“Jane” was a perfect example of this. She has the passion for the product she sells, has compassion for the clients upon whom she calls and is very talented at building relationships. Jane’s clients are all health care professionals who work in very busy hospital units. It was refreshing to see her size up a situation to determine how much time she thought was appropriate to spend with the client. It was also exciting (I am a marketing professional after all) to see her counter an objection from a potential client with such aplomb that this client actually purchased her product later the same day.

My business requires that I work regularly with outside sales people. Consequently, I know a good one when I see one. Outside sales people don’t always walk through the door at the end of the day with a fistful of orders or cash. The best ones have regular, repeat business due to the relationships that have been nurtured over months or years. They will generate new business, perform customer service duties and maintain existing business relationships all in the course of the day.

I am often asked for references on sales people in my industry. Sales Managers call to see who I think is a good outside sales rep. My criteria for giving a good reference include this short list:

Effective Use of Time: Does the sales rep effectively use his time with me to update me on his product and changes within the marketplace, or does she just come to my office to “kill time”? I respect those sales people who respect my time. I appreciate a sales call that covers several concerns, products and objectives at one time rather than repeated sales calls for one item at a time.

Follow Up: Does the sales rep respond in a timely manner (for me sometimes this means within an hour) with critical information or answers to questions? Jane’s clients’ primary need is a prompt response time on their cases. Jane showed a sense of urgency in getting them the information they needed to make a decision on her product.

Knowledge of Product/Marketplace: I expect the sales person to be so familiar with their product that they don’t need collateral to do a presentation. Sometimes a sales person has only time enough for the thirty second elevator pitch. Jane literally pitched a client while riding down in the elevator with her, walked with her around a cafeteria while the client got her lunch, then rode back up the elevator with her. You can see that trying to present materials or a power point presentation under these circumstances would be ridiculous.

In closing, I would add that the best outside sales people are a rare breed. They have to be tough enough to hear “no” and keep going back for more, deal with difficult people on a regular basis and juggle a multitude of tasks. This is not a job for your average 9 to 5er. If you are lucky enough to find a good outside sales person, hang on to them because initiative and passion are two things that can’t be taught.

There are two rules of thumb when it comes to advertising. First, advertise when people are in the market for your product. For example, advertise perennials in the spring as that is when gardeners are planting. Second rule of thumb, advertise when people are not necessarily shopping for your product or service to build your brand awareness. Tires and mattresses come to mind in this instance. Tires and mattresses are advertised day in and day out, but the average consumer probably isn’t aware of this UNLESS he needs a new mattress or she needs new tires. In general, most consumers tune out advertising messages until they are in the market for the product unless something about the product or the messaging grabs their attention.

It’s always important to advertise when consumers are in the market for your product. If your product is one that is seasonal (perennials, snow tires, beach balls) then you need to focus the majority of your marketing effort on the time when consumers are buying your product.

However, if your product is one that consumers don’t think about until they actually need it then it is important to keep your brand out among potential customers. For me, this hit home about a year ago. I began searching for a long term care facility for my mother who could no longer live with me at home. There were dozens of choices and I didn’t have the first inkling of what to look for, so the first place I went was to the internet for research. Then I began paying attention to all advertising with messages about in-home care, senior daycare, long term care, rehab care. The messaging had been there all along but until I was ready to hear it, I had tuned it out.

The answer to the question I posed earlier is “yes, you should advertise”. Yes, you should advertise even when the economy is weak and even when you think that no one is paying attention. Because there is always someone paying attention and you need to be in their cross hairs when that person is ready to make a purchase. There’s a rhyme I learned in high school Junior Achievement that I’ve never forgotten: He who has a thing to sell and goes and whispers in a well is not so apt to get the dollar as he who climbs a hill and hollers.