“Best way to help the poor: Don’t become one of them.” Abe Lincoln.
If you know how to sell, you will never face the bread line like many people are doing today. (See also here and here).
If you like and care about other people, you can become the consummate sales person. Someone others seek out because they want to buy from YOU.
In this series of posts I will show you how you might become such a person. Chances are you already know this stuff, but a little tickle could be all it takes to start anew. So let’s get started.
One of the richest men in the world, David Koch, joked how he had acquired enough wealth to pledge $25 million dollars to his alma mater:
“It all started when I was a little boy. One day, my father gave me an apple. I soon sold it for five dollars and bought two apples and sold them for ten. Then I bought four apples and sold them for twenty. Well, this went on day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, until my father died and left me three hundred million dollars.”
Point being, as an eight year-old boy already, this youngster got hold of something – an apple – that someone else happened to be looking for, and which they happily paid for. He learned that skill and refined it for the rest of his life.
Why would one person would pay more for the same apple than another?
Same reasons we all do. Convenience. I-need-it-now. Perceived quality.
Convenience. Been at 7-11 of late? Don’t you knowingly pay more for Corona beer than you would at the big super market or Costco? Um, yes, 7-11 is closer, more convenient. So that time it was convenience over cost.
I need it now. Have a really bad toothache? How much more do you pay for the emergency dentist visit, and willingly? But you didn’t want to wait a week.
Perceived quality or personal value match. I pay more for organic spinach than regular spinach. Because I believe organic spinach is better for my body. Fewer toxins. That’s perceived quality for me – it matches my belief system so I’m happy to pay more.
Likely whatever you are selling could be any of those things to someone, at different times. We’ll have fun with that later.
As the consummate sales person however, remember this: it’s not your mission to judge the belief system of others. Nor should you belittle or try to change their beliefs (so they buy what you’re selling). Your mission, at least in in the beginning of your sales career, to find matches for what you’re selling. Easier said than done.
Next: How should you decide what to sell?
Hi Kim,
Loved this post and your examples of perceived quality and perceived value. We willingly pay more for convenience as we are living in a "I've-got-to-have-it-now world."
Perceived value can go both ways. But if you always give MORE in value than you take in payment, you will have your customers eat out of your hand.
Have an awesome week!
Ilka
Dear Kim,
You wrote, “As the consummate sales person however, remember this: it's not your mission to judge the belief system of others. Nor should you belittle or try to change their beliefs (so they buy what you're selling). Your mission, at least in the beginning of your sales career, to find matches for what you're selling."
I have to say that this is a good description of an "order taker", but not a good description of a consummate salesperson. The first thing a consummate salesperson must possess is a fervent belief that their product or service will add value to anyone who chooses to use it. Preferably they are already their own best customer and this has helped fuel their belief system. Secondly a consummate sales person must be looking to do something for their prospects, not be seeking to do something to them. In this light, on occasion a consummate salesperson will come across a person that can truly benefit from their offering, but the person is obstructing the flow of good to themselves because of previously conceived notions that may be bases on false evidence. In my mind, this is when a consummate salesperson works to overcome those objections. If the salesperson succeeds, then they are likely to become the prospects favorite person. If the salesperson fails to close the deal, then they are a high pressure S.O.B. and despised.
The only way a salesperson could afford to invest the time to wait out only those looking for what the salesperson offers with no opposition , is with a laser focused marketing program that gathers up the predisposed buyers.
I have been a student of the art of salesmanship all my life and have learned from many of the greats, not to exclude Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. The best salespeople I have met down through my years have been the ones with the greatest love for mankind.
Wishing You Plenty To live,
Tom Doiron
Atlanta
One of the best things about selling is that it's a learned skill that can be acquired.
All you have to do is put in the necessary time and expense in order to get educated about the subject.
Then it is a simple matter of taking action and being consistent in your efforts.
Hi Tom —
You write "this is a good description of an "order taker", but not a good description of a consummate salesperson."
I assume you are referring to my statement that
“As the consummate sales person however, remember this: it's not your mission to judge the belief system of others. Nor should you belittle or try to change their beliefs (so they buy what you're selling). Your mission, at least in the beginning of your sales career, to find matches for what you're selling."
Well yes, if all those "matches" would just line up outside your front door, each day, as many as you could handle, then indeed, this would describe an order taker.
🙂
Seriously, I'm not one to leave comments but this was such an awesome post…Thank you Kim…the article on the Koch's was outstanding and really educational.
Now as for as the "consumate sales person" goes…evidently we all have to be a split between a "consumate sales person" and an order taker…almost like split personalities or actors.
And, as always Questions are the answer…I'm still learning!!
Sure, Absolutely!! I would Love that line outside the door… would relish the thought of being an order taker…LOL!!
Some stimulating conversation you have sparked here…Kim…Tom
Edgar D Short
Edgar,
Thanks for the kindness and you also reminded me of a point I had intended to mention. You said questions are the answer and this is so true. I have watched consummate salespeople converse with their prospects by using questions to steer the dialogue. They do far more listening than talking and use carefully constructed questions to gather the exact information needed from the prospect. Simply stated; they let the prospect tell them everything needed to complete the sales transaction, either then or at a later point in time.
The consummate salesperson
Wishing You Plenty To Live,
Tom Doiron
Atlanta
My last sentence got chopped. I wanted to say that the consummte salesperson is a compassionate listener.
Tom
I enjoyed reading this post. But I have to tell you that Mr. Koch is a poor example of a consummate salesperson. He inherited a lot of money from his father and has been bankrolling the Tea Party. He didn't earn it and now his money is dirty
Hi Kim,
Marketing is what gets you the prospects. Selling is what makes them customers/clients.
Great post! Thanks for all you do.
Alan