Life Is a Sales Job: You Can’T Score a Td If You Don’T Swing the Bat.

By Shirley Thom

Shirley Thom, a stay at home mom, suddenly became a single parent at age thirty-one. To provide for her two daughters ages five and eight she needed a job.

While working at a radio station, Shirley moved from a support position to a career in sales. This enabled her to work on her own terms while earning the income that would allow her to fulfill her dreams. The radio station and subsequent employers and clients also reaped benefits from Shirleys move into sales. Over the years, shes delivered more than $150 million to those who have employed her skills.

In this guidebook to succeeding in sales, youll learn how to:

convince a company to give you a chance to work as a salesperson;

respond to the word no in order to get to a positive outcome; and

combine preparation with timing and opportunity to accomplish your goals.

Youll also find out what it takes to be a successful salesperson and what questions to ask to determine if the field is right for you. For instance, if you arent comfortable working on commission and want a steady salary, then you may not be cut out for a career in sales.

Join the author as she shares her personal story about how succeeding in sales has allowed her to live her dreams, and why Life Is a Sales Job.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Feb 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781480839304

Shirley Thom

Shirley Thom has delivered sales exceeding $150 million to employers and clients in major cities across the United States, Europe, and China. Her experience includes work as a sales representative, sales manager, and sales and management consultant for several industries, including media, sports and event marketing, and broadcast electronics.

Book preview

ENDORSEMENTS

I first met Shirley Thom when I was young in my career as a brand marketer and she was an emerging regional leader in media sales. Since then, our paths have crossed many times – professionally and personally. Shirley is a dedicated, tenacious, and very kind leader. Her wisdom comes from decades of experience. Her success comes from her heart. She’s a winner. I’m confident that what she shares in her book will be beneficial to everyone who’s ever considered a career in sales. And the best part? When Shirley calls, I never feel I’m being sold.

Rod Brooks, V.P. & Chief Marketing Officer

PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company

Shirley’s techniques helped me to focus on the big picture, reduce stress, and handle my relationships with more grace. Under her management, I tripled my income in three years.

Michelle Cody, Account Executive

KMTT Radio, Seattle, WA

Shirley taught me how to communicate and build relationships at each level of the sales process. She was instrumental in helping me turn my personal skills into sales results.

Anita Murrmann, Director Strategic Sales

Epsilon Marketing and Advertising, Chicago, IL

People ask me, Just what is it about Shirley Thom? I tell them she’s the toughest sales manager I ever had. I also tell them she’s made me more money than any sales manager I ever had.

Jim Stofer, Western Regional Manager

Strata Marketing, Inc., Issaquah, WA

Over the years I must have read one hundred thousand words written by some of Seattle’s leading advertising men and women, but I have never read an article that was more intelligent, concise, and practical than your column in Marketing NW.

Hal Newsome, Advertising Executive

Several leadership positions, Seattle, WA

Shirley is great at sizing up the situation and the person and evaluating how his or her personal and professional needs will fit. She finds a way to make it work for everyone.

Cindy Fox, (former) Assistant Athletic Director

Kansas State University, Manhattan, KA

Shirley doesn’t play political games or engage in office chitchat. That makes some people nervous. They don’t understand how focused she is. Her eye is always on the finish line.

Tyrone Noble, Principle

New Media Business Consultant, Seattle, WA

Shirley Thom is tough. She expects excellence. But you know she cares, so you give it to her. She makes you believe in yourself.

Michael Alhadeff, Account Executive

Sinclair Broadcasting, Seattle, WA

When she was coaching me, she always said, Keep your eye on the ball and follow through, and it works.

Alex Suryan, (former) shortstop

Pony League, Snohomish, WA

SECOND EDITION

LIFE

Is a Sales Job

You Can’t Score a TD

If You Don’t Swing the Bat.

Shirley Thom

52866.png

Copyright © 2017 Shirley Thom.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3929-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3928-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3930-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017900178

Archway Publishing rev. date: 2/21/2017

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Wake Up with an Attitude

What you see and hear is not what you get. It’s what you make of it.

