The rapid rise of E-commerce over the past decade has led to a previously unimaginable transformation of the sales industry. The proliferation of Zoom calls, social media, and the internet culture have radically altered the norms and standards that traditionally ruled the sales world.
Today, the image of the 20-year-old online closer wearing sweatpants and a notably sweaty T-shirt is archetypical of the new era of sales.
However, for some nationally renowned leaders of the sales industry like Ali Mirza, the founder of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Rose Garden, this counterculture emerging from the tech and E-commerce sectors threatens the professionalism that has commonly characterized the industry as a whole.
“Now you see these kids showing up to Zoom calls like ‘oh, I just got out of the gym, and you are in the middle of my day; I’m doing you a favor by taking this call,’” said Mirza in an undisguised mocking tone during a recent interview. “That’s not a good look, but unfortunately, that has become the new standard.”
Before founding Rose Garden, Mirza’s career began as a sales representative for a nationally recognized insurance company, where he became the number one agent in the country. In his almost decade-long career as a consultant, this sales expert and his team have assisted hundreds of companies in achieving exponential revenue growth. Over the years, multiple business magazines have featured Mirza, including Forbes, Business Insider, and INC. Magazine.
Mirza agreed to connect for a video interview, where he shared some insights about the sales industry’s evolution. Sitting in his office at the Rose Garden headquarters, Mirza discussed the lack of professionalism among many emerging salespeople in the E-commerce and tech sectors.
It would be a mistake to misrepresent Mirza as a suit-and-tie fundamentalist. He agrees that within the broad spectrum of the sales industry, different sectors and companies possess diverse standards for what constitutes professional apparel.
“I do not argue that wearing a suit and tie is strictly necessary,” clarified Mirza. “I think it depends a lot on the culture of the organization you are in and what it is you are selling. Those have to be taken into consideration when determining what the most appropriate dress code is.”
The tech and software sales sectors are clear examples of industries in which there is more leniency in terms of dress codes. As Mirza explains, it is not uncommon to see salespeople in these sectors wearing more casual juvenile outfits without giving the impression of unprofessionalism.
“For people that work at a SaaS company, yes, I will probably not be expecting that person to show up in a suit and tie,” said Mirza. “If I’m looking to spend some $5,000 a year on a SaaS platform, and it is some 20-year-old kid selling it to me, I will probably not expect him to be in a full suit.”
Nonetheless, as Mirza observes, many in the sales industry have misunderstood this dress code leniency as an excuse to defy the most basic norms of professionalism.
“What I do expect is that [the SaaS salesperson] won’t be in a coffee shop,” continued Mirza. “The minimum I expect is that they are in a professional workstation, looking clean, showered, and ready for a full day of professional work.”
Mirza argues that this disregard for professionalism plays mainly against those emerging tech and online salespeople who follow this new trend. This sales consultant believes how people present themselves continues to be critical for success in the sales industry. As Mirza explains, maintaining a professional appearance is the basis for creating trust, which is the first prerequisite for any deal.
“If you are talking to someone who looks like they just rolled out of bed, it doesn’t matter how much money they are asking for, you will probably not be too comfortable giving that to them,” concluded Mirza.
Mirza is an advocate of professionalism in sales. In his day-to-day work as a sales consultant, he teaches companies, business leaders, and salespeople from diverse industries how to use consumer psychology tools to build trust and experience revenue growth.
Today, Mirza and his team at Rose Garden Consulting work hand to hand with hundreds of companies around the country, assisting them in streamlining their sales strategies and boosting their productivity.
By Juan Sebastian Restrepo,
With Artistic Initiative Agency
