Everyone knows stories of how a vendor ... well and then it comes!
Last week I spoke to a relation who spontaneously shared his experience at a large furniture chain (not in Amersfoort ;-)). He told me that he and his wife came especially to look at chairs they had seen online. After the seating was approved, only the color remained to be determined. The saleswoman, who joined them after a long wait, indicated that they could also just order online when the couple hiccupped on two colors. If the color wasn't right, they could return the chairs in no time. On the way back in the car, the chairs were ordered. Online... only with another company, because not only were they €70 cheaper, they could deliver within a week.
My relation told it with the comment that the company could very well use sales training. Indeed, had the saleswoman gone ahead and asked for the order, she would have scored it. The couple would then never have looked further online. The path to online ordering was the ‘well-intentioned tip’ that caused sales to fall elsewhere.
The Internet seems to be overtaking many businesses left and right as customers easily buy online. Yet it is often the traditional companies that by their own choice lay the breeding ground under this. One hires cheap salespeople because “it saves so much on costs.” Or the training of the sales team stops after all the product information has been transferred. After all, investing more in people is not necessary - people learn to sell on the shop floor.
As my relation's story also shows, the human link makes all the difference! Where saving on qualified personnel seems smart on paper the difference often pays off negatively. Whether people make private or business purchases they want attention! People want personal interest in the challenge where the product or service they are buying can make the difference. Product knowledge is necessary but in itself insufficient. Sales Skills are essential to making a difference.
A good salesperson (m/f) can:
We all know stories of sellers like my relation shared. Some may be even more extreme. If you, as a Content member, are now scratching your head and wondering whether such stories about your sales team could get out into the world, let's do the Sales Scan. Through this no-obligation scan you will get a good mirror in front of you and immediately beautiful insights.
My name is Anthon Geersing and I welcome you to The SalesCenter! We develop your sales team into proactive sales people, who connect well with customers, work more effectively and successfully!
The above article was written as a contribution for Content Amersfoort as part of Content XL Pencil
