Random Examples and Tips

Greetings!

A reader emailed me a couple of weeks ago and said, "How in the world can all of this stuff happen to you. You must be making it up."

I'm not creative enough to think of situations like the examples I present. Fact is, sales situations occur around us every day. Just look for them. 
This week, I'm emptying my file of random examples and tips I've been collecting for the past few months. Perhaps you have experienced similar things.

SELL WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS A BENEFIT

I've been in car-shopping mode for the past six weeks or so. Plenty of horrible examples of salesmanship. Here's just one. 

I walked into a dealer lot, eyeballing a vehicle I had major interest in. The sales rep came over, asked if I needed help, and I replied that I wanted to test drive the one I was lusting over.

He asked me no questions during the ride--not even my name. Suddenly he blurts out, "Here's something about this vehicle I know you'll just love ..." It was mechanical-babble about the engine rating that went way over my non-technical head. 

"Actually, I don't care about that," I replied.

ELEMENTARY SALES POINT: Sell what THEY want to buy, not what you THINK is a benefit. Find out for sure by asking questions.

DON'T NICKEL AND DIME THEM

Several weeks ago these Tips dealt with my contractor, and how on his invoice he listed all of the extra things he did for free, and the items that were discounted. Here's the opposite of that.

My hotel bill last week at a Marriott Courtyard listed $129 for the room. Then I saw an "Energy Fee" of $2, and "Energy Fee Tax" of 24 cents! 

Regardless of why they do it (wasn't it originally because of high natural gas prices during the winter? It was over 90 degrees in the Washington DC area last week.), seeing this itemization on top of the room charge is like rubbing a bit more salt in a wound, over and over.

NEGOTIATING TIP

In searching the classified ads for a trailer to haul an ATV around, I found one at a pawn shop, of all places. I had never been in one, and WOW, what a cultural experience that was! Perhaps we'll address that in another issue. 

Anyway, the trailer had a damaged tail light, so I suggested that I shouldn't pay the listed price. The fast-talking guy said, "Give me an offer." 

I said, "$500." 

He replied, "That's a good starting point."

As soon as he said that, I realized the negotiating game had begun. And what a great line! He let me know, with that one sentence, that my price was going to be higher than $500. Think of how you might be able to use something similar in your negotiations.

SAY IT WITH CONVICTION

I've been involved with baseball most of my life, playing and coaching, and most recently, with girls competitive softball as a coach. I've always studied umpires and the way they make their calls, and how players, coaches, and fans react to them.

A few umpires exude an aura of confidence that says, "I'm in control, I saw the play, my call is right, don't question me, sit down and shut up." They speak with confidence, yelling out their calls with authority. Their body language matches their voice. Even if you have doubt about a call, they get the benefit of the doubt.

On the other hand, some umps are tentative, whispering their calls with a body language that suggests, "I'm not sure about this." When there is the slightest doubt in anyone's mind that the ump made a bad call, everyone let them know about it.

Even though any training on umpiring tells you to "SELL the call," meaning to say it like you believe it, many still do not.

On the other side, I've got a golfing buddy who sometimes says some pretty off-the-wall things, suspect from a factual standpoint. It's interesting to watch people who really don't know him when he says these things. Often, he speaks with so much conviction, people think that he must be right.

So, the sales point here? Simple. Say everything with conviction. Just like with umpires, when sales reps hem and haw, the lack of confidence is amplified, especially over the phone.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Nothing is as necessary for success as 
the single-minded pursuit of an objective."

Fred Smith


Go and have your best week ever!

Art

CONTACT INFORMATION and REPRINT PERMISSION
Contact: Art Sobczak
President, Business By Phone Inc.
Editor and Publisher, TELEPHONE SELLING REPORT newsletter
13254 Stevens St.
Omaha, NE 68137
(402)895-9399
Fax (402)896-3353
Or, e-mail to arts@businessbyphone.com