Leaving you kid in the car is one of the many rules that Mattson has good salespeople follow. Yes, this is a sales tactic; no, this is not a literal child. Just so I can clear the air, leaving a kid in the car is dangerous and could cause a child harm. To what I am– and Mattson– are referring to is a metaphorical child. Mattson is referring to your inner child which is also known as your emotions. Salespeople should not be looking for the approval of the client or for acceptance. This is what is meant by leaving the “kid in the car”. As a salesman, I need to understand that I have a job to do and that acting like a child will result in an inability to do my job. I can think of times were coworkers of mine have acted childly in the food service industry and this has not led to anything good. If this was done in a large company, this could have had very bad consequences.
As salespeople, we need to check our emotions at the door when we enter a selling environment. A lot of us enter non-sales selling every day, but it is still very important to think about what we are trying to sell someone on and how to approach this from a mature manner before entering the conversation. Think about strategies on how to control your emotions and keep a level head while in the conversation. When an individual is flustered or nervous, their emotions can overtake their reason. It is important to practice these situations; while not every salesperson needs to practice an entire script before entering into a sales conversation, it is recommended to have a idea of how the conversation should operate, what you plan on discussing, and how to get back on track if you get way off topic. This does not mean neglect the other rules that we have been taught about building relationships, seeking the more intricate problem, or learning more information, but this does mean to know when to either cut off the conversation when a sale cannot or will not happen or to guide the conversation back to where you need it to go.
A child is not able to do these very well, if well at all. It is important for salespeople to remember this and work on “keeping the child in the car” whenever they enter a selling situation. This process takes time and practice so do not be discouraged by this you first few times selling: just keep practicing.
testacr22
Sales is so much about timing that I think you’re point about knowing when a sale cannot or should not happen is so important. I think when a salesperson can be aware of this, it builds credibility with the buyer, whether they move forward in a purchase or not.