Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to the professional sales rep. It is a sad day, and we all feel the loss of our deeply loved profession. Professional sales reps have been ill for quite some time, and although we fought a long and painful battle we have finally given into the pressure of the economy and the unrelenting abuse of companies all around the world that expected the professional sales rep to move forward and take the leap into the 21st century.
For years now we have been saying things like, “they want to replace us with phone sales” and “we are moving to a distribution model” or “online sales is the future” also “there is no more room for a direct sales force” and the final straw that has broken the camels back “we are too expensive to keep”.
All of our worst fears have become reality today as the last professional sales rep leaves the field and goes to work flipping burgers at the local greasy spoon.
Some of us can remember back to the days when the professional sales rep was help in high regard. People depended on us bringing them information, instruction, and most important products of every size shape and price. The day when a hand shake was better than a contract and a man’s word was truly his bond. We can remember when we were invited home for dinner and knew everything there was to know about a customer. When they remembered our birthday as often as we remembered theirs. A day when our company stood behind us and in turn we would never allow anyone to talk badly about our company. A day when our income grew by double digits and our customer based followed suit.
Well today as we lay this beloved profession to rest we have only ourselves to blame. We turned our backs on the very things that we once prided ourselves on, keeping up with the times. We used to be the people that brought the latest advances in our industries to the customers, now we lag behind as technology passes us by. We used to be the first, today we are many times the last. We used to be the best, today many of us are at very best mediocre.
Let’s all take a moment to reflect on our “GOOD OLD DAYS” the days when we held our heads up high kept our chests pumped up and full of life, and walked with the pride of knowing we were the best.
OK I can’t keep this up, it is killing me. I am depressing myself. But the reason I am writing this is because over the past week I have listened to so many reps telling me that they don’t see their companies keeping the professional sales rep model.
Well, let me change things around!
We are gathered here today to herald the accomplishments of professional sales reps around the world. We are here to praise the greatest profession on earth. We are here to acknowledge the men and women that create the wealth of the world one sale at a time.
The professional sales rep is today as it has been for centuries before the backbone of our economy and the drivers of wealth. There are more multi-millionaires created out of sales jobs every year than any other profession. More jobs are created because of sales than any other reason, more people depend on sales reps than any other profession. Sales people support the economy and everyone who isn’t selling supports the professional sales rep in one way or another.
WE AIN’T GOIN NOWHERE, as the good ol boys here in the south say.
Stop your gripein and complanin, stop the negative thinking. If we as reps would put as much energy into selling as we do complaining we wouldn’t have anything to complain about.
Repeat after me, I LOVE BEING A SALES REP, I ENJOY THE LIFE I LIVE AND THE ADVENTURE MY PROFESSION BRINGS ME EVERY DAY, I AM PROUD TO SAY TO ANYONE AT ANY TIME, I AM A SALES REP.
Lorin
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