"Are You A Superstitious Salesperson? I Sure Hope So (Knock on Wood)"
The Business of Furniture - 14/6/17 Edition
Stephen Says Column




Dear Stephen:

Have you ever noticed how superstitious salespeople are? This is a bit of a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but if politicians can accuse people of corruption I think I'm on solid footing.

I have been in sales for 20 years, and I am definitely superstitious. It is the little things with me like not talking about a sale until the deal is totally done and we have the deposit or purchase order in hand. When I was growing up, my Jewish grandmother would always talk about the keine hora or evil eye. She would spit or say "Pooh" three times to ward it off after telling me how big and handsome I was becoming.

The tendency is clearly hereditary because when my aunt was about to get engaged my mother refused to talk to her about the party for fear of jinxing the proposal. So it's no surprise that I'm superstitious. It's in my blood. It seems to me though, that most people in sales are the same. I know salespeople

who read their horoscope every day before they leave the house and use them to make business decisions. I know men who wear the same lucky shirt to all their big presentations (I'll admit, I do this too) and even someone I know who wears the same pair of underwear to all his important meetings. NeoCon just ended and one of my colleagues told me she wears a certain color nail polish throughout the trade show to attract new clients.

Basically, we all have our quirky little things we do. Is it really more common in sales than in other jobs or is it just me? And you're an ex-salesperson, if it is a thing among salespeople specifically, what was your superstition?

The Writings on The Walls
 

Dear Writings,

Loosely defined, a superstition is any belief or practice that follows from a false sense of causation. Not that anyone needed a definition of superstition, but I think it's worth noting just how broadly the term can be applied. What I mean to say is that God yes, salespeople are superstitious, but I'm not sure that they are any more superstitious than people in other professions. Now, having a lucky pair of underwear is pretty extreme, but Michael Jordan wore a lucky pair of shorts under his jersey for his entire career and the only thing he sold was years of heartbreak to Knicks fans. It's true that some of the most successful people across professions are all highly superstitious. Heidi Klum carries around a bag with all of her baby teeth, and even former-President Obama keeps a Hanuman Idol in his pocket for good luck. Also, you may have missed me point out that Heidi Klum carries around her BABY TEETH.

These examples might make the most skeptical man in the world superstitious given the heights that these talisman graspers have reached, but I would caution against getting too into these things. I once had a colleague who was on an incredible sales run. The story goes that on the first day of this magic run he had woken up late and so he hadn't had time to shower in the morning. A crazy sale fell into his lap that afternoon and he got it into his head that the two things were related. Luckily, he didn't refuse to shower all together, but he didn't wash his hair for over a month. Eventually, a VP at the company had to have a talk with him. The VP was so happy with his sales numbers that he didn't give him too hard a time, but you never want your boss giving you hygiene related ultimatums. If you've gotten to that point, you've pushed it too far. I've also heard stories of people going through insane rituals when sending in resumes. One lunatic volunteered his process in an interview with me. Not only did he kiss the file name on his computer screen, but he uses his cat's paw to hit enter and send the document. Suffice it to say, I didn't pass on his information to any of my clients. I see superstitions all the time with job seekers. In fact, job seekers become even more zany after they get verbal offers and are waiting for the written offer to come through. I'll tell people not to worry, and they'll assure me that it's fine because they have only eaten yogurt for the past week and that always portends good tidings. I honestly don't know if half these people actually believe in this stuff or just don't have any better ideas. Still, if you're successful enough, people will let you get away with just about any superstition. Need I remind you that at all times Heidi Klum has a bag containing her baby teeth on her person?!?

Either way, I do think there is one way to make a case for salespeople being particularly superstitious. My theory is that most salespeople are risk takers by nature. They are born gamblers who want to make a more honest living. Sales is an arena of skill, but there is also a huge amount of luck involved. The best poker players in the world are some of the oddest, twitchiest, cretins out there. Salespeople are refined versions of these guys with much better social skills. So, is it really so weird for salespeople to say a Hail Mary before sending off a bid? I certainly don't think so. Any little bit of extra luck is a welcome addition.

By this point you might have a sense of how I feel about superstitions. I started my career in sales, and I must admit I consider myself superstitious. I am willing to do anything that might offer me a slight edge. I still wear my "lucky tie" to client presentations and trade shows (yes, I am one of the few men in business still wearing a tie!). I read my horoscope every day before I leave the house, and while I don't think I let it impact my business decisions, if there is something that I can put off in a week where my luck seems to be in short order, you better believe I am pushing that sucker into the next week. I like to think of them as rituals, but the bottom line is that there is no reason to feel embarrassed about these things.

Do I know it's ridiculous? Of course! Do I think that my lucky tie has some sort of magical power that promises career success in all situations? Gosh, no! But, would I swear that my tie isn't helping? What if it is? You've got to be a little looney to be successful. Everyone is just trying to get themselves in the best scenario to succeed and if some weird quirk allows you to feel lucky then do it! My one exception is fortune cookies. Do not let fortune cookies dictate a single aspect of your life. They are the ramblings of a poorly programmed computer with insufficient knowledge of English grammar. For everyone's sake, leave these things alone!

Stephen
 

HEARD ON THE STREET WITH STEPHEN VISCUSI
 
¶Nancy Pedrick who had been VP of sales for Humanscale in the Northeast, her career spanned 23 years, abruptly left Humanscale to join Mats Inc. as Senior VP of sales. Mats is a global commercial flooring brand. Tim Costello who was VP at Gunlocke for almost his entire career has left Gunlocke and moved to the parent company HON as VP sales for the Northeast replacing Paul Cantatore who was promoted within HON to VP of Global Accounts for HON.