It seems that sales managers often find themselves in similar positions as foremen who manage workers that pick apples. Though foremen and sales managers possess different attire and tools of trade, they are more similar than first perceived, and an interesting analogy can be drawn. Salespeople often carry briefcases and apple pickers carry baskets. Sales managers worry about number and value of sales, whereas foremen look for number and quality of apples picked. The tools are completely different, but the attitudes and thoughts can often run down the same path.
“Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling, as in all careers of importance, victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats.”– Og Mandino
In this article, we will explain the similarities between apple pickers and salespeople. We will look at what goes on in their minds. Both sales managers and foremen in the fruit fields have to discover ways to set their workers back on the straight path.
The 5 types of salespeople and apple pickers
1. The Scroungers.
Jose started picking apples 13 years ago. When he first started, he was very good at his job. Bob started selling door-t- door vacuum cleaners 12 years ago. He often sold 3-4 vacuums every week back then.
Both Jose and Bob have changed their perspectives in their careers. The amount of apples Jose picks now is about 40% less, and the amount of sales Bob makes is about 40% less. The quality that comes from both Jose and Bob has dropped substantially. Many of the apples Jose brings are bruised or have worms. A large part of the sales Bob gets are people with bad credit and they cannot pay for their vacuum cleaners.
Jose and Bob have become scroungers. Jose just picks apples off the ground and Bob just goes after vacuum sales from the cheap ad he put in the local free ad network that runs in the low income part of town. The value and attention to details has dropped; the enthusiasm and the commitment to the job has long gone.
The Solution
Both Jose and Bob need reminders of their “glory days.” They need to be taught the basics of apple picking and sales again. Most managers would have these older workers work closely with a young worker or a new sales hire who is following all the rules, and doing their job properly. This idea can create 2 great outcomes.
- The tenured workers will become embarrassed that a young worker is doing an outstanding job. Which will force them to change their ways in a competitive fashion.
- The tenured workers will see that they have the potential to be leaders. They will change their ways to show their true leadership capabilities.
“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.”–William Clement Stone
2. The Cherry Pickers
Yes, the topic at hand is about apple pickers and sales people. How did this other fruit come into the picture?
In the sales world, salespeople often use the term “cherry picker.” These are salespeople who will only go for “sure sales” or “low hanging fruit”. They do not want to face any rejection. They also only want the high commission sales. They often believe that they are smarter, that they can game the system and have already paid their dues. These “cherry pickers” build a false spirit of entitlement.
There are apple pickers who do the same. They look for the biggest and best apples and leave the rest behind. These are the ones scroungers want to grab.
For these cherry-apple pickers, the apples brought in are beautiful and tasty, but the basket may only be half full. It is the same with cherry picking salespeople: they have huge sales, but only once or twice a month, which isn’t worth their salt.
The Solution
Both fruit foremen and sales managers need to use the same technique. This is when the manager works side by side with the employee and coaches them on the best practices. The manager forces them to do it correctly or be prepared to be on the chopping block. Some will change and stay, and some will go. If they are not willing to conform, let them go because the rest of the work force cannot adopt their bad practices and terrible methods.
3. Green (High Pressure)
Tom comes back from picking apples and the basket is 85% full of green apples. While some people like green apples, the green apples should not make up that much of his basket. Green apples get many people sick and just aren’t as popular as red ones. However, Tom believes that he is doing a fine job, meeting his apple quota every month. Plus, he loves green apples; how is he doing any wrong?
John is a great salesman, but as of late people have been calling in complaint after complaint on him. Customers that interact with him feel stressed out. Upon investigation, the sales manager realizes John is using high pressure techniques. Though John is making sales, he makes the company look impersonal by only caring about sales and not the customers themselves. What can be done?
Both Tom and John are exhibiting incorrect habits. Each believe that they are doing well and hitting their benchmarks, when in reality, they’re hurting their employers and the companies as a whole.
The Solution
The best method to solve this is through coaching initially, followed by documented performance management processes. If this does not help, then possible pay docking is recommended and if there still is no improvement, termination. These employees are money hungry or careless, or they otherwise wouldn’t use these techniques. If Tom is told that his pay will be docked for every green apple in the basket, then there will not be another green apple in his basket in the future.
Tell John that the complaints are going to cost him commission claw backs and loss of clients. Explain that he is using high pressure techniques, and also explain to him how these methods are harming the company’s brand and reputation. Odds say that the complaints will come down substantially, and John will halt his high pressure sales techniques.
4. Basket Thieves
These are the lowest of the workers. The basket thief in fruit picking comes behind their fellow workers and takes fruit from their baskets when they are not looking.
The basket thief in sales may be the salesperson who knows a fellow employee has a scheduled appointment with a client on Tuesday at 1:00 PM. The basket thief undercuts the fellow salesperson and meets with the client 11:00 AM. When confronted, he will swear that he self-generated that opportunity, while canvassing that neighborhood.
There is only one way to deal with these basket thieves.
The Solution
The solution is plain and simple: give them a stern warning: “This behavior is totally unacceptable; any reoccurrence will be subject to immediate termination.” If the basket thief breaks this only warning, they are to be fired immediately. Thieves are thieves, and there is no sense taking time to fix their ways.
“A salesman, like the storage battery in your car, is constantly discharging energy. Unless he is recharged at frequent intervals he soon runs dry. This is one of the greatest responsibilities of sales leadership.”–R. H. Grant
5. The Sales Pickers and the Apple People
These are the employees who go tree to tree picking the ripest fruit. They are willing to climb and stoop. They will go out of their way to find the best possible apples or sales. Using hard work and elbow grease, these employees’ actions are commendable.
The Solution
No fix is needed for these employees. Raises or promotions are in order, because they are doing their jobs correctly.
“If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.”–Bob Hooey
The Unlikely Tomato Picker
Surprisingly, some of these actual apple pickers can be phenomenal salespeople. There is a tomato picker named Diana who was hired by a sales organization after multiple rejections. Within the first year, she broke every sales record within that organization. When asked about what attributed to her success, here is what she stated:
- Picking tomatoes generate low paychecks regardless of the effort, but putting greater effort into sales generates a bigger paycheck.
- God created me without a stop button, so why should I stop?
- Picking tomatoes for 14 hours a day under extreme heat is hard work, however taking a different but still extreme heat during sales calls is easy in an air conditioned environment.
Final Thoughts
Clearly, fruit pickers and salespeople are more similar than they are different. One does dress in working clothes and the other usually in business attire, and many probably live quite opposite lifestyles, but when it comes to their work attitudes and thoughts, they can be very similar.
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