When I started as a Commercial Account Manager in 2007, I knew nothing about sales. My background was human resource management and training & development; I knew people but not sales. But I needed a change and a steady opportunity to be financially stable for my family, and sales provided that opportunity.
I was adamant about NOT being the stereotypical used car salesman. I did not want to come across as pushy or greedy. I wanted to be genuine. I wanted my customers to know I cared. I wanted to make a difference. I found that in commercial pest control, and in pest control, I found my niche.
Nowadays, with sales experts like Victor Antonio (find him Here), we learn that a gentle nudging through the process is ok. As an emotional intelligence advocate in the sales process, I have learned that building relationships and maintaining relationships is key, and that building relationships internally is also a powerful tool in creating a strong sales foundation. I was given great advice when I started – “start early, and make sure that without fail you talk to 20 people a day.” And so my success story started.
I put in the grind work, and I built my reputation day in and day out. I prided myself on being a partner in the industry, in knowing my craft, and in working to truly solve problems. I worked for my customer’s customers, to make them satisfied guests of the establishments they visited. And by genuinely caring and wanting the best for the people I met, I was successful. My mindset going in is not to make a sale, but to make a friend.
Opportunity for sales is always there, no matter the industry. In an open market, your part of the competition, offering similar products or services as the next salesperson that walks through the door. In that lies the only differentiator, the true differentiator, and that is you. You are the key to your own success or failure in sales. Success comes from doing what others are not, and remaining true to yourself. How you are as a person is how you should be a salesperson. If you try to change that, you will fail.
One thing is for certain, you are NOT a typical salesman.
Happy hunting! — Trisha
The E.I. Insider 
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