Greetings Floor Dealers!
Sales legend Zig Ziglar says that most sales people are “professional visitors.” Does this describe you and/or your sales team? C’mon now…be honest. Does it?
There are a bunch of reasons why this happens, but the biggest is because sales people forget why they are there in the first place. (The second reason is fear/discomfort/guilt about asking for the sale.)
So why are you selling? Well, I’m going to answer that by first telling you what you are NOT primarily there to do while selling:
- Chit-chat
- To be liked
- To make friends
- Build rapport
- Give advice
- Help customers pick the right floor
- Do a Design Audit®
- Give them soda
- Give them cookies/snacks
- Measure the floors
- Show them samples
“Jim, what the $%#^&$# do you mean we’re not there to give advice?!
Or help customers? Or do a Design Audit? I think somebody put something funny in those cigars you like to smoke!”
Okay, hold your horses there, cowboy. I said that is not primarily what you are there to do. Your Primary, numero uno, fundamental reason for selling is to….
(drum roll, please)
…Make Money!!
All those things listed above SHOULD be done! The problem is that too many sales people do those as a substitute for selling. All those things should support and facilitate the sale (i.e. make money) not replace it.
Zig Ziglar says that when selling he keeps this thought in mind: “You’ve got my money in your pocket, and I’ve got your product in my briefcase, and I’m not leaving until we make the exchange.” That’s the kind of no-holds-barred, blood-n-guts attitude you and your sales team need to have about closing the sale.
Look, make friends, build rapport, help the customer, do the Design Audit…just never, ever, ever forget WHY you are doing those things.
To Tons Of Customers!
Jim Augustus Armstrong is The “Coach”
Jim Augustus Armstrong is the President of Flooring Success Systems, a program that equips dealers to double their profits, cut their work hours in half and beat the boxes! Many dealers have totally transformed their businesses and their lives for the better after joining Flooring Success Systems.
See what real, live dealers are saying!