Do the Majority of Printing Industry Salespeople Have ADD? If So, It May Prove to Be an Advantage

After 30-plus years as a sales coach, it is my educated guess that 50% of all salespeople in the graphic arts have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Of those, I would further estimate that 90% have never had it formally diagnosed. What’s going on inside their head is their “normal,” and why would you ever question what you believe to be normal?

To those of you unfamiliar with — or free of — the effects of ADD, let me define it for you. But first, a quick side story. However, before I get to that, I need to write something down real quick or else I’ll forget it. And wait, did you catch the phrase, “Pure Sales Rep” in the title of this column? I need to tell you what that means, and I will. Just bear with me. Oh, and have I mentioned I have full-blown ADD as well? Now, where was I … ?

There. That entire paragraph above accurately describes what it’s like to have ADD. No point was actually made. No thought was completely finished before moving on. It was five partial sentences interrupted by four squirrels, each changing the author’s direction. This is how the ADD mind thinks. However, some of you might be thinking, “I’m not sure what he’s talking about. That paragraph seems perfectly fine to me.” If so, you likely have either been diagnosed with ADD already or might want to get yourself tested.

Those with ADD have difficulty focusing for any length of time. We are not the best of listeners. Relaxing is not a strong suit. There is constantly another conversation going on inside our heads. If you want to know what that feels like, here’s the best description I can come up with: Hold both hands up at eye level and move them out roughly 12 inches from your ears. Now, looking straight ahead and, concentrating on your peripheral vision, wiggle your fingers.

This “chatter” is what is always going on inside our heads. Constantly. It’s background noise, as if every conversation comes with a sidebar of the sound of others talking at the same time (think: meeting a friend at a busy café). Got it? Okay, now put this person in a printing sales role.

How, you might ask, could someone possibly find success in sales if they are easily overwhelmed, prone to procrastination, borderline depressed, hold little to no organization skills, and manage time exceptionally poorly? Here’s how …

The upside of ADD is a sales rep who is smart and creative. They are high energy and likable. Despite a lack of focus, an ADD rep can get locked in to a project to the point where they shut out everything else. And talk about tenacity, this sales dog sinks his teeth into a bone and will not let go under any conditions. Add up all these positive traits and you have the best pure sales rep a manager would ever want.

That’s not to say they are loved by their support team. In Henry Cloud’s book, “Integrity,” he talks about how all of us are the captains of our own boat, and those around us are either water skiing or drowning. Needless to say, many a CSR has been driven mad by the ADD rep they work with.

For me personally, it has been 24 years since a doctor looked at me and said, “Your daughter’s ADD is genetic. It likely came from you.” To which my then-wife said, “Well, that explains a lot!” (and not in a good way).

In the years since, I have learned strategies, coping skills, and workarounds to not so much overcome ADD, but to harness it, benefit from it, and use it to my advantage. My journey started with medication to quiet the chatter. While it helped, the effects of ADD persist. Still, I will encourage you to get tested and follow a doctor’s advice.

Have ADD? Keys to Your Success

Without question, there are two keys to success as an ADD sales rep. First, you must constantly be prepared. Second, create urgency.

Do you remember when your parents told you to clean your room? Imagine sitting on your bed. You are surrounded by dirty and clean clothes, toys, books, puzzles, a cat or two, a sleeping bag, food, and sundry items. The idea of attacking this project is unthinkable. Where do you start? A sales rep at his/her desk can relate. There are estimates, proposals, messages, office supplies, expense receipts, and scraps of paper everywhere.

To the outsider, it’s as if the Tasmanian Devil spun by. To you, it makes sense. It’s normal. You know where everything is. Even so, you must get some work done. Where do you start? This is where preparation plays a role.

Your goal should be to begin every day with a plan. That will give you the focus you so desperately need. By thinking ahead and preparing for tomorrow today, you at least start with some
order to things.

Next, learn to ask yourself an important question: What is the best use of my time right now?

This hard-stop-reality-check forces you to consider and then justify your next move, thus preventing you from the distraction that just ran across your desk. So effective is this course-correcting query, you might think about writing it down on a piece of paper and taping it to your computer. By developing and sticking to good preparation habits, you set yourself up for success. Next, let’s talk about implementation.

Driven by Deadline Pressures

As I write these words, I — SQUIRREL — glance over at my task list to see what is coming up next. A lot of the to-do’s I see have been there for many weeks. Why aren’t they to-done? Because there is no urgency to them. This column is getting priority because it has a due date. The next addition to The Sales Vault sits undone because its completion is open-ended. You see, the ADD sales rep not only needs the pressure of a deadline, we thrive on it. Bring on chaos. That’s my happy place. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” might have been (and was) a terrible movie but it is the perfect description of the ideal situation for the ADD rep who has mastered preparation and knows the importance of adding accountability.

We meet deadlines. We don’t forget appointments. We jump from one meeting to the next, able to compartmentalize. What it takes are drop-dead dates and meetings with sales coaches or managers who add urgency and force us to get and stay organized. Similarly, it is important to understand that the lack of urgency has the reverse effect on a sales rep. We flounder aimlessly and frustration ensues. I am a miserable, aimless mess leading up to the days around the Fourth of July and between Christmas and New Year’s.

In the end, I believe ADD is a wonderful gift. It is not something that happens to you, but rather something that happens for you. If a sales rep can learn to harness its energy, the sky is the limit. If a manager finds the balance between controlling and tolerating ADD behavior, and can remove the barriers to their rep’s success, they are left with a steely-eyed pitbull force of nature.

That is, if their beleaguered CSR doesn’t kill them first.