What Is Salesmanship ?

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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