Common Myths About Salespeople: Debunked

     

       A position in sales can be a fantastic and rewarding career! However, salespeople often get a bad rap due to the stereotypes perpetuated by the general public. In fact, some salespeople actually do perpetuate the stereotype without even knowing (or meaning) it! That doesn’t mean these labels are true, though! 

        If you have really thick skin, these assumptions based on your chosen profession may not bother you one bit, but studies have shown that the stigma can have a negative impact on your ability to perform. What are some common stereotypes concerning salespeople? Recent polls suggest that people in sales are often viewed  as untrustworthy, dishonest, pushy and greedy. What gives?!!! Why does a career in sales carry such a stigma? Let’s set the record straight and squash these silly stereotypes! 

Myth #1: Salespeople work for commission and are therefore dishonest, unethical and pushy. Think shifty used car salesman. We've all heard the stereotype. Most salespeople are very driven and hardworking. That does not make them pushy. Most people in sales are genuinely concerned with providing a service of good standards and do have strong business ethics. Of course, there are some bad apples out there who ruin it for everyone else. (I can remember being chased halfway through the mall once by someone who wanted to straighten my hair and sell me hair products. What the heck???) If you’re chasing after people who are clearly uninterested and making them uncomfortable, you are probably one of those pushy salespeople and you should work on that. However, most people aren’t. And the fact is, no matter what your profession, we are all salespeople in some perspective and we all represent some sort of brand, so it’s time to move on from this unfair label. 

Myth #2: If you can’t talk a good game, you can’t sell. While you must be able to adequately represent your product, you don’t have to be the smoothest talker on the planet. In fact, one of the most important qualities in sales is being a good listener. Listen to your prospects’ needs and interests and you will excel way farther than someone who can BS their way through a sale. 

Myth #3: Sales is a roller coaster ride when it comes to success. Sales is only up and down if you let the process take you over. You need to take charge, you need to have goals and you need to have a clear cut plan for accomplishing these goals. Most businesses have seasonal shifts in productivity, but that doesn’t mean you will fall apart. You just need a plan. 

Myth #4: You have to be numb to be in sales. Salespeople will probably hear the word "NO” more than anyone else due to the nature of the business. You do not need to be completely numb to rejection, you just need to understand that it is not personal. There will be times when you’ll mess up, but you’ll learn from it. Most times, it’s not you; it’s just that the person is not in need of the service you represent. Rejection is only a bad thing if you let it eat you up. Otherwise, it’s a great opportunity for learning and growth! 

Myth #5: Sales is a dead end road. Are you serious??? Sales actually has tremendous opportunity for growth and promotion! In fact, did you know that at least 85% of company owners and entrepreneurs were once salespeople?! Starting with sales is a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of a particular business with the luxury of being molded by your experienced superiors (who were likely once salespeople too!). If the end of the road is becoming a CEO/President of your own company, then the end looks pretty good to me! 

Unfortunately, stereotypes like these are hard to get rid of, but don’t let it get you down. In the future, we’ll discuss how to overcome the stigma of sales and avoid letting these opinions effect your performance. Just keep doing your thang! Happy Sales! =)

Helping Others to Help Yourself!

There’s an old saying that goes; ultimately, we only have what we give. While putting in the blood, sweat and tears in pursuing your life goals is a huge component in whether or not you’ll be successful in life, giving and helping others is equally important. Not only is giving and sharing a part of being a decent human being, but helping others will, in turn, help you as well. Helping others should be a natural extension of every entrepreneur and business leader’s obligations and here are some ways to incorporate this into your routine interactions:

Share your findings. Share the knowledge you’ve gained through your own experiences with others who are following your same path. Obviously, there are certain circumstances when it would be to your benefit to keep your methods a secret, but when it won’t hurt, share! Surely there have been times when someone has guided you and saved you the time and trouble of an ongoing trial and error type deal. Not only are you giving someone a break, but you are initiating a possible long term connection where you can exchange tips, methods and ideas. 

Share your resources. If you have invested in some resources to help you with your work, why not share with others? This not only applies to material objects or systems, but your employees as well. If you have someone who’s great at one particular area, offer to have them train someone in a similar position elsewhere (if they are wiling, of course). 

Inform others of opportunities. Know what those you interact with are interested in and if you spot an opportunity, give them a heads up! Use your business connections to suggest job openings or other general business opportunities. 

