Part of choosing what you want to spend your day doing is selling it to yourself. Often people think about salespeople as bad people but then again, they are one themselves. We sell things to everybody all the time. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an item but it can be an activity or even the way things are placed in your home.
Person A: Why do you want it that way
Person B: It looks better that way
Person A: It looks the same to me
Person B: Well with the chair over here, you can see the TV better and as you can see, the TV has been moved so it’s against the bigger wall rather than hanging by the door. The kids can’t run in and knock it over.
Person A: Ah, I didn’t think of it that way. I suppose this layout is better.
What just happend here? They had a conversation about moving furniture, it wasn’t about buying a new TV or anything tangible. In the end Person B has persuaded person A to go along with the moving around of furniture and that it’s better for them because the TV can’t be knocked over by the children.
Why would we classify something like that as selling? Because ”A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation” Person A has compensated their permission to keep the layout the way Person B wants. Person B has done the act of selling ideas. Think of a gym membership. You are not getting anything tangible but you are getting an service or have been persuaded that the gym you are joining is better than other gyms. Maybe not necessarily better but the gym services more to your desires than the other gym because obviously you’ve chosen the gym you go to.
So, if you are a salesperson and struggling with sales, remember that the ability to market something is there, we just have to find it. That is why not everybody is made to be a salesperson, because not everybody can find it.
What triggered this post? My brother in law has joined some Independent business organization and his first month working, everybody was helping him out and getting him what he needed but now that he’s not so new anymore, people are leaving him to fend for himself. Here he is, reading books thinking they’re going to help him. Sure, they’ll help him find things about himself that he didn’t know but that’s not how you sell stuff. It’s critical to know your audience, know the product you’re selling, and know what you are doing. It’s not something that you can just read out of a book.
The best car dealer I found was here in Tucson. His name is Les Laws. Why would I pick him as one of the best dealers I’ve found. He knows how to appeal to people like me, knows how to appeal to the idea that I would rather have the truth than some big fat lie. Brandon’s dad worked in a car dealership so we know how the system works and here he is, telling us the truth. I’d rather have somebody sell the car to me that I know will be honest and trustworthy than somebody that’s going to try to kiss my butt about things. It’s not something I’m interested in. Other people might want something else.
OK so, If you are looking for a used car dealer and looking for somebody that will talk about all the cars and be honest about which cars he would want to sell you. But in the end share the excitement with you and know what you are looking for, go see Les Laws. He works at Quebedeaux Certified Used Car on Speedway. Tell him Mary sent you!