This week, my wife and I were considering consolidating our phone services, and getting new phones for our daughters.  We headed into a local long distance service provider store (OK, it was Sprint).  We walked in; the store was empty.  I was excited because I knew we wouldn’t have to wait for a sales associate to finish with another client–we’d get his full attention and expertise!

“Dave” greeted us as he looked up from his PDA (we’ll call him Dave, his real name was Jake.): “Hi.  Welcome to Sprint.  May I help you?”  Pretty neutral stuff.  He didn’t look overly excited that we’d interrupted the game on his phone.  Undeterred by his nonchalance, my wife cheerfully explained our problem and asked about phone plans and models.

Dave gave short answers to questions and seemed a bit annoyed that we couldn’t immediately decide how to reconcile 5 different users on 3 different plans.  “Here’s the phone I like,” he said.  “It’s made entirely of sustainable, biodegradeable, recycled alloids.”  Or something like that.  My wife and I looked at each other and thought–not a selling point for us.

Dave was not too engaged with us.  Technically, he revealed some product information, but it was always in terms of his preferences, not our needs.  He didn’t ask many questions; he didn’t offer many solutions.  He watched us wallow in options.  He did shut down one big sale though…the sale of an upgraded phone to me.  How?

Background: I like buying stuff, and I like having the latest versions of equipment.  I happened to show my HTC Touch Pro phone to Dave/Jake.   He said something to the effect that 1) my model had problems and 2) the new HTC Titanium Quasar World Phone (something like that) was better.  [Salespeople, remember: always question the customer's judgement by insulting their previous purchases.]

“New model?” I asked.  (My wife quietly said, “Oh no.”)  “What’s better about the upgraded phone?”  Dave pointed out a couple cool new design improvements, then added, “But it costs like $549.”  My wife attempted to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand–phone plan consolidation and phones for daughters.  After a few minutes, I asked again about the advantages of owning the new HTC model.  His response? 

“Why would anyone pay that much for a phone?”  Literally, that’s what he said. 

Wow.  (Like, “A BMW? Why would you buy that?’  Or “Who in their right mind would purchase a Goldmund Epilogue Full sound system?”)  In short, are you nuts?

So, we quietly finished our conversation, without making a sale–a small one or a big one.

What are the lessons here?

1. Make a good first impression.   Be curious about your customers and their needs.
2. Ask lots of questions.
3. Listen for nibbles: hints that guide the direction your presentation should go.
4. Let your customer buy.  Forget your preferences and focus on what they want, not what you like.

Have you encountered a salesperson who should be in another profession?  Share a tale!  Or comment.

                You can say all of the right words and do all of the right things to make your prospect comfortable, but if you are only focused on making a sale they will know it.  Turning this side of yourself off can be quite the challenge for anyone in a sales position.  If you have found your way into a career in sales you are probably a results-focused individual.  I am not suggesting that you should not be trying to make sales, or be afraid to close because you don’t want to be seen as pressuring.  What I am suggesting is that motives always shine through.  Just as people have the ability to tell when you are trying to make a sale, they can also tell when you are trying to help.  How then can you shift your perspective to genuinely care about each prospect you encounter?  This shift is only accomplished by monitoring your own thoughts, and discovering what you have been focusing on.  It is also a shift that will be easy for some, and prove very difficult for others.  However, if you are committed to change, it is absolutely possible.  Just watch your thoughts and see which category they fall into.  Are your thoughts consisting of things such as:

“How can I get them to buy?”

“What do they need to hear now to push them over the edge?”

“What should I say next?”

“How can I answer that objection?”

If this is the case you are focused on yourself and not focused on them.  Instead try to shift towards:

“What am I offering that may be able to help them?”

“Why do they need what I am offering?”

“What did they mean by what they just said?”

“What is the real reason they gave that objection?”

If you are thinking in this way you will be truly listening, and people can always tell.  If you are disappointed when you don’t make a sale because you didn’t make a sale, people you meet with are probably feeling like a prospect.  If you are disappointed when not making a sale because you genuinely thought they needed what you were offering, people you meet with will be able to tell that you care.  This not only makes being in sales drastically more fun and satisfying, but also increases production because people always want to do business with people who care about them.