Five Types of Salespeople

Think of the word, “Professional.” What image comes to your mind? Do you visualize a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, or perhaps the president of a large corporation? Did the image of the owner or manager of they business you operate cross your mind? What criteria do you use to define a “professional?” What about other people – your customers, for example? How do you think they define a “professional?”

The services you perform for your customers on a daily basis can have a big impact on them, their family, their staff, employees or customers if they have businesses, and their financial futures. The way you run your business and handle your customers’ needs on a daily basis says a lot about you and the position you occupy in their minds. In truth, your occupation should be viewed as being just as “professional” as that of any other, including doctors, dentists, lawyers, or any other type of business head.

The critical question is, how professionally do you perform within the scope of your occupation?
While this program is not a sales training course, it’s important to know that no matter what your role in business is, you’re involved in sales in one form or another. And if you have staff or employees who are involved in sales, it’s important for you to know the following information.

Five Types Of Salespeople

Just as different salespeople have their own different and unique personalities, they also have different skill levels when it comes to selling and servicing their customers. As we discuss the various types of salespeople and classify them according to their skill level, you will no doubt recognize some of the people you know or have encountered in the past. And as we do, take an honest look at yourself, to see where you might fit.

Professional Visitor
This person doesn’t have any problem making appointments. In fact, they thrive on it. They enjoy visiting and talking to people, getting to know them, and may even engage in a casual discussion of their customers’ problems. Their conversation with a customer or prospect may or may not eventually involve the subject of how their products or services can benefit the buyers, and if it does, it usually has to be instigated by the customer or prospect. A typical sales presentation will be oral, with very little (if any) use of visual materials, product brochures, or printed proposals.

Order Taker
These people don’t mind talking to customers, clients or prospects, if they don’t have to initiate the call. They are uncomfortable making appointments, and would rather have the customer or prospect come to them. The telephone presents just as much a problem for these people. If the phone rings, they’ll take the call and even discuss the customer’s needs. But it’s tough for them to pick up the receiver and dial a customer’s number. They operate best from a base of “lowprice,” and have difficulty handling objections. They would rather wait until someone asks for something specific, then they have no trouble filling the order.

Peddler
These are “salesoriented” people. They have good product knowledge, but severely lack in “people skills.” They operate from a sort of “hitandrun” approach. This person will assume a certain level of product knowledge on the part of the customer, and spend very little, if any, time establishing rapport with them. These people are either “productoriented,” or “price-oriented.” Their entire presentation is based on product features or price, with little regard to how the product or service will benefit the customer.

The Peddler is the most prevalent type of salesperson you will find. Telemarketers who work the consumer market fit nicely into this category. Even with do not call laws in place, it seems like it never fails. You just get home from a tough day at work and are relaxing with the kids, working in the yard, or perhaps even eating dinner. Then the phone rings. It’s for you. The person on the other end dives right into their presentation with no regard for the person they’re calling, who’s privacy they are interrupting, or what laws they may be breaking.

For most people, especially professional salespeople, this inconvenience and the salesperson’s level of incompetence is most aggravating. In these types of calls, the salesperson shows no concern for the prospect’s time, inconvenience, present level of product knowledge, or whether or not there’s any level of need, want or desire to know more about what they’re selling. The assumption is made by the caller that what he or she is offering the prospect in terms of a product, service or convenience is the same or better than what the prospect currently has, and that all the prospect is interested in is price. This type of approach is an insult to the prospect or customer, and is one of the biggest mistakes a salesperson can make.

ProblemSolver
These are salespeople who enjoy getting in front of people, ferreting out problems, needs and wants, and discussing workable solutions. They have empathy for the customer, can see the customer’s needs from the customer’s point of view, and enjoy helping the customer solve their problems. The problemsolving person is good at establishing rapport with the prospect or customer, identifying what their needs, wants and desires are, developing creative, needs and wantssatisfying proposals, and making effective presentations.

But when it comes time to ask for the order, or close the sale, they tense up, lose their confidence, or otherwise fail to close the sale. Their customers or prospects, now having their needs identified and solutions presented, go elsewhere looking for a “better buy.” This salesperson has done all the work, and an OrderTaker for another company gets the sale – and the commission. After the Peddler, this is the next most common type of salesperson.

Counselor
In the business world, it’s not uncommon for companies and corporations to have a staff of lawyers, or “legal counsel,” on retainer to give advice in matters pertaining to the law, taxes, investments, mergers, or other difficult or legal situations. The Counselor knows that when it comes to important buying decisions, his or her customers, be they companies, corporations, or individuals, should be no different. To them, buying any type of product or service is a serious matter, not to be taken lightly, and can be an important tool for solving a need, satisfying a problem or adding to their profits, convenience or lifestyle. They know that their customers need professional and qualified representation and advice, and the Counselor will do whatever it takes to provide it for them.

Like corporate legal counsel, this salesperson postures him or herself as being “on retainer,” always available to give advice on matters pertaining to the products or services they sell. They make it clear in the customer’s mind that there is absolutely no need for them to go anywhere else for answers to the problems their products or services can solve.

The Counselor knows how to establish rapport, build professional trust and credibility, identify their customer’s current problems, develop effective proposals, offer credible and workable solutions, and make the presentation in such a way that their customers have no question in their minds but that they must buy the concepts they present, and hence, the product or service. In addition, they have the ability to point out other, potential problems that the customer might encounter, and help them solve those needs as well.

This person operates much like a professional billiards champion. Before each shot, the billiards champion will carefully analyze the layout of the balls on the table, to see where the next two or three shots can best be made. Then, with precision, he makes the shot at hand, and skillfully directs the cue ball to a predetermined spot so it is poised for the next shot.

Salespeople who function at this skill level also carefully review the customer’s needs, both stated and unstated, and skillfully sets in motion, a plan to address those needs either now, or at a later, more convenient date. Objections rarely come up because the Counselor has taken the time to anticipate what objections may arise, and then build the answers to the potential objections into his or her presentation. This salesperson will get every drop of business the customer has, not because of price, but because the customer knows the salesperson really cares about them, understands their needs, and is willing to take the time to identify those needs and offer workable and credible solutions.

How Do Your Customers See You?

How do your customers see you? I mean, when the people you deal with on a regular basis, your customers and prospects – when they view you as the person they do, or are considering doing business with, who do they see?

Are you someone they might classify as a “typical salesperson” – someone who is out to sell them another product or service, or who is interested more in the sale or commission they’ll earn?
Or do your customers and prospects view you more as a counselor – someone they like and can relate to and who is genuinely interested in them, and making sure they have the right product for their individual and specific needs, at the best possible price? And in the event that what they’ve purchased does not, or will not work for them, or if you’re not satisfied for any reason, will be behind you making things right?

How you answer this basic and important question is critical to your success in business. It can mean the difference between enormous success, mediocrity, or even dismal failure. And, it’s a selffeeding mechanism, as well. If you are viewed by your customers as a time waster or a producthustler, even if it is not stated, you will tend to pick up that message yourself, and act accordingly, thus reinforcing your customer’s image of you.

On the other hand, if your customers welcome you as a counselor, or an advisor – someone with their best interests in mind – someone who can help them identify and solve their problems, they will feel good about you. And consequently, you will also feel good about yourself, and the role you play relative to your customer. You will be and act more professional, more confident, and will be better able to help your customer with the solving of his or her needs and problems. As you fill the role as a problem solver you can’t help but reinforce and strengthen that positive image in both you, and your customer’s minds and you’ll soon find yourself head and shoulders above your competition and you’ll be the one person your prospects, customers and clients can depend on to offer solutions to their needs with integrity.