Help your customers decide what to buy by giving them information!
As confusing as it may seem, many people would do well to follow this advice.
If you work in sales, you have one of the hardest jobs in the world. People have said that less than 1% of people have what it takes to be successful in sales. Those aren't very good chances. But a lot of us are interested in sales. We are the modern-day gladiators who face challenges every day and usually survive and do well. We like to help people, and we like the challenge and praise that come with being good at what we do.
So how do some men and women get to the top while so many others only dream about it?
Many of the best salespeople I know were lucky enough to have a mentor along the way who gave them golden nuggets of advice. A Regional Sales Manager of mine said something that hurt me many years ago. It also made me different.
He told Clayton, "You're a good salesman, but you have the potential to be a great salesman." My pride was hurt because I was one of the best sales people in the area. I was angry that he would say something like that. I thought I was a serious student of sales because I had taken a lot of sales courses and done well in them.
I thought about what he said for the rest of the day and into the night. I had to know what he was thinking. The next morning, I got up the courage to go into his office and ask him what he meant by what he said the day before. I wasn't sure what I would hear.
He asked me to sit down and then told me how happy he was that I was on his team. He went on to say that he thought it was his job to bring out the best in people. I told him that I felt insulted because I thought I was more than just good at sales. He told me I was, but told me that if I wanted to be a good salesperson, I needed to pay close attention to some advice. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was 9 a.m. on a Friday, and he told me, "Stop selling." I couldn't believe it, stop selling? He continued by saying, "It's not your job to sell things. Your job is to help the customer make a good choice about what to buy."
Well, he had to say it twice before I started to understand what he meant. He was right, no doubt about it. I had to change from being a ready-to-fight gladiator to a trusted advisor. My job was to bring my knowledge of the subject matter to the table and help the potential buyer understand the pros and cons of their decision. It's their money, so it's up to them to decide. Had I done all I could to help them make a good decision?
I've told this to a lot of "good" salespeople over the years. I smile when I tell them that they could make more money if they stopped selling. I applaud you if you still follow this philosophy today. If you decide to use it going forward, I wish you the best of luck.
