Here’s Round 2 of the stories my friend Debbi Bressler sent me.
A guy and his wife walk down from their NYC condo to a restaurant for Sunday brunch.
Two little elderly ladies are seated next to them.
Waiter: Hi ladies ! Can I start you with some soup ?
Little Lady: That would be great ! What are the soups of the day ?
Waiter: Well, we have chicken noodle and vegetable right now. Our really good soup won’t be ready for another hour.
Little Lady: ………… ( speechless).
Okay. So the guy doesn’t have a career in sales ahead of him. But what would you say to that … besides:
” Okay thanks. I’ll be back in an hour. “
Again, why do salespeople, and waiters are salespeople, cast doubt, confusion and anger into a situation containing a prospect ?
Again, the answer is, they don’t. Not everybody in sales is a salesperson. Just as not everybody who walks into a garage is a car.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
All too common, these stories. I always thought that sales was mainly common sense, but is that a big oversimplification?
Hey Brad – Sales and common sense, heaped together with a big spoon of compliments, nit flattery, some psychology and a few other traits is a really good start at building a salesperson.
From a company perspective these are probably not the best, but from the customer perspective they gained my confidence by telling the truth.
Personally, I would probably return to get the soup at another time, rather then being mad that it wasn’t ready; grateful for the truth.
With the bed, I might consider leaving my name and telling them to call when a good price comes up. They created a partnership.
See the thing is, if I buy the expensive mattress and then see it for cheaper elsewhere I never return, but maybe now they start a relationship that says we are a team both parties can benefit.
Now if you combine your thoughts and mine in a salesman, I think we have a winning combination.
Hey Rock,
It takes all kinds, so I’m glad those work for you, but neither situation or circumstance works for me … or I’d have written it that way
Thanks for stopping by and taking time to comment.
So you would rather have salesman that treat you like a transaction and tell you anything to get sale? The old ignorance is bliss approach.
I am just confused as to what you would have liked the salesman to do? Share the vision.
It seems reasonable to me for them to say, I can sell you the bed at this price now, but they do go on sale often so I am willing to take you number and let you know next time it goes on sale.
I think you’re missing our point, which is this ~
Never say more than is necessary. The salesperson didn’t have to mention the fact that there would be another, BETTER, soup in an hour. That’s TMI and leads to unhappy customers.
The ladies might have been pickled tink to have either of the soups that were immediately available, but you will never know unless you offer it to them and see what they think.
Say a little, listen a lot.
As for the mattresses, again, the salesperson gained nothing by giving away TMI. NOTHING, but anger, resentment and broken dreams.
If they didn’t buy at the price, THEN you offer to take their name and call ‘em IF it goes on sale.
Again, say a little, listen a lot.
The first things I’d have asked is ~
Have you been looking at mattresses very long ?
What prices have you seen so far ?
Why do you want a new mattress ?
Are there any features that make you think you’d like them ?
But telling them they missed a sale by a few hours would never leave my lips.
Never.
I understand where Rock is coming from , but I have to say, I disagree.
I cannot think of a circumstance under which I have gone shopping for a larger ticket item and haven’t asked the salesman whether it was going on sale any time soon.
Either way, the big moron in the mattress sale was the manager who felt that he should express how disgruntled he is with a total stranger. Whether it is warranted or not, it is just unprofessional.
As for the waiter, I am pretty sure that the way he could have handled it was to a) give the soup options, b) serve the clients that he is supposed to serve AND then ask them how they liked the soup.
At this point, if they liked it his response should be “if you liked that , you HAVE to try THIS next time”
If they weren’t happy, the answer is ” well it is too bad that XYZ soup was not ready, I am sure that you would love it”
Either way , he has set himself up to invite a client back for a return engagement without disappointing them before they begin to eat.
This isn’t rocket science.
I reccomend reading a good sales book…you will discover that salesmanship is not rocket science but is a lot of common sense.
Hey John,
Not sure who you are addressing with that comment. Is it myself or Mr.Happy?
I agree Jamie. Setting people up for disappointment leads to, um…disappointment. Who’da thunk it.