Introduce your connections. Help your contacts meet other contacts if it will be beneficial to them. Advocate for businesses that you interact with and help them to network with others. However, never sacrifice your credibility if you are not actually genuinely pleased with these businesses’ services or ethics. 

Give them credibility. Recognize your business connections to help boost their notoriety. You can do this by mentioning them through social media or mentioning them in an article you’ve written. 

Participating in friendly relationships with businesses that you network with will ultimately benefit your business directly. Creating and maintaing mutually beneficial friendships opens up countless opportunities for growth and improvement for all parties involved. 

 

Making Your Workspace Your Own!

Your work environment and the way your office is decorated and organized has a direct impact on how you feel while at work and ultimately your productivity. If your office decor is drab or dreary looking, chances are you’re not going to be too psyched about being there. If your office space is cluttered and disorganized you will likely feel overwhelmed and disorganized, yourself. On the other hand, if your office is organized and cheery, your performance will be much more satisfactory. There are many ways to make your office more purposeful and comfortable from practicing feng shui to adding personal touches to your decor. 

First, let’s talk about color. Of course, it is not typically practical to paint your office or cubical, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add color in other ways! Cool colors like blues and greens are said to have a calming effect while warm colors such as reds, oranges and yellows are said to make you feel more energized and focused. Choose colors that inspire you and make you most comfortable. Some ways to incorporate color without actually painting the walls include artwork, an area rug, colored furniture or some funky office supplies. Have fun with it! (Just be sure not to get too outrageous to the point of becoming unprofessional.) Lighting can also make a big difference in your level of comfort. You don’t need to settle for harsh overhead lighting. You can always bring in a small lamp which will provide more warmth and be easier on your eyes. 

There are many things you can do to promote physical comfortability while at work as well. Air quality is super important in staying alert and clear-minded. While a window is preferable, you can still keep your air fresh if you aren’t lucky enough to have one. Bring some of the outdoors indoors and buy some plants! There are many plants that actually filter and purify air!  Some examples are the spider plant, the snake plant, golden pothos, and warneck dracaena. Not only will these little guys improve your air quality, but plants just seem to have a way of cheering you up. If it’s hot and stuffy, invest in a small fan or an air conditioner (if your building allows it). 

If you’re going to be spending a lot of your time sitting at a desk, you should definitely invest in a good and comfortable chair. Maybe even sneak a foot rest under your desk. Some people find it beneficial to swap out a traditional office chair for an exercise ball, depending on whether it’s appropriate for your place of work and position. (If you’re in human resources, interviewees may find it distracting and ...well.... strange to see you bouncing around your office on a huge ball.) However, if you don’t really have to interact with people, it may be beneficial to use one for a few hours each day. It is said that they encourage you to sit up straight and engage your core stabilizer muscles, ultimately improving posture and decreasing back pain. Even then, it may be impractical to spend your whole work-day on one. Whatever works for you! 

Now let’s talk about office organization and layout. Check out some info on feng shui. I am a true believer that room layout and energy flow can have a huge impact your comfort level. Make sure your space isn’t too cramped and don’t bring in unnecessary clutter. Set up your desk so that you have a clear view of the door. Make sure to set your computer to a comfortable viewing distance and your eyes should line up just a little above the center of your screen to prevent you from getting neck cramps. 

Organization in essential for optimal productivity. Invest in some organizational units such as file cabinets, folders, bulletin boards and shelves. Try to build up instead of out to avoid cluttering your work space. Make sure the things you use most are easily accessible and replace supplies as needed. 

Finally, add some personal touches. Research shows a positive correlation between art and productivity at work. Not only does pleasing artwork increase productivity, but it relieves stress and improves morale and creativity. You can also bring in a few personal pictures that are comforting and inspiring to you. Just make sure they’re work appropriate. (Not pictures from your crazy bachelor party or of you in your bikini on your spring break trip!) Another way to boost your mood and add a personal touch is creating a small motivation board. Print out some of your favorite quotes or inspiring photos to provide a little pick-me-up when needed and pin them to a board or use magnets to post them on a file cabinet. Depending on your office, you may want to get a plug in air freshener (just be sure to check with office-mates or company policy before bringing one in). I would suggest Bath & Body Works Wallflowers plug-ins. They have a huge selection of light and fresh fragrances that won’t be overwhelming. I suggest the Island Margarita scent. WARNING: MAY CAUSE UNCONTROLLABLE AFTER-WORK MARGARITA CRAVINGS!

