Chapter 14
Rule #3: You’ll Find Just Two Kinds of People in the Entire World

  

Your sales career will instantly blossom as soon as you embrace Rule #3 which states that there are only two types of people you will ever come in contact with regardless of your industry. Your mission is to find out as quickly as possible who is who. The two types are: (1) people you can help; and (2) the other kind.

If there is one overriding lesson that I would like you to internalize at the expense of all the others, this is it. This rule, when internalized, will place you in the driver’s seat. You will become more effective, and your life will become less stressful (and more pleasurable). This rule is a real life saver.

Your job is to sort out suspects/prospects by determining the type of each new acquaintance as quickly as possible. If the prospect qualifies as someone who has a need for your professional help, you do your thing. If the person appears to be someone who cannot use or is not interested in what you can do for them, you bid them a pleasant “good day” while you promptly ease yourself on down the road.

I get chills when I hear skilled trainers tell their sales force, “This ain’t no picnic. You have to push for the order.” Or, “Don’t take no for an answer.” Or, “Go for the jugular!” Or, “You are the loser if you don’t get the order.”

These guys have been watching too many professional wrestling matches on channel 57. This is not a matter of who can beat up whom, how fast for what payout. Who, I ask with a modicum of indignity, do these managers/big shots think we are? Some Neanderthal rejects who just crawled out from under a rock? This “pound ‘em into submission” approach may work at carnivals and football, but it certainly doesn’t work in today’s sophisticated marketplace when trying to establish long-term relationships with intelligent people. Yes, a number of less- than-squared-away individuals are floating around the world these days — people who skipped a few classes while hanging out at the corner candy store. But by and large, most folks today are both honest and up to speed.

Your task is to enter the marketplace to identify people who have a need for what you do. Then, you can provide a service or product that is both useful and appreciated.

It makes little sense trying to talk your way into helping people who don’t need or want your help. This exercise of misguided competitive persistence regularly leads to unsuccessful, painful, unfulfilled dead-end, frustrating and bitter sales careers. And besides, while you are trying to push through these man-made “barriers”, your stress level is spiking beyond the healthy zone. Who suffers beside you when this happens? Everybody. Your family suffers. Your friends suffer. Your associates and anyone else who comes into contact with you suffers.

My time proven, hold-no-punches, shoot-from-the-hip, candid advice is to stop trying to sell stuff and spend more time locating those individuals who have a genuine interest, need and want for you and what you represent.