SMM: How did you get started with "Selling in a Skirt"?
JH: For me, it's always been about relationships. The men I worked for, generally, it was all about the transaction. As I started getting more successful especially in insurance, they told me I was such a “girl!” I took too long, asked too many questions and I had to make everyone a friend. For me, that translated as building relationships. As I got more successful they would say whatever I was doing is not duplicatable so don't teach people that. When I became an Agency Manager I changed a lot of their procedures. When I left there I thought if I was starting all over again what is it that I would have wanted to have myself? I would have loved to have had a female Mentor because there were no women. I am stepping out into this world of consulting and teaching and training and I'm thinking okay I know there are women out there that would want to have someone in their corner, someone who can help them get through the journey and show them how to be successful in sales. The name “Selling In A Skirt” came from the fact that I wanted to talk about sales that's where selling came in and I am a female, let's talk about what I look like, I was selling in a skirt. The funny part of all of this is that everyone thinks it's about the article of clothing but it has nothing to do with that, it's an acronym that just happens to spell out S.K.I.R.T.
SMM: What mistakes do you see sales people make when pitching?
JH: Just that, they are pitching. That's the biggest mistake. It's not about pitching, sales is about building relationships and communication. If you can ask questions, (remember they said to me you ask too many questions) and you can get them to respond you will see why you don't have to pitch. Because now you are in a relationship and in a conversation, you're coming up with a game plan of how you're going to do this. People go in and immediately start talking about their product, nobody cares about your product...not yet. They don't even care about you yet. You have to actually come up with a way to have a conversation with them and let them know that you're interested…not interesting-that’s a big difference.
SMM: Why do you think people have a fear of cold calling?
JH: It’s a very impersonal way to meet people and the way that the world is today it's difficult to do cold calling anyway. People have Caller ID, a gatekeeper, in the end it produces a lot of rejection. That's why I tell people you still need that personal touch. You can do the same thing going to a networking event and meeting someone in person. Technically, you are cold calling someone in person.
Selling in a Skirt
We sat down with Judy Hoberman, President of Selling in a Skirt to talk about the sales process and what our Readers can do to improve their sales and experience for their prospects.
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