Who gets work
I'm in a country at the moment where there is a very large divide between "the rich" and "the poor." The unemployment rate is estimated to be at 40%. Yet, in many areas, the malls are packed, and hotel suites in the city near the water go for $1500 a night. [Note to readers - after getting quite a bit of response on this point - I am NOT talking about the United States. I'm about 8,000 miles from the U.S. at the moment. - kz]
What's been interesting to me, as a revenue coach, is seeing who is still gainfully employed in an economy where the unemployment level is so high. Who does well, and who does not? If you're working for someone else, and are worried about your future, this subject is worth a look. If you own or run a company, it's interesting to look at this because many of the observations I've made about the success of individuals can also be applied to companies.
Who gets work?
The people who are employed in this economy are the same people who are gainfully employed in any economy. It's the people who provide a service or product that other people want, in a way that makes those buyers comfortable paying for it. The comfort component is important, especially in an environment where unsavory and fly-by-night elements abound in the marketplace.
The first requirement in the "who gets work" scenario is that you be willing to work, and that you be interested enough in helping others to provide something of value. Of course, that automatically eliminates the people who prefer to sit around all day and those who look for opportunities to cheat and steal.
It also eliminates those who spend their time begging.
Going begging
In many countries, begging is actually "work" for quite a few people when the unemployment rate hits 40%. I'm talking about someone who is otherwise capable - but begging.
Begging is nothing but salesmanship - in the sense that no product or service is being offered along with the pitch. The only thing being offered is a story. A sad story.
She comes close to us as we are walking through a busy tourist area. "It's my birthday today, and my grandmother is sick," she says, almost tearfully. Her face is set in a perpetual state of despair.
This same beggar tells the same story hundreds of times a day. For those she approaches, the question that comes to mind is, "What are you going to do with the money?" You could say it doesn't matter, but it is human nature to think this thought. "Are you really as hungry as you say, or is this just how you make money? Will it go for drugs or booze?"
Those who give her money do so because of their own generous nature, not because they believe her story or are receiving anything for their money. Yes, you could say that the beggar gives the "customer" the opportunity to do something nice - and that there is some value in that - but that is certainly not the beggar's intent. I don't think any beggar decides to go begging because they want to make the world a better place.
No one who gives her money will look for an opportunity to give her money again. This is an important fact, because when someone does provide something of value, we are happy to give that person our money again. We will even seek them out, because we expect to be satisfied with our next purchase.
Looking for work with no recommendation
Next up on the commerce food chain is the person who looks for work, but is an unknown commodity. In other words, he has no business card, no piece of paper with references, nothing. Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to distinguish the sincere, honestly-looking-for-work person from the professional thieves, who are just as polite and dress just as carefully - but are only pretending to look for a job while they case out the joint.
Because it's often impossible to tell the honest individual from the dishonest individual in the first few minutes, it's highly unlikely that someone who just shows up looking for work - no matter how seemingly earnest and well-dressed - will be hired without some references.
What is working against this person is the trust factor. We give our money and trust our stuff to people we are comfortable with. We hire people to work for us only when we are reasonably sure we won't regret it. Yes, there must be perceived value. Value comes first. But value without trust means the customer will really hesitate, because the value might not be real. Trust has to be established before the customer will part with her money.
Looking for work, have references and a "card"
Next up the commerce food chain is the person who is able to provide a product or service that others want, has a reference of some sort, and a piece of paper that establishes them as a viable member of the business community.
It doesn't have to be a business card, it could be a simple computer-generated handout. A person receiving this business card or handout will be more comfortable hiring the worker. There's a feeling of stability that comes with something that is "printed" and "formal."
Looking for work, has references, a "card," and a good reputation
At the top of the commerce food chain is someone who has done everything I've described so far, but who also has earned a reputation in the community for good work. This kind of reputation takes time to build (and can be ruined in a nanosecond by one stupid or dishonest act). They have done more than just hope that the good word will get out. They have been careful to preserve their reputation for good work, with every job they have done. They look for ways to contribute to the community.
Where are you on the food chain? Where is your company?
When CEOs and entrepreneurs worry about selling, they tend to look for new ways to market and sell. Because cash is tight, they are very careful what they spend their budget on, but they do tend to try things they haven't tried before. The problem is, while they are doing new things to feed the pipeline, they are ignoring the current barriers to conversion that are built into their marketing and sales infrastructure.
The biggest barrier to sales right now is the "comfort level." Nothing else even comes close, including price. Are you paying attention to that comfort level?
At one extreme, your salespeople could be making prospects very uncomfortable because they're "begging for business," without addressing the prospect's fears and concerns. As the salesperson prattles on, the prospect is thinking, "Sure, this guy really wants my business, but will this company support me after the sale? Who else has used them? What did they think? How does this compare to my alternatives? Will this really solve my problem, or just create new problems? Who are these people?"
This last question is asked by almost every buyer who is purchasing a software product, for example. And yet, when you go to software company sites, very few of them:
1. Feature their company managers in their "About" section. The buyer never gets a sense of who the founders are, why they started the company, and what they're doing to make sure customers are served properly.
2. Have a management blog, even though the blogging technology is available to everyone and an interesting and informative blog (while time-intensive), is one of the most effective ways to establish a comfort level.
3. Have a rich testimonial section. There may be a few testimonials scattered about, but not enough to cause the customer to trust that his purchase will be free of regrets.
4. Have industry-specific sections with industry-specific case studies. Customers I interview often say, "Well, it's nice that the software works in some other industry, but I want to know how it's worked for people in my industry." If the customer "sees himself" in the industry-specific case study, the sale is as good as done.
5. Train their salespeople to answer specific, detailed questions about the product, so that when the customer has "one more question," that question can be answered satisfactorily and the sale can be made.
If you want to increase your sales, you'll think about the customer's comfort level. You will answer their most important questions right up front ("Who are these people and what's going to happen to me after I buy?"). You won't behave like the beggar who wants "something for nothing," but will give the customer ample opportunity to know who you are and why they can trust you with their money.
The best way to find out what would make your buyers more comfortable is to interview people who have already bought from you - and to ask them that question ("What would have made you more comfortable, earlier in the buying process?").
The suggestions in this article won't cost you much, but they will make a big difference in your sales levels - more than many of those "pipeline filling" activities you're considering.
When it comes to selling in this type of economy, comfort pays.
