Guest Post Today at Brad Shorr’s Word Sell
Howdy, Bubba! Hey, if you're new around these parts, I just want to say how much I appreciate you dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!
Well!
Mrs. MZM forgot to lock the door to the Zone’s Inner Sanctum again, and I managed to loosen my chains and escape (sound of angry mob, sirens, bloodhounds, and helicopters).
Hey, this time I managed to get as far as Chicago before they caught me. Profuse thanks to my good buddy Brad Shorr; I’m guest posting at Word Sell Blog today. (I’ve always wondered… is it called the Windy City because of the weather, or because there are so many bloggers there? Never mind.)
Since Brad’s blog is related to business writing, sales and marketing, I decided to throw caution to the winds and talk about something I actually know very little about: sales (but don’t tell Brad, ‘K?). However, despite the fact that I’m no salesman, I think I actually can contribute somethin’ valuable that applies not only to sales - but to life.
So why don’t you click on this cute little link here and read The One Key to Success in Sales - and Life. Leave a comment, if you like. Heck, rant and rave if you’re so inclined! Just don’t forget to come back, y’hear?
And don’t worry; I’m feelin’ much better now.
You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!
10 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Hi Robert, thanks for your very cool post! BTW, the Windy City nickname is an old reference, dating back to the 1800’s I think, which described people from Chicago as being full of hot air. Well, today on Word Sell we are proving that wrong!
Brad Shorrs last blog post..The One Key to Successful Sales — and Life, by Robert Hruzek
On the other hand, we might just be proving it right!
Hey, thanks for the opportunity once again to visit, Brad! And this time I didn’t even need a ride from O’Hare!
Relationships… I think you’ve got most of the sales technique right there. I think you should look a bit closer at that factor though. Relationships are also about power. In any relationship there is someone who has more power than the other. In a sales environment if the client has more power than the salesperson then it will be a tough sale (i.e. something the client really wants or he’s not buying). If, on the other hand, the salesperson has the power then the client will buy.
I used to work with this one salesperson who would sell over the telephone with only the microphone part of the phone near his face. He wouldn’t even listen to what the client was saying. That is how powerful he was. It didn’t matter the client’s opinion, he was buying because the salesperson said so. Ok this example is a bit extreme but it goes to show that it’s not just about having a good relationship with the client, it’s about having the power in that relationship.
I guess I never thought about the power aspect before. I wonder, though… are people generally more comfortable with relationships where the “power”, as you say, is very unbalanced, or where it’s fairly equal (in their own estimation - it’s a perception thing)?
Is that the key to repeat sales? Maybe the one you mentioned was an exception, but I bet the average salesperson who attempted to “power” their way to success like wouldn’t be too good at, say, repeat business.
And what do they do when WoM gets ahead of them and no one will talk to them anymore?
I spent a corporate career in sales and marketing and never looked at it from a “power” perspective. In fact I do not view any relationship that way, and that type of thinking can be dangerous. No one has power over you unless you give it to them. Even if you wanted to present it that way, the customer is the one with the money and unless the person is selling something necessary for life - like oxygen then the customer is in the position of power. Salespeople who don’t listen are those that give a bad name to the profession. Two ears, one mouth for a good reason.
Karen Swims last blog post..The Poop in the Road
“No one has power over you unless you give it to them. “
I have to agree with you there, Karen. There have been times I absolutely wanted to buy something, but because of the salesperson’s attitude (or whatever), I went without.
I know it’s not just me, either.
I think there is a big difference between sales and vending.
When you have a product that people want to buy and they come to you to buy it I would call that vending rather than sales. When you have to approach someone to convince them to buy something they never intended to buy that would be sales.
In the aggressive sales environment that I witnessed those salespeople would say vending is easy and sales is difficult and I would agree with them.
For example, say you are trying to sell a car, you try to listen to your customers needs and match an ideal car for them. This requires knowledge of the product, listening to your client and a balanced relationship. However, if you only had one product to sell and you had to cold call someone into buying, it’s an entirely different “sales” scenario.
Your client might not even need your product, therefore any chance you give him to argue a case as to why he does not need it should be avoided - i.e. listening to your clients needs isn’t a good technique.
This is where the power balance is critical. You have to have the power in the relationship so that the client associates you as the leader to listen to and follow. Sounds harsh but its the natures of the sales beast.
People often confuse the vending role with the sales role and that’s where you get the scenario of being put off from buying something. Everyone hates it when they go to a store knowing what they want and speak to a “sales” person instead of a “vending” person.
Just my 2cents.
OK, I think I see your point.
But (and you knew THAT was coming, didn’t you?) if I were an argumentative person, which I’m not (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!), I would probably argue that a true “vending” situation would be rare. Seems like there’s almost always a competitor for whatever you’re vending. I would think that would change the dynamics, wouldn’t it?
I think my problem is the word “power”. If I use the word “authority” it makes more sense to me, and also makes it more palatable. Semantics, I suppose, but there it is.
Hey, you’re welcome to drop by and contribute your 2 cents anytime (although it was worth at least $1.27, if you ask me!
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Loved your guest post, Robert!
Thanks, Jeanne; I appreciate that more than you know!