A little while ago I wrote about a situation is which I was contacted directly by my company's main competitor with the intention of them bringing me on-board with their company in a national role; I met with the person, an upper-level executive, and listened to his proposal. In the course of the discussion he asked me about what I thought was the reason for my success in the industry which I've only been in for a short time and because I didn't want to give away any real information I answered vaguely then clarified in a basic way.
Cluelessness
That's right, I told him, my cluelessness is my greatest asset, and managed to keep a totally straight face when I said it, and the look upon his face was absolutely priceless.
He'd contacted me because I have secured many rather sizable accounts that his company used to hold; take enough away from the competition and they panic, move away from their own game-plan and begin to act in increasingly desperate ways which only serves to destabilise them further. It amused me to watch him from across the table thinking, how the fuck does this fellow who calls cluelessness his best feature, take all that work away from us?
Well, it's not magic; it's a lifetime of hard work, consistency, persistence, failures, evaluation, research and study, the right thoughts, attitudes and actions, dealing with rejection, managing my emotional state, ego and hubris, experience, making changes and not being afraid to fail and a thousand other things as well.
Let me explain my cluelessness
On the surface it looks like I'm saying I have no clue, but only a fool would think that of me, and then probably pay the consequences. What I meant, and one of the other success-elements I didn't list above, is the ability to not prejudge a situation.
I don't look at an opportunity and think, I'm too inexperienced, too new, too expensive, or whatever, to approach that opportunity. I might not initially understand how my company could fit their situation but if I don't walk in the door I'll never know, and that'll be an opportunity lost. Prejudging a possible outcome and failing to pursue it will only ever do one thing which is to cause that opportunity to never have the chance to eventuate or progress.
I work in the fast-paced heavy transport, freight and logistics industry; it's demanding and very lucrative.
Winning an account could mean annual revenue of many millions of dollars to my company and for years to come and my company expect results, and when I deliver them they expect more in an endless cycle. It's not easy work, in fact it's really fucking hard work, but - I'm not trying to sound immodest here - I seem to be able to do it with relative ease and the results have come quickly. I'm not saying I'm the best there ever was here, I'm simply not. However the experience and skills I've gained throughout my life seem to have focused and with my cluelessness, my lack of prejudgement of a situation, I am making things happen. I do what other's don't, I walk in the door and ask questions.
It's about people
This time last year I quit my job of some twenty years in commercial real estate and took a couple months off. After I got a little bored I sent out a few applications and had four interviews inside of a week.
I recall, in one of them, the interview panel telling me I had no experience with their product and I agreed because it was true. I was confident I could do the work and explained that when I'm selling a product or service, any at all, there's a single common denominator and that's the fact I'm selling to a person. I know people and so I feel qualified, is basically what I said. They went on to test my skills in that regard and I demonstrated with ease.
Of course, sometimes there's a degree of technical knowledge involved, but they knew I didn't have the technical knowledge based on my curriculum vitae and yet there I was, being interviewed. Sales is always about the person and is less about the product. If you need a spoon, there's only so many different types, and so it comes down to people and how they feel, interact and understand each other. If I was not to treat with the decision-makers and others well, the other spoon company would win the business probably even if my spoon was a bit cheaper; it happens all the time. People want to deal with people they like, or so I've found.
Not every door I walk into turns into immediate business, it never will. But if I walk in I have a chance, and the rest is up to the situation and whether my company has a viable solution, and how I move the process forward with the people I'm dealing with.
Using my ears and mouth in proportion - that is two to one - listening 66.6 percent of the time and talking 33.3 percent of the time, reading body language and commanding my own to get into a synergistic situation with the prospect and then providing solutions based on the needs analysis I've conducted is what wins business. Understanding my product is a focus, but it's more about showing how it can cater to the prospects' requirements and needs than it is talking at them and downloading a pile of knowledge or information.
Anyway, that's how my cluelessness helps me succeed at heavy transport, trucking and logistics, a highly-competitive and cut-throat industry. Having the ability to walk in without prejudging a possible situation and its chance of success or failure has it's merits in my business and others, and has paid dividends for me.
