That first post. It's awkward, much like the first date, or first day at school. Much worse than the first day at a new job, but for me it's something more.
I will undoubtedly spend a few days pondering over what to say and what I feel I should write. Hell, even if anyone will actually read it? Should I be doing this sort of blog? I'm more into zombies, futuristic wargames and sleeping than offering sales advice to people.
This blog was partly the brainchild of Mara (Brownie points to those who know who that is) in an effort to get me to teach others how to sell. Mara, like a few others consider me to be pretty good at this selling game.
Ironically, I don't think I need to teach people how to sell in as much as show them how not to sell.
I am not a fan of sales people generally. I strive to be anything but a sales person - why be something that you strongly dislike? I don't aim to sell, I simply aim to solve peoples problems. I once thought about it - what is it that I do differently?
I think the answer has always been that I simply think about everything differently. I don't try to sell.
If you have the ability to think about things outside the box and pick it apart, you can normally put it back together in your mind and the outcome is greater than the input. I often come into conflict in my day to day life, I am stubborn and most of the time know I am right (when i'm not right, I certainly try and figure out why and try not to replicate that fault) but as time has gone on, I have learnt its more important to choose the fight than to fight for the sake of fighting. (My wife is the main source of that wisdom, but don't let her know that)
It's more important to me that I solve problems and show my customers how I did it, than to make a big profit from them. In time, those customers stay with you and end up spending far more money on what you provide them than any single big win might. It is simply a matter of good service.
I had a real life hit of this not too long ago at a Starbucks. We all know how good Starbucks is, it's probably my favourite place for coffee (Iced Mocha Frap) and you know what you get there. My wife showed me one day, they knew her name, her favourite drink and even that she preferred soya milk instead of normal milk for the taste with cream on top. I had taken for granted the level of service they provide us when we visit until one day it just didn't happen. The service was poor, the drink's were wrong and we felt very unwelcome.
It was then that I realised how significant it is to a customer when you drop the ball.
We all do it, we all make mistakes. The best people own up to those mistakes and let their customers become part of fixing them. It's a great little skill - it's about involving everyone around you and making them feel part of it. If you feel like you have played a role in creating something, you will give more and be more excited when it comes to an end.
Try not to sell to people, try and get them to sell it to themselves. Next time you come into a 30 seconds pitch, instead of trying to sell how great you or your product is, try and flip it around. Those guys around you will talk for a lot more than 30 seconds. You may just come away with more ability to sell them something than you ever imagined.
So, that wasn't too hard after all. Even if this is my fourth edit, and 4-5 days late.
Next time, more zombies.