Chapter 2 How to Buy a Piano

Pianos are expensive. Can you afford to buy a piano?

Chapter 3 Why Sell?

Everyone sells. Learn how to get paid for it.

Chapter 4 Your Mirror Image

It’s nearly impossible to overcome a bad first impression.

Chapter 5 Gut Check

Successful selling requires certain visceral assets.

Chapter 6 The Digital Age

The digital age has changed the way products are positioned and sold.

Chapter 7 Company Choices

Company choices fall into five categories.

Chapter 8 Prepare Yourself to Be Lucky

How to establish and achieve your goals.

Chapter 9 Listen Up!

No one ever listened himself out of a job.

Chapter 10 Secure Your Dream Job

Prepare your resume and set up the interview.

Chapter 11 Project Your Income

Gross income is what we earn. Net income is what we live on.

Chapter 12 Set up Your Support Teams

We need people who will teach and encourage us.

Chapter 13 Develop a Client List

How to select prospective customers and get appointments

Chapter 14 Your First Meeting

This is no blind date. Establish the rules and control the meeting.

Chapter 15 Define the Buyer

Buyers are actors. Identify their roles.

Chapter 16 Effective Presentations

The intent of a presentation is to move the sale along.

Chapter 17 How and When to Negotiate

Everyone has needs, and everyone needs to win.

Chapter 18 How to Keep Your Customers Happy

Service, service, service.

Chapter 19 What If You Lose?

Losses are only setbacks, unless you get stuck on them.

Chapter 20 Keep Your Eyes on the Road Ahead

On the odd road to success, it is not the vehicle that matters. It is the driver.

To Lois and Tom Wilson,

my parents.

They taught me personal responsibility.

It has made all the difference in how I live my life.

And to Rebecca Suryan and Shannon Archer,

my daughters.

They encouraged me to move forward,

even when it meant their personal sacrifice.

FOREWORD

Like having Willie Mays as your Little League coach, or learning math theorems from Pythagoras, I have been so fortunate to have learned from the very best since the beginning of my media sales career.

Over the years, Shirley Thom has become a trusted friend and an invaluable mentor. I am thrilled that so many people will now have the opportunity to learn, as I have, the wit and wisdom of Shirley Thom.

Rob Leydon, Sales Manager

First Coast News

Tallahassee, Florida

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Fred Kaufman was my first sales manager, my mentor. Without the example of his integrity, I would not have considered sales as a career, and I would have missed out on a very satisfying aspect of my life.

Nick Lacy was the most skilled salesperson I ever knew. I was his apprentice, his colleague, and eventually, his sales manager. But Nick needed no sales manager. He relished the art of the sale. Many of his techniques are incorporated in Life Is a Sales Job.

Larry Coffman, publisher of Marketing NW, a regional newspaper, believed in my writing skills enough to print articles with my name on the byline. He’s responsible for my catching the writing bug.

INTRODUCTION

I’ve delivered more than $150 million in revenue to my employers and clients, and more than $2 million to myself. While money is not the only definition of success, it certainly is a contributing factor. My road to financial success began with a decision to pursue a career in media sales.

I was working in a support position at a radio station. It wasn’t a bad job, but the sales team seemed to be having a lot more fun, and I was told they made a lot of money. I wanted to join their team.

Everyone sells. It takes newborns about two days to learn that they get fed when they cry. So they cry again. They cry six to eight times a day, and every time they practice this behavior, they get what they want.

Toddlers, at age two, learn to speak and say nice words, like please and thank you, and they get even better results. They get cookies and toys and make new friends. Continuing this cause-and-effect behavior brings even more rewards to happy toddlers.

Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation tells us that adults are motivated by a need for self-actualization. That’s far more complicated than saying please and thank you, and much harder to achieve. But it’s what we aspire to, and it’s what drives us to seek a better, more satisfying life.

