As a child, our family entertained large numbers of guests regularly. As a result, each of us children had to learn a skill that we could present at a moment’s notice. Music, skits, and speeches were among many of the choices, but the most popular by far was magic.
Recently I have been going through an in-depth study of the role of Sales as I intend to pursue a career in this area. During this study, I have have had the opportunity to interview sales experts, one of which happens to be a fan of magic as well. Adam Thibeault is an experienced and successful Sales Representative at Combined Insurance. Here is a summary of our interview.
What made you choose to pursue this role?
“I’m driven by ‘I can do this’ as opposed to a monthly pay-check.”
According to Adam “In Sales, if you have the confidence to go after your goals, then one thing that no one can take from you is commissions”
Starting in college, Adam discovered that he could gain more from listening to podcasts and educating himself then he was gaining in the classroom. This led him to Praxis where he completed their 12-month course gaining real-world experience and training. From here Adam set his sights high, found a company he wanted to work for and through sweat, blood, and tears, landed himself a job as a Sales Rep.
This go-get-it attitude and perseverance along with being able to determine your outcome and results are what led Adam to Sales, and my siblings and me to magic. To those who watch from the audience of life, this role may appear to be an allusion, confusing, and perhaps a bit intimidating. For the magician though, this preference is anything but. It is a well planned out strategy in which the performer has full control over the outcome.
What skills and training are required for this role?
“Perseverance is the number one difference between the people who are successful and the people who will be driven nuts.”
In a job that often results in more no’s than yes’s, the ability to keep going even after one has been kicked in the teeth is a must.
Adam goes about looking at his progress by basing it on personal outcome as apposed to capital outcome.
“Put the judgment of whether you are doing well or not on ‘did I make as many calls, sales presentations, or book as many appointments as I could?’ That is the metric you want to go for, rather than getting the sale.”
Gaining a customer’s trust, presenting and proving the reliability of your product, and dealing with the slammed doors in your face, requires one to stay focused and push forward toward the end goal regardless of what happens along the way.
Often when performing our little magic show, a hiccup would occur resulting in impromptu maneuvering and adjustments on my sibling’s part. You should have been there the first time my sister tried to saw my brother in half. Sometimes we had to throw the trick out the window and make up a completely new one on the spot. Regardless though, we had to deliver a stunning performance. As long as the audience cheered, the presentation was a success.
What is the greatest challenge?
“Getting up in the morning.”
Adam says that once he gets to his car he can then get anywhere he needs to throughout the day. Getting to the car though is the struggle.
As in every area of life, the big key activities only come about as a result of the little steps that came before. Any morning routine involves an alarm and the will power to get out of bed. Getting ready for the day involves boring tasks such as getting dressed, brushing your teeth and eating your Cheerios. In the same way, preparing the presentation, making the calls, and scheduling the appointments has to come before the exciting pitch can be made.
“Getting up in the Morning.” could be replaced with“Getting the appointment.”
My siblings and I loved performing in front of our family and friends, but besides the baby of the family who could rely on her cuteness to get her an appose, us older kids had to work on our acts before we performed them. A 3-minute trick would take three days of practice, but the stunned looks on everyone’s face was worth it in the end.
What does your day to day tasks look like?
“The day starts with the night before”
Each night Adam schedules out the following day. From appointments and meetings to travel time and smaller in-between tasks. This ensures that each morning when he wakes up to charge the day, he knows exactly what needs to be done first and every step after that.
As we said above, there is quite a bit of flexibility that goes into this job and maneuvering is a daily task. However, this adjusting is far easier to deal with when the rest of your day is planned out and accessible.
One thing about presentations, whether they be on magic or any other topic, is that a well planned out order is necessary. Without knowing which trick need to go next, my siblings and I would have been pulling rabbits out of our hats, when we were supposed to be turning flowers into doves. Order plus perseverance equals productivity.
What is the significance of Sales as a whole?
Personally –
As an insurance salesman, Adam says that he has, “literally seen people’s lives be saved because of the money our coverage provided them.”
“I wouldn’t do anything else in the world. If I could just help people, which I can and will, I’d want to do it.”
