Have you ever had a customer buy WAY more product than he needs ? What would you do ? Would you leave him to his own devices, or would you hunker down and help ?
What if he had bought 10 times more than he could use in a year ? Then what would you do ?
Would you try to forget the whole thing, try and justify letting them drown in the pool of their mistake ?
Would you take back some of the surplus ? Or would you get in there and help that customer find new avenues for selling the surplus ?
I’d choose that route and here’s why.
If you can help the customer sell 10 times more than they need once, there’s a good chance that they’ll be able to sell somewhere close to that amount again.
They’ll also feel a unique bond with you, which should parlay into more sales in the future.
And you can use that same avenue with other customers in other areas and hopefully put a strain on your manufacturing division and become a sales hero.
The last time I had the good fortune to have a customer buy WAY too much product, I checked into a hotel and worked with them every day for a week.
Wrote new ads, built displays, came up with a few promotions, called radio stations and worked the phones and sales desk.
Within a week, we had sold all his stock. The customer was relieved and I was enlightened.
I’ve oversold several customers since then. Then I moved in and moved the product out the door !
THAT is salesmanship.
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