I was told the story of a gentleman asked at a job interview why he should be in sales. Now the guy basically had on a white striped green suit with an orange shirt, not a great first impression maker, and he said, “ I have the gift for gab.” He didn't get the job.
So how do you sell as an inside salesperson whether of a manufacturing , agricultural or a service product. To begin with, if you're like the gabster above who couldn't sell himself, you shouldn't be in sales because you're selling you in sales. The reason people come in for coffee in the same restaurant, buy windows from the same store or buy tractors from the same tractor company's often the appeal of friendly people working in a place. (Notice how often I used the word same).
And I know this from experience. When I was Salesman of the Year, I was asked by my boss if I was giving stuff away. He wasn't talking about thievery, he meant my mark up. I said no, and in fact, my mark up was higher than his.
It seemed my customers would walk into the store and when I wasn't there, would walk out. Why? Easy, they trusted me. Here are 7 tips for selling:
Be honest. If your customer's promised a price; deliver. If someone overcharges him or her when you're not there, refund them money owed.
Sound simple. You'd be surprised how many of your customers are ripped off by lazy people who work with you who don't want to look up a special price promised. That's a customer you could lose. Which brings me to my next point.
You have to stick up for you at work. If someone you work with is poaching your customers, don't take it, it creates customer confusion which is bad for sales. Use judgment; of course. This isn't the wild west.
Show your customers respect. Sir or Ma'am is nice. Even better's a name. Care about their needs. Especially when their needs mean they'll buy more products of yours to fulfill those needs.
Don't be embarrassed to sell. This isn't a charity you're engaging in and your customers are interested, or they wouldn't be there. However; do not aggressively push products. A customer with a bad taste in his or her mouth from an experience at your store won't buy there again. You can though, gently lead conversations to future projects they're planning, causally mention sales and special large purchase pricing or suggest companion products that the customer may need with any purchase. For instance, plywood may need glue, screws or nails.
Remember, your job puts bread on your table. Be a company person. Look the part and watch out for your employer's interests. Stalin said gratitude's for dogs. He was a communist and a jerk; he didn't need to make money. You do.
Today's mean buyer is tomorrows sweetheart. I had a lady who was quite nasty to me one day. It turned out her husband had been operated on that day, but she had a bad leak in her home and had to pick up the materials when she'd rather have been with her husband. She was always kind after that. So don't bring your emotions into sales: especially those that are reactive.
Know the products you sell.
Mostly, learn to like your job, especially if you have a career plan. It shows, and that's good for business, which is good for you.
By
Jeffrey Ruzicka
Jeffrey Ruzicka is a retired executive with a small company that specializes in industrial water treatment. He lives happily with his wife in Western Pennsylvania and is a contributing writer to ManufacturingWorkers, ManufacturingWorkersBlog, Nexxt.
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