A few weeks ago, I did an all-campus cookie fundraiser for missions. My staff would bake and delivery a warm chocolate chip cookie right to your door for $1, or $10 for a dozen. It was only supposed to run for two hours, but things ended up going way better than expected. The problem was I had people texting me with cookie orders when the posters went up- about a week in advance. So it happened a few times where my team would slave over a dozen freshly baked cookies only to deliver them to a room who had either forgotten or the roommate who made the order wasn’t there. It went a little like this:
“Hello! I have cookies!” “…. I see that. That’s great for you.” “… I had an order for a dozen cookies to be delivered to this room?” “Well, that wasn’t me.” Awkward. So being the sales person I am, I don’t just walk away with my delicious cookies. They are right here. Accessible to this happenstance prospect. And wafting chocolately goodness all over the room. (That scent alone might be better at sales than I am!) Do I start talking features and benefits of the cookies? I could have probably gone on about the love that was poured into them in addition to all the butter. I could have asked for the order or tried to persuade her. But instead I waited a moment and left it in her hands with a question: “So, now what should I do with all these cookies?” And you know what happened? She looked at the cookies, and looked at me, and she gave up. She handed me $10 and had herself a little feast. When the prospect “gives up”- it is a mutual decision for a positive sale. Asking for the order is just like begging for the prospect to agree with you. There is more respect and more satisfaction on both ends when you allow the prospect to make the first move. Or perhaps take the first bite.
BoweryJE22
that’s an interesting story that puts the customer in a unique position. this could be a tactic if you really wanted to work at it to get more sales.