I often question myself if sales is just a profession? I believe it is like a shadow that follows every human being till he or she relinquishes the world....well it is true. If any activity in life has an element of convincing required, peppered with reasoning and logic it is an act of selling. Yet very often i have noticed when a sales person calls in, the person who is hearing him / her out cringes almost like a natural instinct. Why, i wonder?
There is no definite answer to the instinctive behavior. There may be a need for the product, you may have internally decided to buy the product and the brand; yet you listen to the pitch and try to put forth all your questions and you may end up buying irrespective of a not so great pitch. Does this mean that sales person just connects or delivers what the person has already decided to buy?
Everybody negotiates; you may feel the price you are being asked to pay is right then why a discount? You may end up jumping with joy if you manage to reduce the price. It is a feeling of ecstasy that no pill can satisfy.
To err is human but a sales person cannot err. He can be crucified even if a mistake is not his direct contribution. I do admit that there are many who fondly remember good sales folks as well but why such extremities in reaction?
There have been many books written on the above observations - many theories and remedies to make that perfect call, to assess customers, go with the perfect pitch, learn the perfect art of negotiation and offer great service after sale. I know of many sales people who might have followed all of this rigorously but they will still admit that they continue to see and experience the above instances every day to this day.
I am sure there are more views, observations to second my thought or to contradict some of them.....would be glad to hear....
There is no definite answer to the instinctive behavior. There may be a need for the product, you may have internally decided to buy the product and the brand; yet you listen to the pitch and try to put forth all your questions and you may end up buying irrespective of a not so great pitch. Does this mean that sales person just connects or delivers what the person has already decided to buy?
Everybody negotiates; you may feel the price you are being asked to pay is right then why a discount? You may end up jumping with joy if you manage to reduce the price. It is a feeling of ecstasy that no pill can satisfy.
To err is human but a sales person cannot err. He can be crucified even if a mistake is not his direct contribution. I do admit that there are many who fondly remember good sales folks as well but why such extremities in reaction?
There have been many books written on the above observations - many theories and remedies to make that perfect call, to assess customers, go with the perfect pitch, learn the perfect art of negotiation and offer great service after sale. I know of many sales people who might have followed all of this rigorously but they will still admit that they continue to see and experience the above instances every day to this day.
I am sure there are more views, observations to second my thought or to contradict some of them.....would be glad to hear....
1 comment:
From a person who's never been in sales, my 2 cents are
1. Win over the potential client's trust and confidence
2. To effect that, be yourself than trying to mimic someone else who's been successful in sales.
3. never Hardsell -- it turns anyone off .. anyone with a head on his shoulders knows that
:)
Anil
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