SELLING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS!

Right out of the blocks I am going to hit you with a Steven Strasburg fastball (he, who can pitch a baseball at speeds of over 100 mph), which is: don’t sell for commission or even program your mind as to why this is the only reason you head out the door each day looking to make a sales transaction? Rather, sell for enjoyment, the challenge and personal satisfaction that the job provides. You do that, there's no doubt that you'll reap the financial benefits your employer has graciously set up for you! Read on ...

I was once involved in a sales meeting at a restaurant. Your typical type of meeting except once the initial greetings were exchanged, I began to inquire as to how this person’s establishment changed their soda (pop) filters? Unusual question? I knew it caught my client off guard and this was not a scripted question. It was asked because I am a typical curious person. One that LOVES to LEARN about everyone’s business and what makes the company a success? As well, I like to find out what path did my counterpart take to finally sit in the executive’s chair or become a decision-making manager?

Anyhow, my restaurant client told me that he usually gets the sales reps coming in only to ask “if he would buy a program ad?” or to “interest him in a pair of tickets?” After I offered my question on soda filters, my client instantly perked up and told me all about his procedures for changing filters. I was fascinated by the exchange. Then, positioning myself as the “consumer”, I proceeded to tell my client that what leads me to any restaurant most always is the quality and taste of the Coca-Cola or Pepsi fountain product and in some cases, the style & taste of the French Fries!

I even relayed a story to my restaurant client on what my Coca-Cola rep once shared with me: that is if you wanted to enjoy the purest form of Coca-Cola, go to a McDonald’s Restaurant because they have such sophisticated quality control equipment and computerized systems to make sure that the soft drink filters are changed periodically. I told my client how important it is for a restaurant to make sure that they have the best tasting beverages because it will be engraved in the consumer's mind everytime he chooses a restaurant for his next meal: great soda/pop or lousy soda/pop? It serves as a great “lead-in” for most people! After my consumer feedback, the restaurant contact said that “I was the first person to come before him and actually try to help his business versus the others that didn’t care about his business other than to hope he’d say ‘yes’ for a sale”.

My restaurant client then offered up these words of advice to me “I get so tired of these sales reps coming to my place all the time just expecting that I’m this automatic buy; someone who’s obligated to open up his wallet and if I don’t, I’m the one responsible for this sales rep not making his monthly mortgage payment”.

The end result of the story: we sold season tickets, activated a partnership and built a relationship that still goes on ten years later to this date!

I always credit my former boss and the business motto he instilled into me: "Take a job for the fun it can be! You produce, you will get rewarded!”


Jim Loria, Career Planning Expert for Sports Professionals
Email address: loria@sfstampede.com