Your responsibility as a salesperson

Last night, I had one of those AHA moments.  If you don’t know what that is, it is when you say, wow I really didn’t understand or know that until just now.  The AHA moment for me when I was conducting my sales class.  I have had many AHA moments over the years, but this one was pretty profound.

Many times I have stated the quote:  “We as needy human beings love to buy, but we hate to be sold to.”  Most people would agree with that statement, myself included. But last night my AHA moment was when one of my class participants was telling me that they actually would refuse to give all of the information in a sales situation.  I couldn’t believe it.  They actually would attempt to give less information to a salesperson for some reason.

So I have been pondering that all night.  No wonder this person has a dislike towards sales people, because how can they effectively make a solid and informed purchase if they refuse to give all of the information necessary for a sales person to assist them in making the right decision for a particular purchase.

So whose fault is it?  Well, I have to blame the salesperson.  As a salesperson it is your job to make the buyer feel comfortable in making a purchase.  It is your job to create such a rapport that the buyer is willing to give you all of the information necessary so you can assist them in making the right purchase for them.  Then and only then, are you really effectively servicing your buyer and their needs.

I realize sales people have a certain stigma around what they do.  We must accept this, we have to own it and take responsibility for it and do whatever it takes to go the opposite way of that stigma.

As sales people we must:

• Build rapport
• Ask questions to understand the buyers needs
• Educate the buyer on all of the options including ones you don’t offer. 
• Provide solutions based on what they tell us. 
• Make the buyer feel comfortable about telling us everything.
• Dont rush a sale.  Let the sale take as long as it needs to. 

Are we going to sell them all?  Nope, but it is your responsibility as a sales person to create an environment where people will want to tell you everything and want to buy.

Brian Willett