November 2013
www.dakotasupplygroup.com
SPOTLIGHT Tom's
Current
Getting Real Have you ever been part of one of those oldschool courses that offer to teach you the secrets of successful salespeople? Some of the most aggressive courses treat customers like prey, with lots of techniques that focus on “closing” the deal. If you listen to the language used by many of the so-called sales experts who create these courses, you’ll hear the word “sell” used as if it is something that you do to a customer – you “sell them.” This isn’t a viewpoint that I share. Instead, I’ve always felt that a sale is something that you do with a customer, not to him. Back when I was a salesperson, my best experiences always came from customers with whom I had built personal relationships. When I called on them, we spent a lot of time talking about our families and our fishing adventures. Eventually I would ask them how business was going – not because I was angling for a big score, but because I was legitimately interested in how their business was going. You see, by treating your customers like real people, you can cut through the sales jargon and business clichés. Offer them yourself – the genuine deal, the same guy that your friends like to have around – and soon it becomes a natural step to offer them your
help – just like you do for your friends. The help you offer may be free advice or it might be a great idea for a product that will make their life easier. If your customers know you as an authentic person who cares about their well-being, then they will appreciate that you suggest a tankless water heater because you listened when they told you how much their wife hates running out of hot water. They will recognize that you are trying to help (whether they purchase it or not), rather than seeing your suggestion as just another sales ploy. It all starts with dropping the overused sales techniques and getting real with your customers. Here at DSG, we consider each of our customers a partner, and I suggest that you look at your own customers in the same way. Ask questions and listen before you try to help, then make suggestions with their best interest in mind. In the end, the sales you make with your customers are the only ones that benefit you both.