Sell or Be Sold(35)
Make it your goal to give 100 percent of your attention to the customer regardless of the quality of the prospect or the estimated odds of closing the deal. Human beings are much more valuable than money. Treat them like that and you’ll be rewarded.
In the business of sales, you have to be willing to serve people, not just sell them. For a business to survive and prosper it has to serve and help people, not just sell products. That means taking take care of customers and going beyond their expectations. The best salespeople I’ve ever met were not the fast-talking guys, but the most service-oriented ones. Those professionals who care the most are the ones who go the extra mile to find ways to improve the customer’s life.
ARE YOU A HOLIDAY INN OR A RITZ-CARLTON?
As a salesperson, are you a Holiday Inn or a Ritz-Carlton? Be honest with yourself and you’ll see why you’re being paid whatever you’re currently making. If most of your customers are grinding you on price, then your level of service is not obvious to them; otherwise they wouldn’t grind you on just the price, because they would value the service you give them.
One time I had 1,700 apartments for sale. I had real estate agents lined up around the block begging for the listing, but none of them got it because I didn’t trust that they would service me the way I wanted. I gave it to the guy that I knew and trusted, and I actually paid him double what I would have paid any other agency. I chose him because I truly believed that I could count on him to give me the best advice and the best service. The agent that I chose was someone I believed in, and I was willing to pay extra for it. Why would I do that? Because like most people, I don’t want the best deal, I want the best service, the best product, and the best representation. I want to know that you’re going to be there for me no matter what. I want to know that there’s not going to be unnecessary drama and conflict, and if there is, I want to know that you’ll handle it.
Selling is about helping people, not just selling them. If you like helping people and perfect the other points I’m suggesting to you here, you will be great. Many salespeople whom I’ve met, who otherwise could have been great salespeople, have unfortunately been corrupted by others who led them to believe that they should rely on trickery and deception. You don’t have to trick or deceive to sell. You have to be willing to serve and help people before you’ll get the close. The more you’re able to demonstrate that service-oriented attitude, the easier your job will be. And trust me, no matter how much you serve someone you’ll still have to be prepared to ask, “Will that be cash, check, or credit card?”
Service is the only way to higher prices and less competition. A salesperson caught in a constant price conflict will never agree with my point because he’s stuck on price as the solution. But price is not the solution; it never has been and never will be. Service is the solution! A better product is not the solution because sooner or later someone will have similar or better products and will sell them at a lower price.
A buyer will pay extra for great service, a great attitude, ease of purchase, convenience, and being made to feel special. Look at how you can create a level of service that separates you from others. Going to the client rather than waiting for the client to come to you is service. Providing options is a way to service a customer. Sending gifts, flowers, notes, or just dropping by to say hello is service. A big smile, your full attention, and a great attitude are service. There’s no real value in lower prices. What do I get for a lower price? I get a lower price and less service. I can get a room at a Holiday Inn for a fraction of the price of a room at the Ritz. What do I get for saving $400? I get a cheaper room, minimal service, and “I don’t care” attitudes. What is the difference between a $500 room and an $80 room? Service!
You don’t have to look far to find companies that are known for great service and higher prices. People even brag that they pay extra to do business with them. Look at Tiffany’s, Ritz Hotels, the Four Seasons, and American Express Centurion. There are high-end beauty shops where haircuts are $700, but they aren’t selling haircuts—they’re giving service in abundance.
This kind of service is no different for a salesperson. If you elevate your level of service above the rest of the market, your customers will quit shopping the price. How much are you willing to bend over backward to make sure your customers are happy?
I once attended a seminar as a salesperson where the speaker said that one should never call and ask the client how the product was working because it opens the conversation to problems. While the audience agreed, I sat there in absolute disagreement. If my customer is having a problem, then I want to know about it so I can handle it. Problems and dissatisfaction are opportunities for me to shine, for me to separate myself and to sell again. It’s not a service department’s problem, it’s my customer’s problem, and I want to take care of it for him.