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Does the Law of the Harvest Apply to Sales?

As a boy, I loved going to visit my grandfather to work with him on his farm. It was hard work, and apart from when the ground was frozen in winter, there was always a lot to do.

In the fall, grandpa planted the winter wheat. The timing was important. He wanted it just to begin to grow before the winter snows came. Then in the spring, it was time to plant summer wheat and barley, and of course, a massive vegetable garden.

Then came the long wait until the harvest. Of course, there was weeding and plowing to do, animals to tend to, and equipment to repair.

But I could always tell when it was close to harvest time because grandpa would pull the giant combine out of the barn and start getting it ready for the upcoming harvest. Everything had to be in tip-top shape once harvest time came. Because, you can’t afford a piece of equipment to break down in the middle of the harvest!

The Law of the Harvest

Farmers like my grandpa know that there is a natural order to things. First, you must plant. Second, you must care for the crop. Third, you must wait for the harvest. And fourth, you must be prepared to act when harvest time comes.

The fifth law of the harvest is you only harvest what you sow. If you sow wheat, you get wheat. If you sow barley, you get barley. Whatever you sow comes back to you in some multiple of what you planted. One seed of wheat generally produces 50 kernels! That’s a pretty good return.

Sales also have a law of the harvest.

The Sales Law of the Harvest

I learned how the law of the harvest applies to sales very early in my career. I presented a deal to a local independent grocer several times, but he never bought. Then one day he said yes. So, I called another independent grocer down the street later that day, and he bought for the first time as well.

I asked the second grocer what influenced him to buy from me that day. He told me, that he and his friend down the street had been comparing notes about how I treated them and what deals I presented them. He explained I had always treated them respectfully as I learned their business, and I always gave them the exact same deals. I had earned their trust, he said.

It turns out those first weeks of presenting and learning their business I was planting the seeds. Also, because I was patient, a harvest came in the form of a nice order—well not one order, but two orders on the same day!

Then to my surprise, several other local independent grocers started ordering from me regularly. Later, I discovered that they were all part of the same association, and they frequently talked about the salespeople and the deals they were getting.

My harvest of orders multiplied as I grew to know my customers, treated them with respect and cared for their businesses as though it were my own.

The Golden Rule of Sales

I had treated my customers, as I would have wanted to be treated if the roles were reversed. I was following the Golden Rule, something I learned attending church with my grandparents.

The Golden Rule of Selling is simple; treat your customer as you would want to be treated.

See, by putting customers first, we develop trusting relationships. And when we have trusting relationships, the Law of the Harvest kicks in. We reap the rewards of increased business through referrals and loyal customers.

But all this takes time. It takes patience.

Plant Seeds Today

You don’t plant a seed today and then go out looking for the plant tomorrow and expect to reap a harvest. Likewise, in sales, you don’t build a relationship with a customer on the first visit. Relational salespeople know that it takes time to build trusting relationships, so they are patient.

Relational salespeople know the seeds they plant today will return a greater harvest if they are patient and care for their customers. The harvest comes in the form of fiercely loyal customers and referrals that will build your business.

The Law of Harvest applies to sales in much the same way as it did on my grandpa’s farm. Plant today by building relationships with your customers, take care of the crop by servicing the needs of your customers, and be ready when harvest time comes!

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you experienced the Sales Law of the Harvest in your career?

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Category: Salesperson

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What 3 Skills Do Successful Salespeople Need?

I’ll never forget when the first 14400 baud rate modem arrived in our office. As a sales manager, I was excited about the possibilities. This modem was so fast we could send emails to the sales force in a matter of seconds! Imagine that!

Then, the 28800-modem arrived, and not long after the 56K modem. With this new 56K speed demon, we could not only send emails to the sales force; we could develop presentations and send them to customers! The customers could read the presentations and send us a reply email back with their orders!

Who needs a salesforce with this kind of technology? Well, that is what most managers wondered in 1990.

Even though technology continued to advance, salespeople are still around 30-years later. In fact, I would argue salespeople are more important to commerce in our globalized world than ever.

Technology has changed the world, and the successful salesperson changed right with it. Today’s salesperson doesn’t look much like the salesperson from the 1980s.

So, with all these technological changes, what skills will a salesperson need to be successful over the next 30-years?

Three Critical Skills

The diversity of industries, products, and channels of distribution has made sales roles incredibly complex. Successful salespeople need a vast array of skill sets to succeed now and in the future.

If you Google sales skills, you will no doubt come across long lists of the needed skills proffered by a variety of experts. However, I’ve found all those long lists of skills can be condensed into three critical skill sets; conceptual skills, technical skills, and human skills.

Conceptual Skills

Conceptual skills, by definition, allows a person to visualize concepts, see patterns, understand abstract ideas, solve problems, formulate processes, and understand how systems, programs, and ideas interrelate.

Generally speaking, conceptual skills are those, which allow the salesperson to think creatively and act strategically. They also allow the salesperson to visualize the entire sales process. This visualization includes understanding the buyer’s needs and knowing where one’s product fits into their needs.

