Recommended Reading: The Accidental Salesperson—How to Take Control of Your Sales Career and Earn the Respect and Income You Deserve (AMACOM 2000), by Chris Lytle

Advice for salespeople who “may not have chosen sales as a profession; it may have chosen you.”

Think back to when you were in school—how many kids said that they wanted to work in sales when they grew up? (Most likely, none). How many of those fireman or ballerina wannabes now spend their time meeting quotas and making cold calls? (Most likely, plenty). Somehow, sales is a profession that many people fall into, “by accident.”

The author of The Accidental Salesperson, Chris Lytle, has first-hand experience with his subject matter. Armed with a B.A. in political science in 1972, Lytle dreamed of becoming the next Walter Cronkite. But when he applied for his first job -- in the news department of the local radio station in Newark, Ohio -- he was told that what they needed was an advertising salesman. Lytle took the job and never looked back. That choice led to a successful career in sales, sales management and radio station ownership. He is now the founder of the Lytle Organization and is a sought-after professional speaker and consultant.

While the book was written primarily as a career development tool for salespeople, Lytle makes the convincing argument that anyone can benefit from his advice, since to some extent, we're all salespeople -- even if we're only selling ourselves. He writes: “Whether you're an engineer or shop foreman, CEO or account executive, your job increasingly requires excellent sales skills. For example, in a law firm, a ¬rainmaker' is the attorney who brings clients into the firm. An attorney who can sell is called a partner.”

According to Lytle, accidental salespeople have to learn to sell “on purpose.” They have to make a conscious choice to commit to a career in selling and, by doing so, they will gain a new sense of focus and purpose.

Lytle finds sales lessons everywhere, including O'Hare Airport, where the shoeshine guy successfully snagged him as a customer with the line, “Sir, let me shine those Cole-Haan loafers for you.” These illuminating “Accidental Sales Training Seminars” are interspersed throughout the book. Lytle urges salespeople to ask themselves: “What lessons will you learn today? Who will your teachers be? You never know. Just be open to learning from everyone.”

From the shoeshine man, Lytle learned that:

• A strong opening is critical.
• Product involvement is a powerful success trait.
• Controlling the focus of the meeting is critical.
• Eye contact is an important trust-building tool.
• Helping customers discover needs is part of the process.
• Doing it differently is refreshing and memorable for the customer.
• Customers buy from salespeople who align their behavior with the things customers value.

A key element in Lytle's program is “The Chart,” a four-tiered system designed to help salespeople “take your career to the next level by taking your relationship with each client to the next level.” The four levels are:

• Account Executive
• Salesperson or Problem Solver
• Professional Salesperson
• Sales and Marketing Professional (the goal)

A salesperson can be at different levels with different clients on any given day. The point is to determine an action plan that will take him to the next level with each client. Level 1 is the default mode, where many accidental salespeople end up. When a salesperson makes a conscious choice to sell on purpose, he rises to Level 2. According to Lytle, there is a huge difference between these two levels. He writes: “Set your preference at Level 2 and your clients will perceive you as 100 percent better than every Level 1 salesperson who approaches them—and most salespeople are Level 1 salespeople.” An example of a Level 3 moment is sending a client a relevant article about a trend or development in the industry. Eventually, the Level 3 moments add up and have a profound effect on prospects and customers. At Level 4, the sales professional achieves “complete trust based on established relationships and past performance.”

Lytle's book is overflowing with the kind of wisdom that can only be acquired through 30 successful years in the business. Here are some of Lytle pearls of wisdom:

On Building Rapport:
“The secret to building rapport with a prospect is to find something you both agree on and build from there instead of debating insignificant things.”

On Performance:
“Setting higher performance standards is the key to helping you achieve your higher goals. Think of it this way. The goal is the ¬what.' The standards are the ¬how.'”

On Marketing Yourself:
“Going the extra mile is fine. Marketing the fact that you've gone the extra mile is how you gain extra mileage from efforts. The next time you meet with a prospect or customer, open the meeting with this phrase: “In preparing for this meeting, I...”

Lytle promises his readers, “When you sell on purpose, you will begin to bring to the table those intangibles that Accidental Salespeople just can't. You have enthusiasm and project confidence. You persist because you believe that what you are doing is right and good. The challenge is to choose from The Chart the kind of salesperson you are going to be on every client interaction. Everything changes when you make that choice.”

Finally, Lytle's parting axiom: “Success is not an accident. Success is a choice.”

For more information about The Accidental Salesperson -- How to Take Control of Your Sales Career and Earn the Respect and Income You Deserve and other AMACOM business titles, click here.