Saturday Morning Sales

Kevin Latchford

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Entitlement - June 28, 2014

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines entitlement as: the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges).

 

It is generally my goal to offer this blog post as a means of offering a piece of advice or a little guidance from having worked in my sales career for many years. However, this will be a bit of a rant due to a recent bout of frustration. I hope through a small amount of venting a lesson will still be learned. 


I find the idea of entitlement, based on the definition above, a disgusting word, attitude, thought process, ideology and theme. Often when someone crosses my path with a sense of entitlement I can either ignore them or move quickly past them. But, when the person is planted firmly in my daily routine, then I grow to hold a very negative view of the individual. And so it goes with a recent sales relationship.

 

Sales people must always remember that actions speak louder than words. Working hard and working smart go hand-in-hand. There are more senior sales people that have gone before them, paid their dues, and can only now showcase themselves as ‘A’ level sales people through their wisdom. Why then do some young up and comers walk around as if the world owes them something? What dues have they paid? What wisdom do they possess that can offer any real value to their own organization or their client? In most cases the answer is…none.

 

So this week’s short post goes out to the young lady who recently crossed my path. I believe you have a lot to offer your organization. You seem very bright. But you have a poor attitude about your chosen career path. Your employer does not owe you anything. You owe the company your effort and service. You should seek and adhere to the advice of your seniors. They have the experience to guide you through both ups and downs as a career sales person. You have opportunities in front of you that many other chosen professions do not offer, but unless you accept that you are a junior in your profession, you will be passed by and I will choose another person in your organization to serve as my primary point of contact.

 

As an aside to the senior level group out there, I am not suggesting you treat your junior team with contempt or disrespect. Teach and guide always. The juniors, like we once were, have potential. Recognize when a junior level sales person has a sense of entitlement and work to break them of these very bad traits. If you cannot, well then, you should cut them loose. Nothing can hurt moral in your sales organization more than a sense of entitlement.

 

Enough of my venting. Until next week, keep on selling. Thank you.

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