One of my salesmen has been struggling
lately after a very strong start. This is a
fairly common occurrence in the sales
game. There is the thrill of a new job, new
things to learn, new customers, and then
it becomes routine...if you let it.
While there are benefits to routine, there
are also drawbacks, and particularly in sales,
where you need to keep it fresh, even if it's
the same old product.
The newbie in my office is suffering from
doing the same old thing too many times.
Back in another lifetime I sold chemicals,
and I made a lot of money doing it while
other salesman sold about the same
amount all the time. While they would sell
cases, I would sell 55 gallon drums. I would
often sell more in a couple days than they
did in a month.
The company asked me to go out with other
salesman and see why they weren't selling.
I took a few ride-alongs. After going out with
5 different salesmen I knew what was wrong.
They were boring. Watching them make a
presentation was like watching paint peel.
They were lucky anybody bought anything
from them. I made my report to management.
The VP of sales said,
"Jim, chemicals aren't exciting."
Well...that's true, but it's not the point.
Chemicals in and of themselves aren't exciting.
But what they can do is. When I visited the
factory that made most of our chemicals, I
spent hours talking to people in the plant. I
had them show me what all the chemicals
did, and what was the best way to demonstrate
their effect on the customer.
Apparently no one had ever asked them
these questions. They lit up and showed me
dozens of ways to demonstrate the effectiveness
of the products, and some of them were very good.
I stayed in touch with one of the guys in the
plant, and whenever he had a new idea for
a demo we would talk. Every time I visited a
customer I had a new demo. I would show
the decision makers how the chemical worked,
and what it could do. Then I would show
them what it cost, and how it was more cost
effective than what they were using.
Now the truth is that they never saved any
money. The reason was because they failed to
monitor how their employees used the product,
which is very important. But that was their job,
not mine.
My job was to sell the product, which I did, by
making it fun, and interesting. Buyers would
always say to me, "What have you got to show
me today?" And I always had something, even
if it only lasted a minute or two. Sometimes all I
did was show them a new way to use an old
product.
Back to my newbie.
I had him give me his presentation. Just as
I suspected, he had lost some of his pop. He
was not the least bit entertaining, and he
bored me quickly.
I stopped him cold, and told him he was
putting me to sleep. I told him it wasn't that
the customer wasn't interested in what he
had to sell, it was that the customer wasn't
interested in him.
People don't buy products, they buy the guy
selling them.
A good product helps, but I have sold many
mediocre products. And believe me, being
enthusiastic about your product helps.
Enthusiasm can overwhelm a superior product
because it's contagious.
Sometimes, customers really are not interested
in your product. No one product will fix everything.
But more often than not, not interested means not
interested in you.
From the big saddle,
Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board
P.S. One more thing, the Whelan Credo is that
"not interested" only means "not interested at this
moment." Tomorrow is another story altogether.
thejamesrwhelanagency.com
206 407 3124
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