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Summary: Being assertive with customers and your employer is a key to sales success. Be careful how often you use that assertiveness.

As a sales professional you primarily deal with two groups of people on a daily basis, your customers and your employer. At the beginning of the relationship with both of these entities you were handed a six-gun. A six-gun is a revolver that has six bullets in it. You get six shots and then you’re empty.

The six-gun that a customer provides you allows you to both assert yourself with them six times (and no more) while also getting their full attention each time. Once you use these six shots they’ll stop being so receptive to what you have to say. In other words, your customers will listen to your serious issues and problems a limited number of times. If you have serious issues and problems too often they’ll stop giving you an audience and you’ll lose credibility. Don’t bring every little problem you encounter to the attention of your customer; handle almost all of them yourself.

You also have a six-gun with your employer. We know as sales professionals that we must assert ourselves with headquarters or we frequently won’t get the support that we and our customers need. Just as with customers, we must also limit how often we bring problems to our employer. Handle all the everyday problems and issues yourself; only seek help from your employer for the big and important issues you encounter. Don’t go to your sales manager when you find that you’ve lost a small account; just replace them with a bigger one and be done with it. Do go to your sales manager when you need additional resources brought in to help you close a very large deal.

Remember that “assertive” means self-assured and positive. Assertiveness is a necessary trait for sales professionals to use both with their customers and their employer. However, don’t overuse the assertiveness six-gun or those you need the most (customers and employer) will stop listening to you.

Have you taken inventory lately of where you stand with your customers and your employer? Do you still have some bullets left?

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Tags: assertive

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