Take into account your office space’s color, lighting, layout, organization and general  decor and consider whether or not you’re happy with it. You’ll be surprised how making a few simple changes can transform your space into an environment of optimal productivity! 

How Successful People Stay Motivated

Have you ever noticed how most highly successful people are always so motivated and positive? Sometimes you wonder, “How the heck can things go so perfectly for some people?!” Well, chances are, they have had just as many struggles in their professional lives as you. We’ve all been there; when something we’ve worked our butts off for doesn’t quite work out as we had anticipated. Maybe a promotion fell through, or you didn’t get the raise you were hoping for. Maybe you really screwed up an important project or dropped the ball on a major sales lead. We have all suffered disappointments in our professional lives, but what separates the successful people from those who fall apart? 

The approach you take in dealing with let-downs concerning your career is critical. There is a certain way that you must go about these situations in order to learn, regroup, move on and turn things around. Here is a guideline for what to do when things at work head south. 

Control your feelings before they control you. Feel what you feel and process your emotions. When faced with major disappointments, people tend to either avoid feeling any undesirable emotions at all, or allow themselves to be consumed entirely by their feelings and slip into a serious blue funk. Neither of these are optimal reactions and both will end up really kicking you in the butt down the road. If you swallow all of your feelings, it will eventually take a toll on your health and mental state. On the other hand, if you let your sadness, anger and resentment take over, it will paralyze you. You’ve got to allow yourself to grieve and process your emotions in order to move on and let go. Try to keep it together while at work, but as soon as you have time to yourself, let it all out. Think about what happened and how it makes you feel. Write it down, talk it out, work it out, cry if you have to. Allow yourself to feel what you need to feel and then put it away. 

Regroup. This is a very crucial step after you’re allowed yourself to momentarily wallow in your despair. Here is where self-talk comes in. Taking control of your self-talk is probably the most influential factor in whether you keep on trucking or throw in the towel. Don’t allow yourself to become demoralized. Understand that these types of things happen to everyone, and they happen all the time! Don’t allow that little voice in your head to be critical of you. Instead of thinking “Wow, you really screwed up that interview.”, or “If you didn’t get that promotion, you must not be good enough; you’ll never have what it takes.”, take a more neutral approach. Try not to attach emotions to the statements. A more healthy and productive example of self talk is, “I really thought I was going to get that promotion. I wonder what I could have done differently.” The best way of figuring out what really works is figuring out all of the ways that don’t work! (Although, hopefully that happens sooner rather than later!)

Figure out what went wrong. Something positive can be found in nearly all negative situations. When things don’t go quite right, figure out where you went wrong and what you can do differently next time. This gets you back in control of your situation. Try to look at the circumstances objectively in order to really benefit from your problem solving. Work on developing a support system. Whether it be your spouse, a friend, your parents or siblings, having someone to back you up in your professional goals will really spike your confidence. Have them help you hash out the situation. Chances are, they’re messed up once or twice before and will be able to help you problem-solve. Talk to a trusted colleague or your supervisor (if appropriate) and ask their opinion on areas you can improve in. I suggest waiting on that until you’ve repaired your ego a bit, because if you’re still feeling down, exposing yourself to the criticism of others can be like rubbing salt in the wound. 

Come up with a game plan. Once you’ve figured out where you went wrong, come up with a plan to implement new strategies when presented with a similar situation. Don’t give up. Don’t submit to complacency. You can and will do better! 

Get back in the game! In order to be successful, you've got to shake it off and dive right back into your work. Yeah, things didn’t work out how you wanted. However, no experience is wasted when you learn something about how to better go about a similar situation or when you learn something new about yourself! Next time you find yourself disappointed at work, just feel through it, reframe the situation, understand what went wrong, change your approach and get back in the game! You’ll get ‘em next time! ;)

Ditch the Brown Bag Blues

Staying healthy and satisfied during the work week is an essential component in ensuring that you are able to perform at the top of your game! It can be difficult enough coming up with a healthy, but easy menu at home, let alone coming up with ideas for what to bring to work for lunch. 

