Wednesday, May 19, 2010

BloggeRhythms 5/21/2010

The last few days I've typed about a guy I met in business who had some ego problems making him quite undesirable to deal with. There are, however, several others who provide good story fodder, not because they're "bad" people, but just a bit off the mark for other reasons.

In one case, I joined a company as Manager of Sales that already had a sales force. And on that staff was someone whose history with the owner went back to the business' inception, and even extended to a preceding enterprise. Old retainers, though, are fairly common and tend to be measured by values outside the general guidelines regarding quality of performance or productivity.

In this person's situation, although he'd been a salesman for many, many years he lacked one of the profession's most important, if not paramount requirements. He, for whatever reason, was unable to "close" a deal. Now, he had other capabilities and talents, which likely were the underlying reason for his longevity with the owner.

Though I don't recall anything being taught about a particular ability in any business school curricula or text regarding sales, there's a skill called "shmoozing." And, first and foremost with my subject of today and, perhaps, his only trait having great professional value, was his proficiency at shmoozing.

Now, what is a shmoozer? A shmoozer's someone who could enter a room of strangers gathered for any reason, or visit a barber shop, or stand on a corner waiting for a bus and within an eye-blink meet everyone else there, learn their names and occupations, their age, their marital and offspring situation and whatever other key statistics shmoozers generally dig out.

Now, I don't think shmoozers have a particular goal in mind when they set out accumulating information, it's just that in their need to communicate with whomever is in earshot, discussing basic demographic information is natural in their patter.

As wonderful as this capability is though -meeting, greeting, and instantly comingling with virtually anyone with ease- there's a pitfall. Because while information gained can have tremendous value, one also has to be able to sort what's important and cull out the rest. And, in this case the sorting task was my part.

After this salesperson spent a day in the field, or on the phone, or visiting a trade show perhaps, I'd dutifully listen to his tales of who'd told him what and why, and then try to figure out which parts of his activities had value, then work with him to follow up. Of course, I also tried my best to impart some knowledge about what contracts were all about, how to price and present them, and why customers were asked to sign agreements to begin with. But, fundamentals and details went unheeded. Not out of disrespect for me or our organization, of course, but simply because he had no interest whatsoever in those kinds of matters.

And then one day, seemingly out of the blue, this person indicated some desire to at least take the first steps toward conducting some actual business. He even began paying attention to some of the detail involved. Shortly later, he went to visit a business whose application for financing had been approved.

The business opportunity had been referred to us by an equipment supplier with which we transacted considerable volume, and was also one that the shmoozer had discovered in the first place. So when the shmoozer said he'd like to handle the contract closing himself, I was more than pleased, whereas this was a significant indication of progress and a sign of professional growth. With that the shmoozer took the paperwork and went out the door.

As it turned out, however, the shmoozer returned to our office empty-handed. For whatever reason the paperwork had not been executed by the prospective customer and that, apparently, was that. Then, soon after, I received a call from the customer, a woman who ran the operation and someone I'd never met. Without telling me why or what happened, she explained that her business really needed the equipment and would I please send someone other than the shmoozer to her office with the contracts.

Under the circumstances, I went to see her myself. The woman was somewhat frosty towards me, and let me know that had she not gone as far down the road with us as she had, she'd have sought another provider. But, in the end she signed the paperwork, never once even hinting at what the shmoozer had done to obviously upset her so.

When the meeting was over, I took the elevator down to the lobby of the building on Broadway in Manhattan where the client's business resided, stepped into the street and was about to head for Penn Station to go back to our office. And, lo and hold, who suddenly appeared before me? Why none other than the shmoozer of course.

He asked me how the meeting had gone and inquired if I'd been successful. I dutifully explained that all had gone well and the deal was done. With that he lit up a big black cigar, his victory treat to himself. And then he looked at me intently and addressed me absolutely sincerely without a blink, "You know, Mike. I could have closed that deal myself...if she would have only let me in her office again."

That's it for today folks.

Adios

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