You'd better believe Bill Gates can sell!

by Bob Weinstein

May 3, 2001 —

Don't tell Bill Lohse that techies make terrible salespeople. The lanky 6-foot-5-inch 47-year-old millionaire veteran of high-tech publishing will tell you many of technology's innovators are also incredible salespeople. Even the world's richest man -- Microsoft's Bill Gates -- is an extraordinary salesperson, according to Lohse. Lohse should know. He's been a pal of the world's most famous geek since Gates was a teen-ager.

Formerly president of Ziff-Davis Publishing, Lohse is now president and CEO of SmartAge, an e-commerce service company serving small Internet companies from its base in San Francisco, Calif.

Although Lohse has a knack for launching successful technology companies, he is not a true techie. While he understands technology, especially the impact of thoroughbred Internet start-ups on the economy, he prides himself on being a crackerjack salesman. Lohse understands the subtle nuances of the selling process and what it takes to be a great salesperson.

Lohse cites Gates, who many might consider to be an unlikely candidate, as an example of a brilliant salesperson. "One of Gates's biggest strengths is his ability to invent the future," Lohse explains. "That takes innovative selling skills. Gates is a visionary who looked at the facts today and said, 'Out of these possibilities, what can come true tomorrow?' Once he did that, he knew how to commit himself and his company to making it happen."

History proved that true. In 1975, Gates came up with the concept of "a PC on every desktop, a PC in every home." "He was going out on a limb making that prediction 25 years ago," says Lohse. "This was a time when computers were clunky game machines."

Creating the technology that would change the world is one thing, but making the world believe in it took brilliant selling skills, according to Lohse.

Gates is only one example. Virtually every company head who has crafted a successful technology also boasts excellent selling skills. Yet, most techies consider selling "the dark side of the business," according to Lohse. "They have a notion of a salesperson as someone trying to manipulate them into buying something they don't want," he says. "Techies must understand selling is simply the presentation of an option or a choice so people can say either 'yes' or 'no.'" When they think of a salesperson they think of the stereotypical loudmouthed used car salesman selling defective cars at inflated prices or the scheming salesmen portrayed in Barry Levinson's 1987 cult classic Tin Men. "That's an Industrial Age concept of selling," adds Lohse. "Thanks to technology, selling has become a sophisticated process."

More important, Lohse says techies would naturally adapt to selling because it's a logical and structured process. "Once they taste the rewards of selling, a new dimension opens up," he says. "Technical people have critical attributes for making exceptional salespeople. To be successful you must believe in and understand your product," Lohse explains. "Computer scientists, engineers and mathematicians combine idealism, honesty, and passion about their work, which are essential elements in convincing someone to buy. The best technical people are structured and logical thinkers, both of which are critical for presenting products accurately."

Yet, even supergeek Gates had to learn to be a salesman. "Selling is an acquired skill," he says. While honesty and passion about your product are important, you also have to know how to close a sale. "This is where techies have the biggest problem," says Lohse.

The most common mistake techies make in selling is not knowing when to shut up. "They get so passionate about what they're selling, they never stop talking," Lohse adds. "You have to listen to your customers, understand what they're saying and then stop talking when you get a 'yes.' Introducing too much information can confuse a buyer."

As with everything else in life, practice makes perfect. If you think you've got what it takes to sell, start off small, Lohse advises. Don't quit your technical job until you've proved you can handle a sales position. Try selling in your spare time to see if you adapt.

It can be especially exciting if you're peddling your own creation. Once you make that first sale, watch out, says Lohse. After that, there's no turning back. In case you've forgotten, that's how Microsoft's Gates got started.

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