And You Want To Be My Latex Salesman?

       Have you ever thought about leaving the turf management side of the business to go into sales, or the dark side, as many have referred to it? Job opportunities are harder to come by and the younger segment of turf managers ,though smaller in number, are spending longer at their first position. More and more, I am hearing of people moving away from the golf world for another job. You like the business, but just can't get a break. While sales is not for everyone, it is a way to stay involved in something you love.
      As Tim Moraghan, of Aspire Consulting, once said in an Assistant education program, "Everyone in the room can grow grass, but what separates you from the pack?" If you are thinking about sales, have you done anything towards opening that door? Even just to read a book on sales to see if it peaks your interest might be a good start. "The Little Red Book of Sales", by Jeffery Gitomer is one of my favorite books and gives an excellent vision of what sales is all about. Also, take a look at S. Anthony Iannarino's blog for another resource.
       The question that you need to look at is what does a sales person really do? Is it just driving around all day listening to sports talk radio and making an occasional stop to ask the question, "you need anything?". What is funny, if I asked a bunch of Superintendents what sales person drives them crazy and why, they could tell you immediately. That guy is the one that doesn't value my time and doesn't have a purpose for his visit. Now ask what they like about the guys who they do business with and why. I can almost guarantee that number one answer is that he gets back to me. There are definitely some other things that play into it, like value in the products they sell and in the end do you make it easier for the turf manager to do his or her job.
     I have some classifications I believe sales people fall into. Whether it is the professional visitor or the total account salesperson, you need to think about how would you do the job and be successful. Sales is definitely not for everyone, but it is an option to explore when you are ready to start the second phase of your career.

WJC