Morton_personality.

qxd

8/20/04

9:39 AM

Page 20

AN UNDER VALUED SALES T OOL:

EMPLOYEES
THAT REPRESENT
YOUR
BUSINESS

recently read an interesting article

in a business magazine that discussed the importance employees
play in promoting and selling the services of a business even those not
directly tasked with the responsibility.
The author was an entrepreneur who
owned several different businesses, all
diverse in nature, but all involving outside sales. Indications were the authors
businesses were quite successful, which
I interpret as his having a sophisticated
understanding of private enterprise.
The crux of the piece was that
prospective customers or clients often
make purchase decisions not based on
what they hear from professional sales
people, but based on opinions they
form about a businesss employees. His
conclusion was, in essence, that every
employee of a business is a sales person.
What I found to be most interesting
was that this successful business person
could be as successful as he was, and
not know this. After all, you dont have
to be in business long before learning
that certain employees can cost you
business. Wouldnt it make sense then,
that your employees could also bring
business in?
All of that made me wonder just
how much more successful one could
be if the concept of every employee a
sales person was a fundamental prem20

ise in conducting business, and deliberately placed into practice on a daily

basis.
I have previously written about
positive attitudes, Core Values, good
communication skills, professional
conduct and appearances, good hiring,
training and employee-retention prac-

Good interpersonal
chemistry among
co-workers
management
included is
what separates the
best businesses
from all others.
tices, and a host of other topics that tie
into the concept of non-sales personnel
actually helping to sell your products or
services. In large part, it all boils down
to image: the image you wish your
business and employees to project
and to sustain through their personali-

by Paul Morton

ties.
At the level seen by most casual
observers (as are most customers),
image is perception, and perception is
everything. Everything, that is, until
you have the opportunity and need to
back-up that initial perception with the
true substance of your services.
I could distill this entire article into
one brief paragraph, and if you believe
what I say and put its content into practice, could guarantee you a higher level
of success. That paragraph would be:
Employees play a fundamental role
in the projection of image for any business. When image leads to positive perception, and the actual applied level of
service or production mirrors that perception and turns it into reality, you
have taken a giant step towards
increased success.
It will happen for two fundamental
reasons. First, we are a nation of the
image-conscious, conditioned by an
endless barrage of stimuli designed to
make us focus not on the reality of the
product, person or service being
offered, but on what we are led to
believe it truly represents or can do for
us.
Several years ago I consulted on a
television crime-drama series, and
reviewed scripts for technical accuracy.
I found an on-going trend of procedural inaccuracies, and brought them to the
GEARS September 2004

Transtec-corteco placed.qxd

3/5/04

3:45 PM

Page 7

The Aftermarket Business

Of Freudenberg-NOK

Wed like to have

a small part in your next rebuild.
Small parts, like these solenoid and valve body filter screens, can solve big problems. With the increased
use of solenoids, its critical to replace these filters
because theyre prone to tearing
or becoming blocked with debris.
Transmission professionals will
now find these filters included in

TransTec rebuild kits. Until now, most of these filters

had to be purchased separately. TransTec offers more
of these filters, in more kits, than any other supplier.
Just another value added convenience from the global leader in
automatic transmission rebuild
kits. Insist on the best - TransTec!

Milan, Ohio 44846 U.S.A. Toll-Free: 800/852-0340 Fax: 419/499-2289

Web: www.TransTec.com

Morton_personality.qxd

8/20/04

9:39 AM

Page 22

AN UNDERVALUED SALES TOOL: EMPLOYEES THAT REPRESENT YOUR BUSINESS

screenwriter and producers attention.
Its not accurate or realistic, I told
them.
They were unfazed by the comment. Instead they told me, The viewers dont care about reality they just
want to believe that what theyre seeing
is reality. This comment caused me to
wonder why I was to review scripts for
technical accuracy when it was not
what they were really after. Then I
understood. They wanted the appearance of maintaining technical accuracy,
while still being able to spin the questionable into the acceptable when it
worked to their advantage.
Things have changed a bit since
then, and people nowadays do care
more about true reality (what an
odd comment that seems to be, but
accurate nonetheless). At the time it
was an interesting lesson, as I learned
just how powerful image and perception really can be. In truth, reality
may not have anything to do with
either image or perception.
The second issue springs directly
off the first. Many people have
become disillusioned with the image
is everything concept, having all too
often bought the image only to find it
a facade. Initially, they may still be
attracted to image as an indicator, but
will demand and actively seek out that
which is substantive. Thats why
word-of-mouth advertising is so powerful; it cuts through the rhetoric of
image, and goes to the heart of substance.
Generally speaking, businesses or
organizations that are employee-conscious foster a better working environment. Research in organizational psychology indicates that better working
environments foster greater employee
loyalty, increased levels of production
of better quality, less production days
lost (sick time, or other unscheduled
time off), less turn-over, and a greater
level of cohesiveness and team play
among workers. These are contented,
motivated workers and it shows.
The potential customer that comes
to your shop with a problem vehicle
will usually be a little (or very) anxious
for a number of reasons. A problem
transmission is never a welcomed interruption in anyones life, and the pre22

sumed expense for repair is never a

favorite way for anyone to spend
money.
If the prospective customer called
ahead and spoke with the shop owner or
an employee, they have already begun
to form some pre-conceived impressions about what they feel lies ahead. If
the phone contact was significantly
negative, you wont see the customer at
all. If it was positive, or even neutral,
the next opportunity youll have for
selling a job to that customer will
come when they drive onto your lot.