This post was written within the worklife community, a fairly new community based around one's work life. If you're keen, take a look, read the guidelines and rules and have a try at it.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
The image in this post is my own
Cluelessness is good and can sometimes drive towards success only if the person associated intends to crack the case open, a rare quality we do not see everyday. From your perspective, I guess you tried to focus on the opportunity of learning every cluelessness entails. Yes, it opens the door to potential growth, I agree with you.
But to succeed, you need some background knowledge. Otherwise, things may get complicated and most probably, many will loose interests in pursuing the matter as they don't have a clue, lol.
Although I am not a marketing veteran, knowing people helps. If you know the people, you know how to approach; first step towards marketing success.
Thank you for your valuable post. I didn't have a clue that reading this would be worthwhile 😁
Indeed.
A person who has been collecting garbage in the street for twenty years being dropped into a job like mine would probably fail quite miserably. But that person, with the right thoughts, attitudes and actions can be taught some of the other elements and moved closer to potential success.
Willingness to learn encourages others to help the man to achieve excellence. But he have to demonstrate evidence that his learning curve is receptive to knowledge and guidance shared by experts in the field. And when motivation combines with the right set of skill, growth ensues.
Hahahahaha such a great answer that that question of success: Cluelessness.
Must admit, what you write about what makes a good salesperson, I tend to agree with you. That and some other stuff you didn't mention. I am not a salesperson; I'm the one who helps a salesperson with the product/solution/service side of things, the one that designs the solutions with and for the prospect and/or customer. Having worked with so many sales persons, business developers, account managers, I can only conclude: Not so many good sales peeps around. But those who are, do very very well. And those who do, don't have to play dirty at all. And and and, they do good regardless the product/service they sell, whether they have knowledge and experience with them, or not; Like you wrote.
It's a skill anyone can learn I think although I think many get it completely wrong. I never sell to people; it's about finding out then solving their problems with the product or service I offer, in my case these days, heavy transport and logistics. There's sales techniques of course, but they're secondary to other more important things. The world has changed.
Yea, I agree with you. Well, added to that, one shall understand who are influencers and who are decision makers. In my line of business, most sales peeps talk with lower-level peeps in the organisation, but in the end, someone at the board level will decide. The trick is to find some sponsor on that level. Not so many sales peeps understand the art of finding the peeps they need to eventually make the deal. Most of these peeps failing on this, also fail on what you describe. It is just funny to see how many sales peeps think they are good, while they are easily outclassed by those who are really good.
The really good sales people tend to just get on with things and the not so good ones tend to whine and complain about the really good ones, rather than learning what they do and trying to up their own game.
Maybe you are correct.
I just see that many peeps in sales are not really sales peeps. Their core attitude is not what is required. In my line of business, in my country, I see mucho sales peeps taking such positions because they like the compensation packages which are a lot higher than what any other 'soldiers' role will get. If they can't get to their targets, either they get compensated still, or only after years of being asked to move away. Another company will give them a new position again, hence many sales peeps continue what they are doing, not being good at sales.
Most sales people are order takers and not influencers. There's a massive difference.
Thanks for introducing this new community! First time seeing this! :)
No worries, I like to bring attention to new and interesting communities.
You know, the guy that you met with was really the one who was clueless and probably still is. He would have gained so much knowledge if he was here reading this - a lot more than you told him in your meeting anyhow.
I think that experience is the key with sales in any industry, you get a feel for it as time goes on and you get more under your belt and so a lot of what you've described now happens as second nature. Not everyone is a people person but you can learn to be good at it if you employ the right tactics. There's a saying that goes something like this
Ask someone about themselves and they'll tell everyone about how interesting YOU are.
I'm glad that you kept a straight face when you said that to him, that's brilliant, he's probably still baffled by it.
Yep, and he paid for the coffee too! Sucker! Lol.
I think of myself as a problem-solver, not a sales person; understand the problem and devise a viable way to deliver a satisfactory solution, and a person is almost assured of getting the business. I think that's one of my big strengths, (other than cluelessness). I take the time to listen to hear people rather than listen to respond and sell. They tell me exactly which directions to move and I just move that way...Accounts/sales ensue and they feel happy about the process as they haven't been sold to. It brings confidence and if people feel that in me then I'm almost assured the business.
