ColumnistsJul 16, 2024
The PR Adviser: Awareness Starts With Your Online StoreColumnistsJul 23, 2024
Peter Smith: The Case for Optimism in Sales
In his latest column, Smith shares multiple reasons why people who look at the glass as being hall full often make better salespeople.
Peter Smith is an industry consultant, speaker, sales trainer, and author. He can be reached via email at TheRetailSmiths@gmail.com.
Margaret was an enigma.
She was nothing less than a powerhouse salesperson; focused, driven, and successful.
She also cast a giant shadow and her colleagues walked on eggshells around her, either necessarily deferential to avoid even the appearance of opposition, or disdainful and strategically distant, refusing to be intimidated by her.
Margaret was the top producer every month.
She was on 24/7 and yes, that included days off and vacations, which she took reluctantly and with great foreboding, lest she miss something while away.
Having studied great salespeople for decades through the lens of experience, observation, and the academic and psychological literature on the subject, I still struggle to define Margaret.
She was precisely the kind of employee who would (and, I suspect, did) send myriad managers into early retirement. Yet she was consistently the single most reliable producer of results, especially when the month or quarter needed to be delivered at the 11th hour.
I often wondered whether Margaret was a happy person. Unlike many of us, she didn’t wear her emotions on her face.
When she made a big sale, she’d act like she’d been in the end zone before and expected nothing less.
When she experienced disappointment, because a customer didn’t make a purchase at all or didn’t spend what Margaret expected them to spend, she’d dip her head to the floor, offer a barely perceptible shake, and speed away in pursuit of her next opportunity without uttering a word.
Related stories will be right here …
She was nothing less than a powerhouse salesperson; focused, driven, and successful.
She also cast a giant shadow and her colleagues walked on eggshells around her, either necessarily deferential to avoid even the appearance of opposition, or disdainful and strategically distant, refusing to be intimidated by her.
Margaret was the top producer every month.
She was on 24/7 and yes, that included days off and vacations, which she took reluctantly and with great foreboding, lest she miss something while away.
Having studied great salespeople for decades through the lens of experience, observation, and the academic and psychological literature on the subject, I still struggle to define Margaret.
She was precisely the kind of employee who would (and, I suspect, did) send myriad managers into early retirement. Yet she was consistently the single most reliable producer of results, especially when the month or quarter needed to be delivered at the 11th hour.
I often wondered whether Margaret was a happy person. Unlike many of us, she didn’t wear her emotions on her face.
When she made a big sale, she’d act like she’d been in the end zone before and expected nothing less.
When she experienced disappointment, because a customer didn’t make a purchase at all or didn’t spend what Margaret expected them to spend, she’d dip her head to the floor, offer a barely perceptible shake, and speed away in pursuit of her next opportunity without uttering a word.
As difficult as it was to fully understand Margaret’s psyche, the one thing I am willing to bet on is that she was an optimist. Not the surface-level, wear-it-on-your-face variety, but an optimist nonetheless.
Margaret, you see, expected to close every single customer she encountered and, despite not wasting a minute on internal relationship building and social engagement, she believed every first sale was the beginning of a long relationship with that customer. And she was right, a lot.
Martin Seligman, the sage of positive psychology, wrote, “Life inflicts the same setbacks and tragedies on the optimist as on the pessimist, but the optimist weathers them better.”
The extent to which Seligman’s sentiment can be used as a bellwether for sales performance would be an interesting topic of debate.
Some of us may have experienced seemingly negative people who somehow managed to eke out a living in sales, but there can be little doubt that there is a strong correlation between optimism and sales acumen.
For the record, sales acumen means a track record of consistent performance influencing customers to make buying decisions, like Margaret.
“Some research suggests salespeople can be hired based purely on their optimism alone. I wouldn’t go that far, but there can be little doubt that being optimistic helps steel resilience, and that trait is critical in sales.” — Peter Smith
We also can assess ourselves on a regular basis to make sure we are spending more time looking at the glass as half full, rather than the decidedly less useful half-empty pessimism. That is not fun to be around, and not a useful trait for influencing and inspiring buying behavior.
Some research suggests salespeople can be hired based purely on their optimism alone.
I wouldn’t go that far, but there can be little doubt that being optimistic helps steel resilience, and that trait is critical in sales. If you can’t handle heavy doses of rejection, you won’t ask questions that invite “no” answers or perceived rejection.
Danny Kahneman, the Nobel Prize-winning author of “Thinking, Fast And Slow,” wrote, “If you were allowed one wish for your child, seriously consider wishing him or her optimism.
“Optimists are normally cheerful and happy, and therefore, popular; they are resilient in adapting to failures and hardships, their chances of clinical depression are reduced, their immune system is stronger, they take better care of their health, they feel healthier than others and are in fact likely to live longer.”
Margaret will remain a wonderful mystery to me, hardly cheerful and happy, but brilliant and complex.
And while I might think twice about hiring someone with her personality because it could be hard for teammates to flourish under her big branches, that deeply rooted optimism, the expectation she took into every customer interaction that she was going to make the sale and build a long-term relationship with that customer … well, get that into my veins.
Happy retailing!
More on Columnists
The Latest
Lab-GrownJun 04, 2025
GIA Reverting to More General Terminology for Lab-Grown DiamondsIt will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”
Events & AwardsJun 04, 2025
As JCK Talks Returns, Don’t Miss These 12 SessionsFrom design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.
CrimeJun 04, 2025
10 Safety Tips for the Las Vegas Shows The Jewelers’ Security Alliance offers advice for those attending the annual trade shows.
Brought to you by
The True Power Behind the Counter: Why Sales Associates Are the Heart of the Jewelry BusinessWhen investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.
MajorsJun 04, 2025
Amy Curran Promoted at Hill & Co.Her new role is director of strategic initiatives.
Weekly QuizMay 30, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsJun 04, 2025
Daymond John to Give Keynote at JCK Las VegasThe entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.
CollectionsJun 03, 2025
In Her Latest Collection, Viviana Langhoff Is Leaning Into GoldThe designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.
FinancialsJun 03, 2025
Signet Jewelers Sees Turnaround in Q1 With Sales Ticking Up 2%On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.
SurveysJun 03, 2025
Consumer Confidence Improves in May The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.
CollectionsJun 03, 2025
Dakota Johnson Is Roberto Coin’s New Brand AmbassadorThe actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.
GradingJun 03, 2025
Mason-Kay Jade Adds ‘Fei Cui’ to Jade ReportsThe company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."
SourcingJun 02, 2025
Gemfields’ June Auction to Include 36-Carat RubyThe large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.
GradingJun 02, 2025
GSI Opens New Lab in Thailand Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.
TrendsJun 02, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Three Gems for June Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.
SourcingJun 02, 2025
David Allouche Joins Grandview Klein DiamondsThe diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable EnvironmentBetween tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ NecklaceDesigned by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs InvalidHowever, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry LineThe pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by StullerSponsored by Stuller
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat EmeraldIt was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.
TechnologyMay 29, 2025
GemFind Launches AI Product Description SoftwareGemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Graff Unveils New Las Vegas FlagshipThe 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist TrialAging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic WinThe WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.
