Aggressive know it all salesman

Unfortunately in this world people that are suppose to be professional are very personal instead!


Matt M

I've spent over 50 years of my life in 100% commissioned sales. I can't think of anything else I'd want to do for a living.

The job of the salesperson is to help the prospect get what the prospect wants first and foremost. This is done not by TELLING the prospect what's best for him/her, but by asking questions in order to best determine what their needs are, then showing the prospect how best to fill those needs. 

I've seen audio salesmen, and even owners of audio stores be rude to their prospects by talking down to them, or by using technical jargon to the point where the prospect's eyes glaze over, at which point the prospect walks out the door totally confused without buying a thing.  These are the, I won't call them salesman, I'll call them clerks or order takers, who eventually mastermind their way right out of business. 

What does a prospect want to know when they walk into an audio store? Do they want to know about low distortion figures, capacitors, resistors, slew rates, etc? Nope, they just want to be able to reproduce decent music in the home at a price they deem to be a value for the money spent.

I've taught plenty of sales training classes in my time. One of the things I convey to new salespeople is this:  In any given year, there are over 250,000 quarter-inch drill bits sold in the United States. Did the prospects want the drill bit, or did the prospects want a nice, clean quarter-inch hole?

It's not necessary to explain to the prospect the hardness of the steel of the bit, the manufacturing process to make it, how to fit it into the drill motor, or anything else. All the guy wants is a quarter inch hole ... so take the order for the drill bit, collect the money, and let the prospect go on his way. 

For any owner of an audio store, or anyone acting as a salesperson in that store, I'd have one question for them, and that would be: "What business are you in?"  If they answer: "the audio business," I'd turn around and walk out. This is the death knell of all retail businesses ... they are NOT in the audio business, they are in the PEOPLE business. Big difference. They are there to  help people get what they want. 

The big key in selling is to ask questions, get the customer's feedback, then guide the prospect through to a successful transaction.  You know you've arrived as a salesperson when the prospect smiles and says: "Do you know what I like about doing business with you? You are totally low pressure and I always get my questions answered;"  This, as he/she walks out the door with that brand new $30,000 preamp.  :-)

OP

A good salesman listens 75% of the time and talks 25% of the time. I've been in sales for 40+years and one of the hardest things to learn is to listen and more importantly HEAR your customer.  

I am an MD, was once employed by large multi-specialty clinic before I left & went into solo private practice , there was a big discussion about how to get good patient satisfaction.
Having waited tables in my youth, I said select only employees who have waited tables because they understand customer satisfaction because if the don't, they don't last long (snooty French waiters need not apply)-somebody asked "what about the doctors?"
I said "ESPECIALLY the doctors!"
They thought I was an idiot.
I'm not there anymore.
I think it fits here as well.