I: Salesman
I cite Five Fears that prevent most people from even considering a career in Sales in my 2004 book, The Greatest Job You Never Thought Of.
For many, the most fearsome of these is:
The Stigma of Being Called A Salesman.
For the general public the word “Salesman” conjures up images of a sweaty guy in yellow pants, plaid sportcoat, loud tie and white shoes slapping you on the back as he greets you at the used car lot. That image may never die.
Few of those people exist today and fewer still prosper. Today’s buyers are much too sophisticated and well informed to buy from someone like that and the Information Age offers too many purchasing options and buyer communities to support that approach.
Nonetheless, I believe that one of the reasons we as salespeople are paid so well is our willingness to accept that label, carry that burden. On an in-home sales call I once made, the homeowner said to me, “Well, I hate to call you a salesman but I guess that’s what you are.” I guess he was right.
Recently I came across a web site that not only accepts that mantel but celebrates it. iSalesman.com is a community exclusively of, by and for salespeople. I spoke to one of the co-founders, George Kanuck, on the phone today and he’s agreed to do an audio interview with me to post on this site. Look for that very soon.
I’m a big booster of LinkedIn, a member of more than 10 Sales groups on that site and intend to continue my level of activity and community there. But there is one feature that iSalesman.com offers that I think every salesperson should check out; their Rate My Company feature.
iSalesman.com’s Rate My Company feature allows you to anonymously rate your current or past employer on a 1-5 scale for three critical criteria;
- Culture
- Training and Support
- Compensation
You can also share notes to support your ratings in detail. All submissions are moderated before being posted to the site.
Through iSalesman’s partnership with JigSaw.com they have hundreds of companies to choose from. You can even add a new one if you don’t find what you’re looking for.
One of the most important elements is the Rate My Company’s list of top scoring companies. If you’re looking for a great company to work for – or wonder how the company you’re currently working for or interviewing with stacks up – this is the place to find out.
It’s also a wonderful, if brutally honest, feedback mechanisms for corporate ownership and management. Wonder why you’re experiencing so much turnover and trouble recruiting quality reps? Check out what people are saying about you at iSalesman.com. See what your peers with higher ratings are doing that you’re not, and not doing that you are.
I’ve already recommended to one of my clients that our goal should be to earn five stars in all three categories if we are serious about recruiting success going forward. He agreed.
Check out the site and join for free. Once you’re there, please connect with me as a friend and join The World’s Greatest Sales Team group. Then come back here and tell everyone what you think!
Frank Felker
frank_felker@yahoo.com
866-949-2661
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