Life is a Sales Job is a personal story. I was plodding along in a day-to-day job that provided me and my daughters a safe haven. When I threw my lot in with the fun-loving sales team, we got to leave our cautious existence behind and explore the pyramids along the Nile, as well as other stirring adventures. My career in sales allowed us to pursue our dreams. A career in sales can deliver your fantasies as well.

There will always be sales jobs, and the best sellers earn the most money. Hop on board as we travel the road to successful selling. It’s an adventure you won’t want to miss.

CHAPTER 1

Wake Up with an Attitude

What you see and hear is not what you get. It’s what you make of it.

IT’S MORNING. YOU OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AROUND. YOU see the rain pounding against the window, and you remember that you left your umbrella at the office. Or you gratefully thank the rain clouds for nourishing the newly planted grass seed.

Your ears awaken too, and you hear the welcome sound of a bird singing his morning song. Or you hear the irritating noise of your neighbor’s dog barking, again!

You nudge the person lying next to you, and he rolls over. You notice the drool running down his chin, and you move away. Or you see the sweet, bleary-eyed morning grin, and you move a little closer.

How do you want to start your day? What you see and hear is not what you get. It’s what you make of it. Are you going to see the slobber or the smile?

You’ve been awake only a few moments and, if you are a salesperson, you know that the sights and sounds greeting you are not the only harbingers of what this day will bring. You understand that your response to the challenge of a less-than-perfect day will determine how the day will play out. Do you begin early and play it for a win, or do you linger, hoping for a better day tomorrow?

A perfect day may never come along by itself. As a professional salesperson, I understand I only get paid for what I sell. I know I can’t afford to linger, but today it’s going to be tough to get out of bed.

Today is the thirty-second day in a row that I see nothing but dark rain clouds when I open my eyes. It’s June 8, and I’m fed up with these dark, rainy Seattle days. I’m going to be crabby today because I’m sick of this damn rain, and what’s more, I’m going to make sure everyone around me is crabby. I’m not going to be crabby and fed up by myself. I’ll set the mood right now, with a sigh. Sigh. There. I’m ready to face the kind of day I’ve chosen to have. What shall I wear? It has to be crabby.

I’ll put on that ugly brown dress I bought on sale last November. I’ll wear an ugly brown November dress in June. That ought to shore up the crabbiness. Then what?

I’ll go into the office and work on budgets. Today I’m going to work on budgets in my ugly brown dress and hold my head down and grumble, because it’s raining and I’m mad. It’s the perfect plan for a perfectly crabby day.

Uh-oh. I have an eleven o’clock appointment with Jolly George. I can’t be crabby with Jolly George. He has money to spend, and I want him to spend most, if not all, of it with me. Jolly George won’t spend money with a crab in an ugly brown dress. I need to adjust my attitude.

If I squint my eyes and look at that cloud formation again, I can imagine a big, cuddly, wet dog gamely paddling his way toward the horizon hoping for some blue sky. He might even be gone when it’s time for me to head to the office, so forget about him. I have to get ready for Jolly George.

George Allgood is my most important appointment today. He’s asked me to present him with a plan for his fall campaign, and I’ve put together a good one. In fact, it’s dazzling. If I get out of bed right now, I’ll have time to go over my plan once more before I leave for work. A dazzling plan requires a dazzling performance, and I don’t perform well without a rehearsal. Feet—hit the floor!

George is a great guy, fun to be with. He’ll appreciate a good performance. It will begin at eleven o’clock in my office, at the radio station.

I’ll greet George wearing the new blue suit I bought in anticipation of warm summer days. George doesn’t know it yet, but we’re going to celebrate the signing of his new sports sponsorship before the day is over. I can’t wait to get to work and make this happen!

Which wake-up attitude do you think will bring me a greater return on investment for the time and energy I’ll devote to this day? Return on investment—ROI—is what sales is all about. I can’t give in to a crabby day. No more rain clouds. It’s time to make some money.

Hello, George. I’ve got some great news for you! Brian O’Shea, our sports director, is joining us today. I gesture toward Brian, who is standing in front of a three-chair cluster in the middle of the room, with a circular coffee table in