As we all know, what we eat has an immense impact on the way that we feel and function. With our busy lives, it can be tough to set aside time to make a healthy lunch every morning before work. And we’ve all had those days that, come lunchtime, that convenient fast-food cheeseburger and french fry combo seems like a great idea, only to find ourselves feeling like crapola almost immediately after eating it. Then again, nothing is worse than opening up your lunch box to see another boring, wilted salad or a sad little PB&J. I have spent some time coming up with ways to add some excitement to your lunch hour without compromising your time or health. 

Firstly, let’s talk about what makes a healthy meal. You need to make sure that your meals are balanced. This means including lean proteins, complex carbs and plenty of veggies and fruit. This is just my opinion, but I would choose “good carbs”, not no carbs. The idea is to feel satisfied and refueled without feeling like you’re going to bust a button in your sweet new suit. So I’ve experimented a little and have come up with some ways to make signature lunch staples more satisfying and exciting! I will be mentioning some recipes for spreads and dressings I’ve played around with that you can find at the very end of the blog.

First, let’s talk about the sandwich. The first thing you should do, is swap out the refined white bread for whole wheat or whole grain bread or wraps. Let’s get back to basics and kick overly processed foods to the curb! Next, consider the nutritional quality of what you’re putting in that delicious, healthy bread. Avoid highly-processed meats. I would opt for either chicken or turkey (preferably left-overs from that awesome dinner you made earlier in the week?). The key to a great sandwich, in my opinion, is the bread and the spread. Most grocery stores have bakeries where you can get fresh-baked whole grain bread that will knock your socks off. Next, think about condiments. Beside the fact that I believe that mayo is the devil’s condiment, it is just not good for you. Try mustards, low-cal salad dressings, salsas, or better yet...make your own spread! Whip up some home-made guacamole or relish that’s packed with flavor and nutrition! Throw some veggies on there (lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pickles, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, etc.) and you’re good to go! And if you haven't tried kale chips yet, you're missing out! See the end of the blog for some spreads you can whip up and store for future use! 

Now for the salads. First of all, chopping veggies every morning can be way too tedious and time consuming. I suggest making a huge, basic salad on sunday night that you can portion out for the week. If you make a basic salad, you can also prep some different combinations of other ingredients to toss in each day of the week for variety. Bringing the same old salad everyday is the worst; you’ve got to switch it up! One excellent idea is to pack up your salads in mason jars. Pour some dressing into the bottom and then add your salad. Make sure you put something dense like carrots on top of the dressing so your softer veggies won’t turn to mush. Then just shake up the jar or empty it into a bowl and enjoy! You can also rinse out an empty Mio bottle and pour your dressing in there. So cute and perfect for salad dressings. Swap iceberg lettuce for romaine, spinach, or mesclun greens (an exciting, spicy, delicious mix of different greens). If you buy a bag of greens, you will find that they begin to get slimy within days of opening the bag. Put them in a ziploc bag, gather up the top and breathe into it. Sounds gross, I know...but the carbon dioxide helps to keep you greens fresh and bright, saving you money and aggravation! 

Try incorporating some exotic flavors into your salads or dressings. (By the way, dressings are super easy to make; start with olive oil, a little bit of honey or agave nectar and some type of acid or vinegar, ex: lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider, balsamic, or rice wine vinegar...whatever floats your boat! Then, get crazy with spices and herbs.)  Like Mexican food? Add some south-western style flavors such as cumin, chili powder, jalapeños, fresh cilantro, lime, beans, corn and ancho chili (for a smokey flavor). Like Asian food? Add some soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, garlic, lemongrass, sriracha, five-spice, hoisin sauce, peanuts, sesame seeds and sesame oil. If you prefer an Indian flair, try incorporating yogurt, curry, masala, and paneer cheese. Like mediterranean style food? Try adding some lemon juice, mint, oregano, greek-style yogurt, dill, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Not only do these spices add flavor, but many herbs and spices can be considered nature’s medicine. Add some grilled chicken or some other meat leftover from a previous dinner. Vegetarians can add some beans or quinoa for protein. Another great contrast is mixing some grilled or sautéed vegetables ( zucchini, summer squash, peppers, asparagus, green beans)  with your raw veggies. You can also add some whole wheat pasta, brown rice or bulgar wheat to bulk up a wimpy salad.

