The Magic of Employing Good Looking Staff in Your Marketing And Sales Dept, By Anayo Nwosu

By Anayo Nwosu.

I am convinced that I know how this works.

I have seen it work. I have been a victim of the mechanics of this magic. And I have employed this philosophy to my greatest gain as a team leader.

You must be good looking to be employed in my marketing team, period!

My well trained, good looking and courteous marketing team members are a tranquilizer to very difficult customers. They effortlessly get results even from a stone-hearted customer.

It's normal for some ignorant minds to ascribe the performance of good looking salespersons to corporate prostitution. It's not always true. It has nothing to do with looks but with the moral architecture of the deviant salesperson.

I can testify from experience that many existing customers buy more from a good looking salesperson. While a not-so-good looking sales person, has to work harder to achieve same results.

Please note that good looks of a sales force do not guarantee sustained sales or performance if the product offering or services are defective or not value adding, but it helps.

It is also a settled debate that if the products or service offerings are good or generic, the team with the most good looking members make more sales, all things being equal.

Also worthy of note is the irrefutable fact that a poorly trained and uncouth team achieves nothing.

Therefore, the quantum of output of a well trained, well mannered, customer service oriented, professional, beautiful or handsome staff, is unimaginable when compared to the performance of another team with same characteristics other than good looks.

Perceptive supervisors know that buyers consciously or unconsciously link the salesperson to their products or service offering. Therefore, they insist on ensuring that their salespersons always look good for quality control and for customers' impression management.

The salesman or woman unarguably is the face of what he or she sells.

My belief is reinforced by the age-long practice of the airlines in recruiting their cabin crew and the advertising agencies in their choices of models to showcase products or services they help to sell.

No customer gets offended by an advert with a good looking model.

Even the pictures of Jesus and Mary promoted by the church are of very handsome and beautiful characters.

One of the most profitable banks in Nigeria had long adopted the policy of having fair-skinned, beautiful ladies in their customer service units.

These staff are moved to marketing after some months. No beautiful lady or handsome guy is kept for so long in the back office. It is a magic spurned by the ignorant.

Like or hate it, this bank has taken over and have dominated for some years, the sales space of the Nigerian banking industry. Their investment in technology and customer oriented service platforms have made them sustain the marketing efforts of their eagle-eyed sales force.

Nothing is more soothing than the angelic smiles of a beautiful customer service officer who walks gracefully and knows her job. The warm reception alone could make the customer subliminally hooked onto a product or service.

Customers also forgive service failures much easier when being placated by a well groomed, good looking and personable salesperson.

Many a times, some aggrieved clients especially men, end up apologizing to a fine-faced salesperson for being harsh. They would rather slap an ugly staff.

I have also observed that majority of good looking people have good heart, disarming smiles, and infectious disposition. They are also confident when well trained and motivated.

Why carry the burden of creation by loading your market-facing workforce with offensively ugly staff?

Not-so-good looking staff could fit into back office roles like, Internal Control, Risk Management, Internal Audit, Admin, Recovery and IT Dept. In those places, their customers are fellow staff.

I make bold to advise the following market-facing staffing procedures:

1. From the CVs of applicants which must
    include full size photograph, select the very
    best in looks.

2. Invite the selected candidates to physical
     screening because some people could look
     different in real life.

3. Subject the shortlisted candidates to
     written and oral tests and select only the
     successful ones.

4. Train, drill and infuse the values of the
     organization into the chosen candidates
     with clear message on why they are being
     hired and the rewards for performance.

To ensure a greater success or objectivity, contract or involve an independent recruitment agency or consultant with a clear understanding of the type of staff required.

I have seen and can attest to the fact that a person can be good looking and also intelligent. Therefore, be on the look out for them- the brains and beauties.

There are many good looking applicants identifiable via an open and competitive interview process. Search for them and employ them.

There is merit in the argument that the not-so-good looking guys could as well do fantastically well in marketing and sales. But, if the same guys are good looking, they will surely sell or perform more.

The magic of good looks is real and contagious.

Reconstitute your marketing team today and present beautiful faces to your clients.

Fantastic products and services should be sold by people whose looks approximate the beauty of what is being offered.