In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, the main character Willy Loman struggles to understand who he is in a new society and reality. He is a 63-year-old salesman who just lost his job and quite frankly, doesn’t know who he is anymore.
Sales were his life, all he ever knew, actually. So when his life changes so dramatically, he finds it hard to accept.
The play was set in the 40’s and while no longer on Broadway, it’s been a staple in high school English classes for years.
Fast forward eight decades and we sales people in 2020 may be internalizing the same struggle Loman encountered in the play. We may also be trying to figure out who we are in our new society and reality and how we fit in. Do we fit in? Do we have a role?
Some are certainly shouting a resounding, ”NO! Do not call me trying to sell anything right now.”
It’s Not About Selling
Shortly after the pandemic started to take hold, my team at Psynet Group remotely gathered to discuss strategy. The message from our founder Dr. Dave Popple was very clear and supported by the entire team…”Do NOT try to sell anything.”
Refreshing right? A smart leader knows in times of crisis, you shift your approach to match your purpose. At Psynet Group we embrace our “Transformational Purpose” so we can be fluid and adjust to the times, while also focusing on what matters most to our company and team. I’d suggest all businesses consider this concept (Read more about it HERE).
Chances are we are not alone in our approach to sales during the pandemic. I’m sure other smart leaders have made the same call for their sales force.
But…my viewpoint is this — I should still be able to call, email, and get and keep relationships.
We Call Because We Are In This Together
At Psynet Group, our clients are important. Might sound trite, but it’s true. So we are still calling — to make sure our people are safe and healthy and to share what we are hearing and learning from other clients and organizations.
And trust me…our calls are not ingenious. Now as the world restarts and begins to deal with the accelerated change we are experiencing, we want to help you recover quickly. I work with a group of down-to-earth PhDs who spent their down time figuring out how to help others recover quickly when business returns. We are passionate about what we do and our small role in bringing the world back together.
So I ask, when I call, please don’t be horrified. When I email, please don’t delete it without reading. Just like you, I have a job I believe in and I want to help. And just like you, relationships are important to me — even more so now that we’ve all been isolated from one another.
Listen, Inform, and Connect
Although this play is a great analogy to how we salespeople may be feeling…that’s where it stops. We are not going to align ourselves with the fate of Willy Loman …we are all too resilient for that.
But when I call, please pick up the phone. I’m not going to try to hard sell anything, but I am going to continue to listen, connect and inform.
Lola Clark
Vice President of Sales – Western Region
Psynet Group
[email protected]