Technical Skills

Technical skills are the required skills to get the job done. They include the techniques, practices, tools, and processes needed by a salesperson to sell effectively.

Technical sales skills vary depending on the industry but commonly include presentation skills, knowledge of the product, knowledge of the customer, analytical and problem-solving abilities, and the ability to use specialized software specific to the industry.

Human Skills

Human skills are those which allow the salesperson to work effectively with and through other people. When defined broadly, human skills are a combination of social, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Typical human skills include communication, empathy, stress management, and conflict resolution.

A sure sign of someone with strong human skills is someone who likes other people and who is liked by them. Think about it, do you know any successful salespeople who don’t genuinely enjoy working with people, helping them to solve problems, and serving their needs? No, I don’t either.

Needs Vary

Not all sales roles are created equal. Some roles require higher levels of technical skills than others. Some sales processes are more complex than others and require salespeople with stronger conceptual skills. However, all sales roles require strong human skills.

The balance between conceptual, technical, and human skills also varies depending on the operation level of the salesperson. Beginner salespeople may need to develop their technical skills. As the salesperson advances to larger, more complicated customers, there is an increased need for strong conceptual skills.

The bottom line is that salespeople have a secure future even in the digital, globalized world of commerce. But only if they adapt and develop the skills that are needed to deliver value to their companies and their customers.

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. Is there any character trait I described here you think is more or less important than others?

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Category: Salesperson

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The ABC’s of Relational Selling

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Everybody Sells. What Kind of Salesperson Are You?

Whether you realize it or not you have always been a salesperson, and you will be for the rest of your life!

Think about it, little kids asking their parents for a new toy are selling. Teenagers asking to borrow the family car are selling. Asking for a date is selling, so is asking a professor to change your grade, asking for a raise, or applying for a new job. Asking someone to marry you is certainly selling!

So, the real question is, what kind of a salesperson are you?

Over the years I have found three main types of salespeople. These types are what I refer to as traditional salespeople, professional salespeople, and relational salespeople.

Traditional Salesperson

Traditional salespeople are guided by their own self-interests. They do what they think they can get away with selling. These people are ego driven and prideful, so they are unlikely to share credit but will take credit for themselves instead. They attribute their results to their own efforts and money is their chief motivator.

An elderly friend of mine needed to replace her aging car and was on a very tight budget. She visited a car dealer where an aggressive salesperson persuaded her to buy a new car, which was well over her budget, rather than of a good used car within her budget. What’s worse the car had a hatchback rear door, which was so heavy she couldn’t even open it!

This salesman was a traditional salesman. He only cared about making a sale, not what was best for this elderly customer.

Professional Salesperson

Professional salespeople are less focused on self-interest compared to traditional salespeople. They do what is legally required to take care of customers. They are prideful and ego-driven, but they will share credit when it is in their benefit. They attribute their results to their personal efforts but recognize the influence of other employees and customers. Money is important to the professional salesperson but not to the extent that they would do things detrimental to the customer.

A plumber who was doing some work in my house recommended a whole house water filtration system, and he was good enough to mention a couple of quality manufacturers. I contacted one of the manufacturers who sold me a whole house system. When it arrived, my plumber told me the manufacturer had sold me the wrong system. He said based on the chemicals in our water; this system would last just a few months before it would have to be replaced. Although the manufacturer knew better, they still sold me the wrong system anyway.

Instead of leaving me to deal with the manufacturer he called them personally and explained the system I needed to them, arranged for a replacement system, and even returned the old system to the manufacturer himself.

He was a professional salesperson. He did what was right to help me so I wouldn’t be stuck with a system I couldn’t use.

Relational Salesperson

Relational salespeople are focused on customer interests. They are “golden rule” salespeople because they want to do the right thing for the customer. The interests of others are most important to the relational salesperson. They are not prideful nor are they ego driven. They have no problem attributing results to all those involved in a sale. Making a sale and earning money results from serving the interests of the customer well.

A good friend told me about a salesperson who worked at an audio-video store, who is a true relational salesperson. My friend’s mother was remodeling her house and wanted to replace aging TV’s and stereo equipment. She also wanted the convenience of having a single remote control to manage all the devices.

This relational salesperson put a system together that met all of her needs, programmed a universal remote control, installed the system, and showed her how to use it all properly. It’s been several years, but whenever she has a question or problem, he still gives her the help she needs.

He was a relational salesperson. He cared about the needs of his customer, and he worked hard to meet those needs. Furthermore, he continued to provide service to the customer long after the initial sale was concluded.

What Kind of Salesperson Are You?

So, what kind of salesperson are you going to be? Are you going to be a traditional salesperson who is in it only for themselves? Are you a professional salesperson who will meet the needs of your customer if it doesn’t interfere with you making a sale? Or, are you a relational salesperson who puts the needs and interests of your customers first?

If you want to build a loyal list of clientele who will come back to you repeatedly, then you need to be a relational salesperson. A relational salesperson who first seeks to understand the needs of their customer and then works hard to meet those needs is the only salesperson I want working for me and the only kind I want to work with professionally!

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. I’d like to hear what kind of salespeople you have encountered Which type do you prefer working with?

I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of the people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?