

I walked over, put my hand on his shoulder and whispered, “Pal, is your sweater on inside out?” He quickly checked and said, “gosh I hope not. I’ve really had a time with this thing today.” He had already changed it once. I laughed, teased him for being a senior citizen and excused myself for the men’s room.

My visit was of the standing nature. I prepared but couldn’t find a critical opening. Guys, you know what I’m referring to. There was nothing but fabric where there was supposed to be access. I had my boxers on backwards.

Got the picture? I had to move inside a stall and get undressed. Off came shoes, trousers and boxers. It was a good thing that my visit wasn’t an emergency.

Of course, I confessed to Larry. The service reps howled at their two leaders that couldn’t get dressed. Debate ensued as to which of us was the most absurd.

There are lots of Bill & Larry stories. I hid his new car and he reported it stolen. Weeks later it really was stolen and he didn’t report it. He was convinced I had hidden it again.

Another time I grabbed his keys by mistake. We had identical cars. I scolded him for being absent minded when he discovered them missing. I realized my mistake when his keys wouldn’t start my car. I had called the kettle black.

What does this have to do with business and selling? Probably not much but I’ll try to make a connection.

I saw this often in operations. I had a great rep. He sold us plates, film, processors, workflow software and specific types of printing machines. We thought of his name anytime we had a problem to solve.

We wanted to buy a wide format press he sold. It was a 7-figure deal and we were ready to go. He brought the category head with him. This guy was there to cut through clutter and help us get a deal done.

Everything we asked for was a problem. He needed more time to prepare a proposal. He couldn’t get to it for several days due to travel. Specifics we wanted considered would take him time to evaluate. We had a board meeting a few days later and it was obvious I wouldn’t have a contract in time.

Finally, I said, “you claimed you were here to cut through the clutter. You suggested that you were here to help us get a deal done. So far, all you’ve done is tell me how hard our requests are. It’s lots easier working with our salesperson.”

This time the pot heard the kettle. He realized he wasn’t helping. He was in the way. The proposal arrived on time in spite of the struggles and we bought the machine.

It’s worn out but Everyone Is In Sales. I don’t care if you run a machine, calculate a price or load cartons. How you do what you do either disappoints clients or sells more stuff.

Think about that when you feel compelled to complain about a rep. Are you doing your part to ring the cash register? Ultimately, everyone has that responsibility.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.