A Funny Story
I’m sure I could come up with a bunch of real life examples, but I hate when I go into a store looking to be educated and I can’t get what I’m looking for. Say, for example, I’m looking for a PC and the ‘sales person’ just reads the boxes or the sales tags. To me, it’s kind of insulting. Is the person ‘helping’ me assuming I can’t read? I’m looking for someone to help (and educate me) on the right product for me.
I would honestly have the person just tell me they don’t know much about it and they can’t help me. Not waste my time reading tags or reading the text off a box. At that point you’re just trying to sell me something. You’re not trying to fulfill a need that I have. This means you do not care about me or what I’m looking for. You probably shouldn’t be working.
What bugs me is that it’s like people aren’t even trying….
A Good Story
Every retail job I’ve ever had was spent learning the product. Becoming knowledgable about what I was selling. At the end of high school and into college, I worked at a sports shop. Fishing, hunting, paintball…the works. The funny thing was I wasn’t a fisherman or a hunter. I fished with my dad when I was a kid, but other than that I was really a ‘fish out of water.’
I spent so much time learning about the things I was selling. I could recommend (with confidence) a fishing reel, arrows or anything else someone was in need for. Why? I became knowledgable about the product.
It was actually pretty easy. When someone came in and knew what they needed I asked them why…and gained knowledge. I asked my boss a lot of questions about why one was more expensive than the other, or about what the difference was between arrowheads…and I gained knowledge. I even researched stuff on my own when I didn’t know. There was also sales tools manufacturers gave us to get a better understanding about which ‘fishing line’ was the best.
It was funny, but there were a few times when I’d be helping someone with a bow sight, telling them the benefits and features and the customer would ask me, “Which one do you use.” I would be honest and tell them that I actually didn’t hunt, but would back up my recommendation with all the knowledge stored in my head. Every once in a blue moon I would get a weird look, but 99% of the time they would still go with my recommendation. 100% of the people respected my honesty.
I also worked at Sam Goody and a bookstore when I was younger. Same thing happened there. I could tell someone exactly where a book or CD was. I could give them recommendations based on other music (or books) they liked. I helped them find what they were looking for based on simply listening and learning.
Conclusion
The conclusion is the same from Volume 1. When I go to buy a something, I don’t want want to be sold anything. I’m looking to go into a business and learn, from experts, what the benefits and features are of a product or service. When I go to a business, I want a sales person to help and guide me to make an educated decision. I especially like it when a sales person gives me their opinion based on their wisdom and/or experience with a product. I even love it when a salesman actually talks me out of sale because the product won’t fit my needs.
Part of sales is a transfer of confidence. When you sell something by annoying, misleading or ‘trying to get the sale’ that is what you are transferring. Not confidence.
When I go to buy a new car, I don’t want want to be sold anything. I’m looking to go into a business and learn, from experts, what the benefits and features are of a product or service. When I go to a business, I want a sales person to help and guide me to make an educated decision. I especially like it when a sales person gives me their opinion based on their wisdom and/or experience with a product. I even love it when a salesman actually talks me out of sale because the product won’t fit my needs.
Part of sales is a transfer of confidence. When you sell something by annoying, misleading or ‘trying to get the sale’ that is what you are transferring. Not confidence.
