Masonry Magazine January 1967 Page.16
SMOOTH SELLING
by George N. Kahn, Marketing Consultant
Copyright-George N. Kahn
GET ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR COMPANY
If I were a mathematician I would try to work out a formula to prove that the number of sales you make will depend on the amount of knowledge you have about your company.
I may not hit it on the nose, but I bet I could come pretty close.
A salesman cannot expect to sell effectively if he does not know his company and his product. Such ignorance can be compared to sailing a boat without a rudder. Company and product information are at the very foundation of good salesmanship.
Some of you doubting Thomases might say: "What about that fabulous salesman, Charlie Smith, who made a million just selling on the strength of his personality; or the great Jack Brown, who could charm an order from a sphinx?"
Personality and charm are fine attributes for a salesman, but they are not enough.
Customer Wants Facts
Today's customer wants facts about your firm. The buyer must be able to trust your advice and judgment based on those facts. The customer is not buying charm and personality; he is purchasing your product on the basis of what he knows about the producer.
The guy ahead of you may have given the prospect a thorough picture of his company and its product and services. You can expect the buyer to compare your offer with that of your competition.
As Les Ryson, sales manager for a chemical company, tells his men: "Remember, that prospect has got a scorecard in his head. Whenever you make your pitch, he is mentally adding up your points to see how they stack up with your competitor's."
Knowledge Inspires Confidence
Company knowledge plays a positive part in selling. A buyer feels more confidence in a salesman who demonstrates that he is familiar with his company's product, policies, price discounts, organization, credit procedures, key personnel and servicing practices. Your outfit may be a multi-million dollar corporation with an A-1 reputation. But to your prospect or customer 500 or 1,000 miles from headquarters, your company is you.
But let's forget about the prospect for a moment. I want to concentrate on you. Factual information about your company and product is bound to increase your confidence in yourself and make you a better salesman.
If you know your outfit is well organized, progressive and reliable, you'll feel better about working for it. A salesman can't do his best for a company he knows little or nothing about. It always gave me a good feeling to know that my firm was financially sound, well regarded and kept its word with both its salesmen and customers.
Selling the Company First
What should you know about your company? Experienced and successful salesmen I've discussed this matter with put these items at the top of their list:
1. History and development.
2. Size, including branches, divisions and other holdings or subsidiaries.
3. Financial structure. The buyer wants to know he's dealing with a sound firm.
4. Reputation. If you can truthfully boast about your company's reputation you've got a fine selling point.
5. Everything about the product, starting with the raw material.
6. Company's distribution system. Your firm's outlets should be ingrained in your mind.
7. Credit policies. Be sure you're right on this or you can be in hot water with both the customer and your boss.
8. Handling of orders. The salesman should know how the order is processed, routed, etc. He should also find out who at the plant is responsible for the processing, amount of inventory and the billing system.
Information Sources
This kind of data is available to the salesmen from several sources. They include sales training programs, sales conferences, plant tours, promotional literature, financial reports, employee publications, brochures, sales kits and manuals.
And don't forget the best source of all-the people in your company. Ask questions whenever you need information.
Plant tours, guided or unguided, are a must for the man who wants to build up his product and company knowledge.
An eastern sales manager compels his men to visit the factory at least twice a year. The trip is then discussed at a subsequent sales meeting attended by the heads of other departments.
Your company's annual financial report is easily available and will take only an hour of your time to read and digest it.
If you're just breaking in with a firm, ask old customers what they think of it. Chances are that you'll get a flock of endorsements that you can profitably use with prospects. I always found my regular customers eager to plug the firm.
Here is a self-survey to find out if you do know your company and are using the information to help you make sales. If you can answer "yes" to nine or more questions, you're moving toward success.
Have You Met Your Company?
1. Do you really read company literature, manuals given you?
Yes No
2. If a prospect stumps you with a question about your firm, do you do anything about it?
Yes No
3. Are you interested in the operation of other departments?
Yes No
4. Have you ever visited the production line at your company?
Yes No
5. Could you this minute describe your firm's distribution system?
Yes No
6. Do you have a pretty good idea of your outfit's financial structure?
Yes No
7. Can you honestly tell a prospect how his order will be handled? Yes No
8. Do you know your firm's inventory on products you sell?
Yes No
9. Do you feel customers have confidence in you?
Yes No
10. Do you keep a file on company data?
Yes
No
11. Do you worry about not having enough knowledge about your firm?
Yes No
12. Do you know the actual size of your company?
Yes
No
16
masonry
Nov./Dec., 1967