Masonry Magazine September 1973 Page. 10
SMOOTH SELLING
by George N. Kahn, Marketing Consultant
HOW MUCH FARTHER ARE YOU
When asked why his troops were not moving ahead more rapidly, a Union general replied: "I'm not so much concerned about how fast we move but how much farther we are."
He meant, of course, that speed and progress are not always the same thing. And they are not always the same thing for the salesman. He may make twenty calls a day and still be making no real gains. He may be able to run through his presentation in five minutes and yet leave the buyer unmoved.
Of course a salesman should work as swiftly as he can, but there is something even more important. He must make sure that each step counts. Each hour spent with a prospect or customer should improve that relationship. The once-over-lightly salesman often leaves very little behind him to which he can return. Let's explore this idea further.
Burned Bridges
The old saw about burning bridges behind one is highly applicable to salesmen. An initial order is only the start of a relationship with a customer, not the end of one.
Before he leaves the buyer's office, the salesman should be fully satisfied that he has done everything for the man that he is able to do. A quickly snapped briefcase and a hurried good-by may speed you to your next call but what about the present one? Don't you want to sell this customer again? Don't you want to build him up into one of your top accounts? If you are serious about selling you certainly do.
Therefore, remain with the customer a few minutes after the sale. Talk to him about his problems and needs. Find out what the competition has been offering. Discuss future needs with him. In other words, keep that bridge between you intact, You will want to walk over it again some-time.
Advance Work
The salesman has an "advance agent" in the form of advertising and promotion his company has carried out. A prospect will often know something about the man's firm, even though he doesn't know the seller.
But the salesman must do some advance work on his own.
He must spend some time developing his presentation and learning about his product. He must also study his competitor's approach, technique and sales advantages. He should also work out travel routes so he can cover a maximum amount of territory in a given day.
The salesman who dashes out on his rounds with no thought to preparation may log a lot of miles on his speedometer, but how far really will he have gone?
Bigger Territory
A bigger territory may be a prestige symbol but it doesn't fool anyone who knows about selling. This is like a man who is shopping for a suit and nods agreement when the clerk suggests he try on a $250 suit. The man can't afford the garment but he feels his status is enhanced just by putting it on. Meanwhile, of course, he has lost valuable time and opportunity in getting the suit he can afford.
Keep Momentum
Each time you snare a big order you must, at the same time, think of the next one. Customers, who seem safely in the fold, should be cultivated as if they were fresh prospects.
Phil Casey, a synthetic shoe sole salesman, keeps what he calls a "Smugness Chart." Whenever he is feeling too satisfied with himself he lists on the chart the orders he should be getting but is not. Occasionally he will ask his wife to remind him when he is getting too smug.
"This way," Phil said, "I don't let myself get into a frame of mind that makes me lazy or sloppy in my work."
Momentum should also be maintained on a daily basis. If one order is garnered, go on to the next call with equal determination. Don't even stop to congratulate yourself along the way.
You might forget your next presentation.
Seek The Moon
Many salesmen settle for far less than they could get. They have the potential to become big earners; instead they hit a peak of $10,000 or $12,000 a year and think they have done their best.
Every salesman who is worth his salt should have an open-end ambition. How far he goes depends on his energy, effort and grasp of the selling idea. He need not stop at $10,000, $15,000 or $25,000. He can go after the bigger stake.
Re-Checking Goals
A salesman's goals may get a bit hazy from time to time. He may have suffered a setback which left him disorganized. Or he may have changed jobs frequently in, say, a five-year period. Or perhaps his goals were never very clear to start with.
In any such event a man should re-examine or re-check his goals. He should ask himself where he wants to be in five, ten or twenty years. This way he can plan his future and come to a realization of the steps he must take and the sacrifices he must make to attain his objectives. Nothing will come to him by wishing or hoping. Life is much too demanding for that.
That's the story then. Speed is a desirable quality but only if it's coupled with progress and achievement. It's not how fast you go but how far.
How far are you going? If you can answer "yes" to at least seven questions it's safe to predict that you are going far indeed.
1. When you leave a customer are you satisfied that he is completely satisfied?
Yes No
2. Do you do "advance" work by developing and perfecting your presentation?
Yes No
3. Do you at least try to sell the tough ones?
Yes No
4. Have you realized the maximum potential of your territory?
Yes No
5. Do you maintain momentum in selling?
Yes No
6. Are your horizons unlimited?
Yes No
7. Do you regularly re-examine your goals?
Yes No
8. Do you utilize all your faculties in selling:
Yes No
9. Do you make sure that each step counts in your work?
Yes No
10. Are you now where you wanted to be five years ago?
Yes No
You Can't Fire Without Ammunition
You Are A Goodwill Salesman, Tos
Closing The Sale
How To Set Up An Interview
Resting Between Rounds
The Competition
Taking A Risk
Playing The Short Game
Selling An Idea
Buying Committees Are Here To Stay
The Automated Salesman
Samples Can't Talk
The Unexpected Letter
Prospect or Perish
How To Dislodge A Prospect From An Existing Supplier
Making Salesmen of Customers
Repeat Orders Are Not Accidental
Room At The Top
You Must Give More To Get More
Running Into The Rude Bayer