There are literally millions of people whose job
can be fit under the sales umbrella. I'm for separating
and classifying salespeople. For instance, is the guy
working the Tommy Bahama store really a salesperson,
or a retail clerk?
Even though I have always been given first class
treatment at Tommy Bahama's, the guy there
really isn't a salesperson. He has never convinced me
to buy anything, or influenced me in any way.
That doesn't mean TB isn't a good operation,
because it is.
But the folks who work there ain't salespeople.
However, if you asked most people, they would
tell you that retail people are salespeople, and
a long list of complaints would likely follow.
These are things that executives at these
companies should listen to, but they won't,
and so people will continue to have issues
with sales people.
A friend of mine who has been very successful
in sales says he sells 20% of his clients just by
showing up for appointments on time. This is also
a secret I learned from a "super" salesman a
couple of decades ago. "If the appointment is for
2 PM, knock on the door at 1:58. People will note
that you are there on time, and it enhances your
credibility."
My friend went 8 years without ever being late for an
appointment. Once he hired a snowmobile to get him
to a prospects house because you couldn't drive the
road in a car. Do you think maybe he closed that deal?
Mediocre sales people don't go out of their way to do anything.
They don't leave early if traffic is bad.
They often show up without the correct sales material or contracts.
They decide what the customer wants, and try to sell them that.
When the customer has questions, they ask them to buy again.
When they are turned down they pout, and demonstrate that you
have been wasting their time.
I could go on and on, but the key here is to put
your prospect first, and worry about yourself later.
I made a call with a young guy who once spent
30 minutes talking about his divorce with people
who tried to change the subject four or five times.
When we finished he asked me what he did wrong.
He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
The best thing you can learn learn from mediocre
salespeople is not to be them. Watch them, observe
them, and don't do anything they do.
Find the best salesman in the company, and emulate them.
From the big saddle,
Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board
P.S. Remember what I said yesterday. You'll
never make any serious money without advertising,
and all of us want to be serious players, right?
Get on the bus Gus! Contact the best team in the
business at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com.
Our phones work too. 206 407 3124
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