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HBR.ORG

July–AuGust 2012 reprinT r1207J

The View from The Field
Six leaders offer their perspectives on sales success. by Jim Koch, James Farley, Susan Silbermann, Duncan Mac Naughton, Phil Guido, and Suresh Goklaney

Spotlight on Smarter SaleS

Spotlight on SMARTER SALES

FoR ARTicLE REpRinTS cALL 800-988-0886 oR 617-783-7500, oR viSiT hbr.org artwork Chad wys, Gentleman with A Color Test, 2009, chromogenic print 22.5" x 30"

Spotlight

The View from The Field
Six leaders offer their perspectives on sales success.
July–august 2012 Harvard Business Review 2

Spotlight on SMARTER SALES

Jim KOcH fOundeR And cHAiRmAn Of BOstOn BeeR cOmpAny

1984 840 $513 million emplOyees 2011 Revenue

yeAR fOunded

How One entrepreneur learned to sell (in a Barroom)

W

pHoTogRApH By kELvin MA

hen I started Boston Beer it. It offered some good ideas, but a lot Company, in 1984, I had three of it seemed cheesy and manipulative. I degrees from Harvard and read about opening, objection handling, seven years of management consulting and closing. Finally, I walked into a bar experience, and I saw sales as a slightly and tried to make my first sale. I’m not a questionable act that involved separat- “natural salesman,” no one had ever heard ing people from their money. No self- of my beer, it cost more than any other respecting Ivy League graduate aspired to brand, and it tasted different. I was scared be a salesman. When I left Harvard Busi- to death. ness School, I became a consultant. Early on, when I made sales calls, I’d I come from a family of brewmasters, introduce myself as the owner of a new and over time I became committed to brewery that was making Samuel Adams brewing great beer in America again. I Boston Lager, which tasted unlike anyknew brewing and business, but nothing thing bars were selling. I’d end my halfabout selling. When every distributor in minute opening with a question: “Have Boston turned me down, the only way I you heard