| When you think of the The Believer as an employee, | | | | flat, then that manager must constantly reinforce that |
| you think of someone who is so committed to the | | | | belief and provide proof to sustain the drive despite |
| mission and products/services of a company; their | | | | the fact that reality is telling The Believer that the world |
| enthusiasm is contagious. In sales, the productivity can | | | | is round. |
| be outstanding. Think of the MLM structure - those are | | | | Though Believers can be an asset, they can also be a |
| believers - and that's how they can recruit so many | | | | drain. We all have some of the Believer inside of us |
| people in their "downline". | | | | because, as humans, that's the way we are built - we |
| In movies, sales meetings or political events are filled | | | | believe in something - have values. The Believer is the |
| with rah- rah- rah, songs, energetic music, powerful | | | | extreme of what comes to us almost naturally. Their |
| speeches and a lot of clapping, cheering... the energy is | | | | belief is associated with a need to convert others, to |
| incredible! The cliches are abundant and repeated | | | | crusade. As a manager, it is a fine line between reality |
| often, "Go Team", "We'll get rich together", and | | | | and enthusiasm getting out of control; the crash is not |
| whatever other slogan they've dreamed up. This | | | | worth the energy expended to get the "troops" |
| enthusiasm affects how they approach buyers - "you | | | | revved up. |
| must buy this - you can't be without it". When Believers | | | | It's best to work in building up the individual's confidence |
| walk into a room you can recognize them immediately | | | | with realistic goals to achieve, good training, and |
| - they're boisterous, smiling, determined and confident | | | | systematic successes in order to build inner |
| they have something incredible to give to the world. | | | | confidence. With that combination, The Believer will |
| We've all seen them, heard them and, some of us, | | | | stay the course on a much more sustainable level. |
| actually have bought into the message. | | | | Otherwise the company will be faced with high |
| For a sales manager, The Believers are the ideal | | | | turnover because when The Believer turns "off", they |
| person --- the manager can rev them up and off they | | | | can't move! At the cost of hiring, it's much less |
| go. Believers go out and convince people easily | | | | expensive to spend the money while they on the job |
| because of their own conviction The number of sales | | | | training and bulding their inner self-confidence. |
| is the score and they all strive to beat the latest and | | | | I've seen this so often in the non-profit world - it is |
| greatest score! However, the "belief" is fickle so the | | | | easy to believe in the cause! Volunteers or employees |
| sales manager's job is to keep providing constant | | | | come in truly believing the cause is everything and, |
| reassurances and find ways to constantly keep the | | | | soon, when they see that the whole world doesn't buy |
| "spirit" alive. Why? Because at the root of this "belief" | | | | into their conviction, they soon move on to another |
| is insecurity, a lack of self-esteem and they are unsure | | | | cause. When I was hiring employees, I would always |
| of themselves; they're constnatly searching outside of | | | | ask whether they believed in what the organization |
| themselves for something ideal. The reality, of course, | | | | was trying to achieve and gauge that response. If it |
| of any product, service or ideal is that it is not perfect. | | | | went overboard, I knew that kind of enthusiasm would |
| It is not absolute. There's a constant tug between the | | | | wane eventually; I preferred hiring people with |
| idealized version and reality. Thus, they must be | | | | moderate or no enthusiasm and good skills who |
| constantly reminded of what to see, not how it is. If a | | | | understood it was a job, not a cause. |
| manager educates her/his sales team that the world is | | | | |