It wasn't totally straight, my face is, after all, rather fucken wonky. 😜
That's kind of funny for the competitor to invite you in and just ask you directly how you are spiriting away their business. I had to take a moment to mull that one over. LOL I guess he's no slacker himself, being so bold and direct. I wonder if he really expected you to tell him. I guess he had to try.
Seems he's the clueless one huh?
If I did I would simply have said...it's magic.
I figure he is from the school of "ask for everything, sometimes you will get it and sometimes you wont, but you won't be any worse off after either way" I know folks like that.
More likely though, he wanted to look into the eye of the man that was walking up and taking the money out of his wallet. LOL
He wants me to work for the company, has contacted me twice since and has been quite pushy, which is the MO of that particular company, which is why I'll never work for them, no matter the money.
It sounds like you describe cluelessness as open-mindedness. You have a great attitude, good luck with your success.
Well, cluelessness is a thing, and I know many people who are clueless in one way or the other; but in this case I mean it to indicate the lack of prejudgement which is one of the many reasons people fail to attempt a thing. I don't look at how big or small a company may be and think, we're not for them, I walk in and ask.
Definitions have meaning and cluelessness generally means that you don't have a clue about the subject at hand or anything. I think you need a better word or description for your position, lol. I think you have a great attitude and fresh way of approaching whatever you may work on. Maybe refreshed might describe your approach better.
Well, considering the situation, and the fact the person opposite me runs my company's biggest competitor, I'm happy for him to think of me as a total fucken idiot...he can think that all the way up to me demolishing his company by taking their accounts...But he still talked to me about that national role, so I guess he knew what I meant.
I'm not one to worry about what people think of me, I know who I am and it suits me for people to underestimate me; I don't go out of my way to change people's perceptions, that's a fools errand, and their perceptions don't carry an ounce of weight with me anyway.
I see what you mean now. It's kind of funny in hindsight the thought of the clueless idiot demolishing his accounts now that you mention it. I misread the intention of the cluelessness comment.
I'm Australian and sarcasm and dry humour is what we do. As I said in my post, to think of me as clueless isn't smart.
I can see it already... hahahahahhaa. Manage to keep a totally straight face... hehehehehehe. Thats hilarious man. I don't think I could have done the same. I would be crying from laughing to hard.
This is the number one in my rule book. When it comes to work, your not just earning money... your earning people actually. And to earn people there is no such thing as a short cut. NEVER. It really takes up a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to earn.... to get something that was not mine... to have someone give up to you money. Its so hard... also at the same time the habits of work usually follows ones habits not at work as well.
Cluelessness is an absolute necessity... its required to make the next leap.
If we knew how to calculate to be everything right.... I bet there will be very little advancement if not any. From failure is where I truly learn the most and it helps the person to evaluate deeply though as time organizes the data in your brain, then with that experience you level up for the next bigger objective.
I am friends with a very good fighter back in high school that fights because he keeps getting challenged. He once told me that in order to fight good its not about enjoying fighting... you have to change your mind into enjoying getting punched and hit. After I heard that and when I witness his fights.... I realized even in life you got to take the negative into something positive to beat out the crowd. Crazy as it sounds it works even in real life.
There is a reason there is a saying "It takes balls of steel to...." To me this is basically talking about sometimes you need to just trust yourself and take a leap of faith.... courage. Don't Think! JUST DO IT!
and its the very reason why I love Nike slogan so much. :)
I would love to keep hearing about your work and life stories. Reading through them also gives me some mentorship for myself as I move through the jungle called life. There is a lot I would like to learn and just reading your posts helps my line of ethics and adds more elements to my own purpose as well. RESPECT!!
Thanks!!
Cool
I can see that you started your account today...It's a shame your first few comments are such inane and useless ones though and, if you're to get anywhere, you're going to have to do much better. Also, voting your own comments isn't well regarded around here, and will probably have the reverse effect that you wish it to.
Keren