Regardless of what you are selling, a belief in that product and its impacts on humanity is what will push you to do whatever it takes to get that product into the hands of the customers who need it. You must believe in your product enough that you would invest in it yourself. You are investing in that product, each day that you give your time and effort to your company.
As a company and sales as a whole-
“Being apart of a team to reach a common goal is so improvident. Even if you’re the janitor (which is how I started), you are helping the team as a whole reach their goal of helping others.”
Each member of a team is vitally importation no matter what their title may be. You are only as strong as your weakest link and no person can be replaced. That janitor who cleans the office allows the members on each team to accomplish their tasks by having everything they need to improve the company as a whole. If you believe in the mission of your company then you must also believe in each member of your team, because without them, that mission will never be reached.
Working as a family to entertain our guests was an undertaking no single Walter could take on by themselves. There are no spotlights with a team because no one person can get where they’re at without the company as a whole.
What hard skills are necessary for this role?
“Organization and Follow-through”
As we discussed above, organization is a key skill in every area of sales. However, organization is not only necessary for the before stages but also the after. Being able to look at a situation and figure out what went wrong, determine how to solve it, and then put these new actions into play, will be the difference between improvement and remaining in the same old rut.
Talking to people is a large part of sales, but gaining the trust of a customer is a whole different can of worms. It is your job as a salesman to convince your customers that the product is reliable and worth their investment. This requires follow through. Saying something is one thing, performing it is another. Walking your talk and proving your claims is what sales are all about. After all, you are apart of that product. When that person thinks of the product you sold them they will also think of you because you are connected in their minds.
When my siblings and I would talk to people who had been to our house in the past they would often bring up parts of our presentation and the things they enjoyed. This information would let us know which acts were more pleasing and would help us improve the show as a whole. In the end, though, our ability to jump up and put on a show spur of the moment was what impressed our audience the most. We didn’t just tell them about our hobbies, we showed them.
What does it take to succeed in this role?
“Gritting your teeth, smiling, going on with a positive mental attitude, and doing 10% more than you’re asked to. This is the only thing I’d quantify as my success.”
Let’s be honest, life is often pretty hard and some days just get you down. On such occasions, one must determine who is in charge of their life. Their circumstances or themselves.
By moving past a pour experience with a genuine smile and positive attitude, one can use these negative events to improve themselves. Either you determine your circumstances or your circumstances will determine you.
With this mindset comes the ability to rise above and achieve more than others thought you possibly could. Giving all you’ve got in every situation is what will put you ahead in life. Going above a beyond, accomplishing in 10%, 20% more than was expected of you will not only prove to the world what you are capable of but will also prove it to yourself.
Each time you reach the goals you are training yourself to be an over-comer and reach higher the next time.
The first time I performed in front of an audience, I was far from an Oscar nominee. I remember times when I was embraced to no end and never wanted to try anything new ever again. At these times my parents would lovingly push me back on the stage and tell me to try again. It was for these exact moments that my parents made us perform. These obstacles would determine what kind of person we would grow up to be. Either an over-comer or a person who accepted defeat.
If you could give one piece of advice to a young person considering this role, what would it be?
“Put yourself out there”
The only thing to fear is fear itself. If you allow the fear of what others will think or what might just happen keep you from trying new things, then you’ll never achieve anything in life.
Adam went to New York with $800, a car full of clothes, and a few copies of his resume. His greatest fears were not being able to provide for himself, being alone, and finding himself stuck in a mental rut of never improving. By making this move to NY, Adam faced each of these obstacles, using them to push himself above and beyond.
My parents created safe atmospheres for us kids where we could put out selves out there with people who cared and loved us. As we’ve grown up, that safe place has diapered but the ability to try new things, take the risk, and share with the world has only grown. The crazy things that you do in life are what define who you are, who you will be, and give you the confidence to take on the next new fear.
Conclusion
Whether you are selling insurance or preforming a card trick, all of life is about sales. When applying for a job, going on a date, or introducing yourself to a stranger, you are selling yourself. When you discuss with a friend, convenience your aunt to make your favorite dessert or ask your boss for a raise, you are selling your opinions. No matter what you are selling in life, the skills of perseverance, organization, and a drive to overcome fears and reach new heights will be the determining factor of you closing the deal.
Payton Grace Walter 