When people tell me they are in sales I ask what they sell. The responses vary of course. People are selling insurance, real estate, cars, computer programs and a vast of array of other products or services. Add to that the ones who sell B2B or B2C and you have some serious alphabet soup. And for a fortunate group of these people, they don't really have to "sell" as much others.
When I speak to groups on sales I give my definition of "sales" and it is a little different than what most people think it is. You see, the sale is the actual transaction. You give me money and I give you a pack of gum. That's a sale, but I didn't necessarily "sell" you anything. If I had suggested a second pack of gum or something else, I would have been in the process of selling.
My definition is this: "Sales" or "selling" is the process that precedes the actual transaction. One of my colleagues likes to call it "foreplay", which I find hilarious but inappropriate for talks at middle schools. In addition, "sales" is trying to convince, urge or otherwise get someone to do something they wouldn't have done right then. "Sure, I need to buy a house, but not right now."
One of the few things that sticks in my craw is the term "sales clerk" or "sales associate" at big box stores. These people don't sell anything. They may, if asked, walk you to the part of the store where you need to be, but for the most part they just ring up your purchase.
In my book I talk about the property and casualty insurance agent I know who thought he was quite the salesman. People would come into his office and need car insurance, which was mandated by the state. He would type in some information and give them a quote. That's all he did. There was no upselling or add ons. The same would happen if someone needed homeowners insurance, again required by the mortgage company. No selling took place, just him getting the customer's information and giving them a price. After the customer would leave he'd pump his fist and yell, "Sold!" as if he accomplished something.
This is no different than ordering fast food. But the big difference is that the teenager who takes my order actually asks if I would like fries or to "supersize" my order. That extra step (and apparently work ethic) can make an additional sale that wouldn't have happened otherwise.
It's funny because some of the people I work with in the life insurance industry look down on "order takers". "Those aren't real sales people," they sneer. They think the difficult process of sales, and possible rejection, is a badge of honor.
The real truth of the matter is that order takers still get paid and sometimes I envy them. There have been times when someone has called and known exactly what they needed and I took their order just like a clerk. For example, a client had borrowed money from a private lender and needed to secure the note with life insurance. We covered the loan and the time period and nothing else. It was quick, easy and painless for all of us.
When I mentioned this scenario to my manager he gave me a hard time for not "getting a factfinder". Later I told a grizzled old co-worker who had been selling insurance for years about this and he laughed. "This job is hard enough. Sometimes you have to take the path of least resistance." Of course, I listened to him instead of my manager.
Sales is a process, but it can be a hard job. Take advantage of those rare occasions when you can make it easier for yourself.
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
Comments
Post a Comment