Myths About Sales Reps

(And Totally Wrong)

13 Pervasive

Many sales reps face terrible and all-too-common stereotypes about their chosen profession. You say, “I’m a

sales rep” and many people immediately picture THIS:

“What can we do to get you in a car today?”

In fact, if you Google “Sales reps are…” you’ll be unsurprised to see the

autocomplete results are all negative.

We’re here to discredit these negative and nasty stereotypes, and tell you that the world

of sales has changed - for the better.

Sales is full of creative, intelligent, and widely different people who believe

strongly in the products they’re selling. So forget the bad toupee, the gold

pinky rings and the cheesy sales lines - get ready to bust some sales myths.

1. Sales reps are liars.

Everyone seems to think reps will promise the moon as long as they can close the deal - even if they can’t deliver. However, this is

simply bad for long-term business. In a world of online reviews and instant feedback on Twitter, no modern company can afford to tick off buyers by blatantly lying to them.

Today’s sales reps have to be honest to a fault, or they’ll quickly lose potential

customers through negative word-of-mouth.

2. Sales reps are greedy.

No one will deny that sales reps are strongly motivated to hit their goals and close more

business, but that doesn’t mean they’re greedy. Reps are like most people - they want to be paid fairly for their work and

rewarded for their success. While money is important, it’s not the driving force for every

sales rep out there and it doesn’t mean they’re trying to cheat you at every turn.

3. Sales reps are loud and never stop talking.

While sales reps can’t be afraid to talk to strangers, that doesn’t mean they’re all

loudmouths. In fact, it’s much more important for reps to listen to prospective customers

and learn about their needs and wants. The best reps listen much more than they talk, so

they can better sell to a prospect’s needs.

4. Sales reps are disorganized and chaotic.

Not every rep is a neat freak, but many of

today’s sales processes require a high level of organization and discipline to be

successful. Sales reps have to log all of their activities in CRM, take detailed notes on every call, and keep their calendar strictly

organized to keep appointments.

5. Sales reps are intensely extroverted.

Some reps are extroverts, but others are incredibly introverted and thoughtful. While sales reps do have to be able to cold call strangers and pitch a product, there are introverts who can do that successfully.

There are many different personalities that can succeed in sales – don’t pigeonhole

reps by expecting the stereotypical, outgoing personality.

6. Sales reps are knuckle-dragging, meathead bros.

Many people assume sales reps aren’t the brightest bulbs. People think reps are just

likeable doofuses, playing flip cup and telling crude jokes in the sales pit. That couldn’t be

further from the truth. Reps today have to utilize sales strategies, overcome objections, offer competitive comparisons and calculate ROI all at once. This is not an easy job, and requires a high level of skill and knowledge.

7. Sales reps are all men.

If you noticed, the last myth included words that are specifically used to describe men.

So what about the women working in sales? People all too often believe that sales is a

100% male profession, and forget about the many successful women working in the industry. In fact, the number of women

working in sales is growing quickly - so don’t discount the ladies.

8. Sales reps are always stressed and under pressure.

OK, this one may not be completely untrue. Sales reps definitely work in a high-pressure environment and can often be stressed by

tough deadlines and aggressive sales goals. But that doesn’t mean every rep is going to

transfer that stress onto you. Reps know that even if they’re stressed, high-pressure sales

can backfire spectacularly with a lost deal that otherwise would have closed.

9. Sales reps are self-serving and selfish.

Many sales reps do want to be the best and sell the most, but that doesn’t mean they’re selfish jerks only looking out for themselves. The best sales reps have realized that being

sincerely helpful to others is more likely to end in a closed deal. Today, many reps truly believe their product will help you, offering a

solution to your business problems.

10. Sales reps are aggressive.

This insult is often lobbed at sales reps who are persistent in calling and tracking down

leads. While it is true of some reps, most will realize when something is a waste of their efforts and move on. Reps have too many

demands on their time to be too aggressive with any one prospect, and would rather sell

to someone who is excited to buy.

11. Sales reps are replaceable and a dime-a-dozen.

Great sales reps are always in high demand, and are not easily interchangeable. If you

take an inside sales rep at a Software-as-a-Service company and drop them into a car to

work as a door-to-door sales rep, they will not flourish. Inside sales reps cultivate

specialized skills that allow them to compete in a highly competitive industry. If you ask their bosses, the best reps are definitely

not replaceable.

12. Sales reps are disloyal.

Many people think that sales reps will switch jobs with ease, as long as they’re offered

more money. However, this isn’t always true. While sales jobs sometimes do have high

turnover, if a rep finds a job with a great boss working at a great company, he or she will

be incredibly loyal and appreciate the positive working environment – like any

other employee.

13. Sales reps are not trustworthy.

If someone is selfish, lying, disloyal and greedy, it’s generally understood that you can’t trust them to truly help you. But you

actually CAN trust sales reps to work to help you and sell you a product to better your business. Reps know that if you buy their product and love it, you’ll tell others to buy

as well. That will lead to more sales for them - a true win-win situation.

The moral of the story: Don’t believe every stereotype you

hear about sales reps!

For more informative sales content, Check out the InsightSquared Blog

Thank You!