Masonry Magazine September 1966 Page. 21
THE SELLING PARADE
by Charles B. Roth, America's no. 1 salesmanship authority
The Selling Parade by Charles B. Roth is another new feature added by Masonry. Watch for it in all future issues of the magazine for the entire Masonry Industry. Cut out this article and future articles and place them in your business file for further reference.
Notice-And Think
Among the last good ideas Herbert N. Casson, noted British writer, sent forth to help salesmen improve their lives, was a three-word seminar on salesmanship that I think could very well be his monument "NOTICE AND THINK."
Because I think that a salesman who wants to use his imagination more fully in creating sales simply has to adopt this Casson rule as a way of life, I want to give you a few of his thoughts on why it is so important for every salesman to "NOTICE AND THINK."
"Most of us, salesmen included, do not see a tenth of what goes on around us," he began. "We live out our days, conscious of only part of the larger existence that comprises the world's existence.
"We don't notice enough. There are prospects everywhere that we do not recognize because we don't notice. During every interview there are opportunities for us to close the sale but we pass them up because we don't notice.
"Wake up, man. Begin noticing more. You are in a wonderful world of thoughts, new ideas, excitements-but you are like a man sitting in a room looking at a TV set which isn't turned on. You see nothing but blankness because you haven't trained yourself to notice more!"
As to thinking: "When you have noticed something-gotten a clue-you need to take the next step in the formula: you need to think of what the clue means, how you can capitalize on it to make sales.
"I do believe that this short rule-NOTICE AND THINK-if a salesman would take it to heart, make it a part of his daily life, would help him as much as anything else he could do to realize his dreams and ambitions in selling."
To notice, then to think that is to apply the process of imagination as it needs to be applied, so NOTICE AND THINK.
More Sell In Your Voice
Two salesmen talk. One wins the attention, holds the attention of the prospect. The other does not. One makes the sale. The second fellow does not.
Yet they have the same presentation, word for word, offering the same merchandise. Why did one fail, the other succeed?
The chances are that it was a question of the amount of "sell" each had in his voice. For the voice to a real salesman is a money-making selling tool. Words are important; ideas are important; also important, ranking in importance with the words and ideas is the voice.
Here I am going to give you some standard suggestions for putting more sell into your voice:
FIRST WAY: Always speak with enthusiasm. Ever so many salesmen overlook this. They have good stories. But a lot of good it does them: they never get their stories across because they lack enthusiasm.
SECOND WAY: Keep it changing and lively and avoid monotony. Take a leaf from the telephone companies who advise their operators to put a smile in their voice by putting a smile on their face. Study words with life -watch your verbs; verbs are the only action words, you know.
ANOTHER: Talk with emphasis. You put emphasis into talk by raising or lowering the pitch for contrast. You also put emphasis into your voice by varying your time-bold or stretch important words-pause before and after a key phrase to make the phrase stand out.
AND THIS: Talk relaxed. Don't make it a penance for the prospect to listen to you because you are breathless and hurried. Don't drawl but don't race your motor. Just talk in an un-hurried but varied tone of voice.
Put The Customer Intc The Picture
To make sure your presentation will get the results you want it to get, make it a point to put the prospect into the picture right from the start.
Most of the faulty presentations I have studied have made their error right here they have presented the goods, they have made sales points clearly, they have woven in impressive benefits and proofs. They have still failed, because they have not made the presentation from the prospect's point of view and for his benefit.
Some of them have left that for the last; done their beautiful merchandising presentation job first. Cut the first thing to do is put the prospect into the picture. Let the other things come along later, but get him up there-first.
Suggestions: Be more personal with your prospects. Talk to them in terms of their everyday needs and life.
Cut out this article and future articles and place them in your business file for further reference.
All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER 1966 CHARLES ROTH.
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