Do not be a Josh…..

It was a dull rainy-day last spring break, so my friend and I said, “ah what the heck? Let’s go furniture shopping”. But our ordinary furniture shopping for our apartment turned into something we will never forget. We walk into the store and immediately a man with an iPad comes over and goes, “Hi my name is Josh, we have 50% off recliners bla bla bla”, I zoned out quickly. As ninety percent of customers do, we simply told him that we are just looking around and we will let him know if we have any questions. Easy enough. We head towards the living room area and the man with the iPad comes over again and starts pitching to us how great this white couch is and then starts pitching the black couch then the brown couch etc. My friend and I really started to become annoyed by Josh with the iPad. Every single aisle we went down the man was always right there to start spouting off about how great everything is. I did not care what color the lamps came in nor did I even need a lamp. He never once asked how we were doing, what we were looking for, or trying to find our “pain”. Another salesman came over and started pitching to my friend and I; but Josh stepped right in and told him to get lost because we were “his buyers”. That was awkward. My friend and I made a bolt for the door and almost ran into another sales guy; moral of the story is we are never going back there and we never bought furniture…..

             This memory popped right into my head when Professor Sweet started discussing unanswered questions and psychology of sales. Instead of the salesman, Josh, digging for my friend and I’s pain or trying to get to know us he just spouted off. He did not engage in conversation, he did not listen, he did not even try to get to know my friend and I. Josh did not show that he cared what my friend and I needed or just shut up and listen to us. Josh just became the typical salesman everyone sees in the movies. This also leads right into rule fourteen which is, a prospect who is listening is no prospect at all. When someone is selling, they need to put the customer first; figure out what the customers likes, dislikes and really dig for the pain. No pain, no sell. Instead of thrusting right into the products the salesman needs to take a step back and ask leading questions and use leading words that can help direct the conversation to wear it needs to go. Sweet explained that selling is listening and not interrupting but asking more questions. The buyer – seller relationship needs to be built with truth and integrity. If someone like Josh just keeps talking, then no one is going to want to buy because it creates that awkwardness and frustration of just leave me alone. Salespeople need to not just assume but ask questions. Do not be like Josh from the furniture store. Be a salesperson that cares about the customers pain and use that pain to be solved with a product or service.