Salesmen drive me up a wall. I say this as a salesman. Nope. Nix that. I say this as a Customer Advocate.
When was the last time you bought a car instead of that salesman selling you a car? I’m going to give you a couple of seconds to ponder that.
Now think of the last time you purchase fruit from a farmers market. Or better yet, think of the last time you made a purchase online. Heck, better yet.. think about the last time you went to a nice restaurant. Did any of these institutions push you to make a decision? Did any of these attendants or websites or waiters or customer service representatives ever make you feel guilty for being there? Did they ever talk down to you about your decision? Tell you that this is the only chance you’ll have at this? Make you feel like you had no control?
You know why they don’t do that? Because these people aren‘t salesmen. They are Customer Advocates. They are Customer Service. They are Consumer Specialists. What they are NOT is Salesmen.
Why do I bring all of this up? I bring this up because the world used to be full of salesman. A few industries still have them, fighting over every sale and using every trick in the book to close that sale. Why do they do it? Is it greed? Do they really think that their aggression will close a deal? I think in this new market of buying power, faceless technology, open forums and cost analysis, those kinds of people are either going to have to change or be put out.
As a customer advocate, I offer suggestions. I never tell people they have to buy. Even when rejected, I offer them other suggestions, thank them for their time and follow up with them when possible. Every call I make to them sets the stage for me to help them, not for me to slam and shove and mash them into a mold that they have to fill. That makes me a Customer Advocate, not a salesmen. Who does the selling in your company and how do they interact with customers?
Take a good look at that last question and ask yourself if a different approach might yield better results. I know it has for me, as I used to be a Salesman.
