Customer Preparation

By J ack Dionne

The old idecr of selling retcril wcs to put in c stock ol building mctericrls, cnd, when lohn smith decided he wanted to build cr home, to give him ct "good close figure" on the bill.

There wcs no ellort oI prelimincry chcgcrcter to prepcrre the prospect lor the building idecr or crecte the idec ol building; uothing to sell the prospect on the lumber deqler cnd keep him sold to the business point'

In other words there wcrs pcinlul lcrck of CUSTOMER PnEPARATION. So, when the customer tinally dropped in for guotcrtions, there wcrs nothing to tie him with but c price ProPosition.

A customer rushed into cr bqrber shop one dcry, curd demcrrded <r quick shcrve so thct he might catch c train in cr hurry'. Did the bcrrber grab his rcrzor crnd immedicrtely go to shcving this lellow who wcrs in such q rush? He did NOT. He lqthered the lellow's |crce thoroughly, cmd then proceeded to rub in the lcrther on thcrt chin with what looked like grect deliberation" until the customer, wcrtching the clock, begcrn to get nervous. But the bqrber knew his business. When he got thcrt be<rrd well lcrthered, he grcrbbed his rqzor crnd hcrd those whiskers oll in cr iiffY.

He understood cuslomer prepcrction And it is iust crs imporicurt in the retcil lumber business cs it is with a bcrber. The retciler who overlooks the theory of working on his trade constcmtly, is overlooking c vitcl bet, becquse prelimincrry prepcrrction is the chief secret oI scles success'

Prelimincry prepcrcrtion in the building gqme mecns to keep your trcrde constcrntly qdvised cs to who you cre, where You cre. whcrt you hcrve to oller, and whcrt you me61n to them in c service wcry,' to keep ihem sold on yourseff in your chartrcter crs c building merchcurt so ihcrt when ihe time comes lor them to buy cnything in your line, it will not be necessqry lor you to go through all the motions ol convincing them concerning yoursell and your cbility to help them. Hcrve them convinced in qdvcrnce'

Thct's customer prepcrrcrtion. Bemember, the best lcrthered fcrce is the eqsiest to shcve.