Another go-to lunch staple is leftovers from dinner the night before. You can always pack up some left overs just the way they are, but if you’re looking for something different you can repurpose those ingredients and create something new! For example, leftover chicken or turkey can be used to make a sandwich, wrap, salad, soup or burrito. Just add some different spices to completely transform last night’s dinner. If you had spaghetti and meatballs, make a meatball sub. If you had steak, slice it thin and make a steak and cheese sandwich, or add it to a salad with some chimichurri sauce. 

One last thing. There is a drink that I am obsessed with that you can make in big batches at home and bring to work with you. You steep a few green tea bags in a cup of hot water and then refrigerate. Slice up and add 1/2 lemon, 1/2 orange, 1/4 cucumber, and a few basil leaves and add them to a jug of cold water. Once the tea is cooled, add that to the jug as well. Let it sit in the fridge overnight. It is delicious, refreshing and will provide a little afternoon pick-me-up. 

Call me crazy, but I find cooking and creating new dishes relaxing and fun (as long as there’s no time crunch and no pressure). Instead of thinking of cooking as a chore, try to get excited about it and try new things. Get a new cookbook or just wing it and hope for the best! Once you know the basics of cooking, you can create some pretty fantastic things on your own. Although I must admit that I have made some pretty disgusting things, you learn from those mistakes and you just don't do that again! So have fun, get creative and spice up your lunch life! 

For some of the sandwich spreads and dressings, I will give you the ingredients, but I am not sure of the measurements. ( I make things to-taste, and tend to like more in your face flavors so just play around until you get the taste you’re looking for. Vegans can swap out cheese for nutritional yeast flakes and replace yogurt with avocados or vegan sour cream)

Guacamole- 1 avocado, 1 chopped tomato, 1/4 chopped red onion, salt, pepper,  chopped jalapeños, fresh chopped cilantro, and fresh lime juice

Corn relish- 2 cups canned corn, 1/2 chopped red onion, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1 chopped celery stalk 1 chopped green chili, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil

Apple-mango salsa- 2 chopped granny smith apples, 1 chopped mango, 1/2 red onion, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, salt, pepper, pinch of cayenne pepper

Pesto- 2 cups basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (combine in food processor) 

Salsa- 5 chopped Roma tomatoes, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 minced jalapeños, 1 diced red bell pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, fresh lime juice, minced scallions, minced cilantro, chili powder, salt and pepper

Cilantro and avocado salad dressing- 1/2 ripe avocado, about 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, 1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt, 2 chopped scallions, 1 minced clove garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, and honey- to taste (combine in blender or food porcessor)

Ginger-soy salad dressing- 2 tbsp minced ginger root, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 3 tbsp honey or agave nectar, 3 minced cloves of garlic 

Curry-yogurt salad dressing- 1 tbsp curry powder, 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt, 1 tsp minced ginger root, 1/2 tsp orange zest, 2 tsp mango puree, salt and pepper 

Red wine dijon vinaigrette- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dijon mustard, chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper

Kale chips- Preheat oven to 350. Remove kale leaves from thick, tough stems and tear into bite sized pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. You can experiment with different seasonings as well. Bake about 10-15 minutes or until leaves are crispy. 

Campaign Cup, Q1!!

We are thrilled to announce that Peak-Incorporated has been awarded the Campaign Cup sales award once again!  We were previously named Century Link's number one sales team in Q4 and we are so excited to see that our hard work and dedication has paid off again! 

CEO Eric Norregaard on behalf of Peak-Inc., "Being recognized with this award is really exciting for our team.We are committed to delivering quality results to our client, and winning the cup demonstrates the perseverance and dedication of our team members."

Check out the original Press Release for more info!

The team with the trophy from Q4 ! 

The team with the trophy from Q1!

And we'll leave you with some words to live by: 

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."-Vince Lombardi 

Headed For Texas!

We have some very exciting news! In June we will be kicking off our first of many expansions this year!

We are expanding to Dallas to work with AT&T and our very own, Billy Davenport will be managing the office in Dallas! Peak's CEO Eric Norregaard will be going to check out the new digs this week along with Sergey Karpenko and Jon Leach.They’ll also be catching a Rangers game while they’re in town, of course. We will keep you posted with more information once we figure out all the details.