I don't know what comes to your mind when you hear the phrase "vacuum cleaner salesman" but even as someone who has been in the world of selling for over 30 years I don't get a warm fuzzy. But Joel Osteen in his great book "It's Your Time" tells a story that epitomizes what great salespeople do.
Jaime was out cold calling and knocking on doors in Twin Falls, Idaho. He came to a door and a woman named Andi answered explaining that her husband Paul had major medical problems and was out on disability. The woman shared that his kidneys had been failing for over a year and was very low on a list of around 500 people waiting for a transplant. Further, Paul had type O-positive blood and the any donor had to match. None of their family or friends had this blood type.
If you were Jaime what would you have done? Most of my sales training would have told me to knock on the next door.
But Jaime blurted out, "I'm O-positive!"
Andi asked if he would be willing to be tested to see if he were a match for Paul.
Jaime went back to his car and prayed about it and then returned to the front door. As Joel tells it, "This time he wasn't selling he was giving". After months of testing, Jaime did donate the kidney that saved Paul's life.
There are a lot of great lessons in this true story. But the one I want to zero in on is for "Servant Salespeople". Keep an eye open for opportunities to contribute beyond what you sell and the chance for immediate profits. Make up your mind to bless and help your potential customers whenever you can. There is a sales manager more powerful than the one above you in your organization. He will make sure you are properly compensated at some point down the road!
And...you'll enjoy yourself and have more fun today.