Be An Idea Guy
I came to their organization as a stranger to their town and to their industry. That didn’t matter to me. I was coming to win. In 6 months I was #2 or #3 every month. 12 months in I was #1 and stayed there 10 out of every 12 months for 7 years.
“Find out what the heck that boy is doing and teach it to all our other salesmen.” That’s what the CEO told my boss, the VP of Sales.
So he rode with me for a week. Ate lunch when I ate, listened to all my calls and went home, although a couple hours before I did. He knew what it was about me just before lunchtime on the first day. He was pretty good, too. But not as good as me.
I am an IDEA GUY.
“I have an idea for you…”, that’s how I started calls with my customers. “An idea that will help you use more of our products and make you more money. Good for both of us. Can we grab a quick bite of lunch and I’ll run it by you ?” I started looking for a lunch buddy about 9:00 am everyday. Monday thru Friday. Some days I ate twice. I have eaten 3 lunches in one day, just to run the same idea by 3 different customers.
I never lacked for a lunch partner. My boss asked why that was so important to me. “Beacause I don’t like to eat alone”, I’d tell him. The real reason was, and is, that I know that in order for you to build your network of contacts, you have to WORK at never eating alone. I made a game out of it. Kinda made it fun, fighting to find someone to network with. Building that web of friends. Wider and deeper, every day.
Sometimes the idea wasn’t what they had in mind, but other times it worked like a charm. Some of those guys still call me today, 10 years and two cities later.
They felt like I was on their sides and looking out for them and their business. I was. Their success was my success.
“Selling ideas is easier than selling bricks and blocks”, I told him. “All I have to do is come up with an idea and I get to sit down with them for an hour or so.” “What’s so great about that ?”, he asked. “At some point during that hour or hour and a half, they’re going to feel like they owe me a favor and give me an order. If not then, the next time they sign a contract, they’ll remember our lunch, my idea and give me an order. ”
“Whatever”, he said. And then he went back and told the CEO that I was just lucky.
Luck comes when preparation and opportunity intersect. I just make sure to give it plenty of chances.
I spend time each day and night thinking of ways for my customers to make more money using my products.
I also have a phrase or two that I use EVERY time I meet with a customer.
Maybe, if you’re LUCKY, I’ll tell you what they are.
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