Believe it or not, within reasonable

bounds, a customers decision to do
business with you depends less on the
price you ask for your work than the
level of trust you establish with your
customer. A close second to that level
of trust is the level of confidence the
customer develops as they feel their
way through the buying-decision
process. A lot goes into that process,
and only part of it has to do with what
you say.
For the prospective customer who
comes to your shop, the decision to buy
your service starts with any phone contact they may have with you, and
resumes the moment they drive up to
your door. Theyll look to see how the
facility is maintained. Theyll look at
the personal appearance of your
employees, their demeanor, and the
cleanliness of the shop. Theyll listen to

the talk between workers, and look to

see how the cars of other customers are
being treated.
The prospective customer still has
that antenna up when they walk into the
office and talk to whomever they first
meet. Theyll notice if the office is
clean and well-organized. They will
take note of any courtesy given them or
anyone who calls while theyre at the
counter, and how quickly they are waited on. The prospective customer will
pay attention to not just what you say,
but how you say it.
Although this article isnt about
how you, presumably the shops
owner or primary representative,
deals with customers, a few words
here are still appropriate because they
apply to everyone working under the
company banner. Dont talk to
prospective customers in technospeak, or in language full of trade-jargon. Though it shouldnt need to be
said, curb any tendency to use profane
or contentious language, and never
speak down to someone as though
youre dealing with the Village Idiot
(even though you may be).
Even though you may work hard
to polish your sales skills and treat
your potential customers professionally and well, it could be the brief,
informal contact one of your technicians has with that customer as they
walk to the office that makes the difference. A friendly smile and greeting
from someone who usually has little or
no direct contact with customers is
often viewed by that customer as a
barometer of the workforces ability
even though technical competence and
interpersonal skills have little correlation. Remember: image is the only initial indicator a customer will have of
your business and they will be looking for indicators.
Image, perception, Core Values,
and indicators they are all constructs
that are related to personality in people,
as well as the personality of your
business. The first your people are
what help to create the latter.
In earlier articles Ive expressed
my belief that its more important to
hire individuals based on personality
than technical skill. My reasoning is
that the prospective employee with the
GEARS September 2004

Morton_personality.qxd

8/20/04

9:39 AM

right personality can be taught the

needed technical skills. You can hire
someone with good technical skills, but
you cannot teach them personality. You
may have a long list of dos and
donts employees are required to
adhere to, but its not the same as eliciting the same behaviors from someone
who has already inculcated them as part
of who they are as a person.
In the field of psychology, there is
no shortage of theories concerning personality, and an even greater number of
testing instruments touted as being able
to define personality types in neat little
categories. Some of these means are
without true merit, and sacrifice validity for superficial appeal.
An appropriate psychological
assessment of an individuals personality requires an exhaustive process using
instruments (pen and paper tests) and
interviews. Some large and progressive
businesses do use these means in helping to select top-level management personnel, but for the most part, such a
process is not practical for the average
business. Thats not to say small businesses are without hope in attempting
to assess personalities; it just requires a
different approach.
To first know what you want in the
personality of your employees, you
must first define what it is you want
your business to represent. An extension of that is to know your own personality, and how you can bring it all
together as a dynamic force in achieving your goals. This is actually best
accomplished by working backwards.
First, define what it is, personally
and professionally, that you hope to
accomplish with your business. Set
realistic long-term goals based on a
sound business plan. Establish intermediate goals that will provide credible
indications of progress, as well as positive feedback the strokes that help
keep you motivated.
Next, objectively assess your
strengths and weaknesses with an eye
towards accomplishing your goals.
Recognize that its highly unlikely
youll be all things for all tasks, nor
should you expect to be. Thats a surefire path to burnout, by the way.
Instead, orient your selection of every
employee with two thoughts in mind: 1)
GEARS September 2004

Page 23

will we work well together? and, 2)

what can this person bring to the organization what gaps can he (or she)
fill?
Recognizing that a full, psychological assessment of a prospective
employees personality is not usually
practical, youll need to fall back on the
next-best thing: your best effort to
determine suitability. In addition to the
common interview, job history, and
background check, a probationary or
try out period, where possible, can
provide a real world look at a persons
suitability in your work environment.
Good interpersonal chemistry

among co-workers management

included is what separates the best
businesses from all others. Its what
makes an R&R tech, a builder, or even
the clean-up man, a salesperson of your
business. Its not always what prospective customers look for when theyre
assessing the image of your business,
but when they see it, they know it. And
nothing will ever sell your product or
services as well as that will.

23