Preface: Mary Strain’s story is actually two stories in one. The first is her father’s passion for selling and how Mary learned from him, developing a strong passion for selling. But before I let you move onto her story, I need to add to it.
I met Mary years ago when she was Director of Programs for an educational not-for-profit in New York City. She had spent many years as a teacher, and was now responsible for delivering very innovative educational programs to K-12 schools. When I started working with the organization, one of the clear needs they had were in developing a strong sales organization. Despite the fact they were a not for profit, they still needed to “sell” schools on the value of their programs. But that concept was foreign, in fact a little repulsive, to them.
I’d seen Mary’s engagement and ideas in meetings, started talking to her about prospecting and finding new schools. Developing a pipeline, managing deals and closing them. I was stunned at how quickly she mastered selling. She quickly grew to managing the sales organization, and has since gone on to businesses (now at AWS) selling some of the most complex AI solutions to major universities and educational institutions.
One thing that strikes me in Mary’s story. So often we associate manipulation and dishonesty with selling. It is anything but that, Mary states, “I love the honesty of a great sales experience.”
Why I am So Interested in Selling: Mary Strain
My father sold washing machines at Sears and Roebuck for 30 years he was a highly successful salesperson; he exceeded all the metrics. He earned plaques and fruit baskets; the typical accolades bestowed on retail sales people in the 70s and 80s. He was successful he had to deal with the worst kinds of middle management fresh from a few weeks of corporate training, and a never-ending cycle of
“name your holiday” appliance sales that kept him tied to the sales floor at the mall every weekend.
My father didn’t love washing machines or Sears for that matter but he loved people. It was the customers, and his endless curiosity about their lives, their challenges, their stories; that sustained him through an often-demoralizing job. Meeting people, all day, every day sustained him. Even after retirement, he would sit, nearly every day, on a bench in our hometown and just talk to anyone walking by. (His name is now on a plaque on that bench).
My father was also a great storyteller, in the vein of many great Irish storytellers, funny often with comedic hyperbole. He had endless stories, about the customers he met daily; including one about selling a washing machine to Paul Simon and getting some early inside scoop on the impending break up of Simon and Garfunkel. His storytelling ability coupled with his genuine interest in customers was a
“secrete sauce” to success in sales that I don’t think even he recognized. People loved him; they felt a real connection, and in turn by instinct he was able to tell a story to customers about how the purchase of a major appliance fit within the fabric of their own lives. There was no artifice or deceit in this; he knew he was honest and truly cared about them. His customers knew it too, and they bought from him because of it.
This is why I love selling. Like my father, I love people and am genuinely curious about their business, their lives, their aspirations. I find myself on sales calls where I barely say anything. I love to listen to them, and they love to be heard. Because I am deeply invested in my customers experience, I am able to be brutally honest, utterly transparent and spend no time “selling” something that is not needed or
wanted. This disciplined approach is central to respect for your customers time. I love the honesty of a great sales experience.
I am lucky to have worked with outstanding sales leadership and in organizations at the cutting-edge of innovation. From that platform, I can dial in on aspirations, big transformational ideas (often not quite yet products!). I too am an Irish storyteller, these types of engagements, let me weave a narrative for the customer that reflects all that they have shared, not just their business requirements but how they wish to be seen in their organization and the world. There is no gamesmanship in this, I truly mean it; my customers know it and they buy from me because of it.
Oh, and – I am ruthlessly competitive and love to win. This is also why I love selling.
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