Selling Cinnamon Rolls

In a mock sales conversation, I learned so much about selling, and not just cinnamon rolls. I went into the conversation with a paper, knowing the exact list of questions I was going to ask and the order I was going to ask them. I knew how I was going to wrap up the conversation and how I was going to make sure my customer felt cared for. The preparation was important. At any stalling moment I had a question I could ask to get to know my customers situation better. I had an idea of what I wanted out of the conversation and a general idea of how to reach that end. I realized I was working with a real person though. Things are unpredictable, and my customer liked throwing a couple curve balls (cough Lizzy cough.)

Improvising is something that is so important and not because it helps you avoid a stall in the conversation but because you can then adapt to what the customer wants out of the conversation and how they want to reach that end. Listening is vital. Being flexible and awareness are too takeaways I took from the conversation as well. Lizzy said her coffee shop wanted gluten free cinnamon rolls, and instead of showing the customer is right away by abandoning all other topics, I stuck with my original old-fashioned Grandma cinnamon rolls. Sales moves with the customer, it has to be flexible to change whenever. I learned the importance of stopping pursuing what I want and instead dropping all for the customer. Now, the customer does not always want what they think they want so it is important to knowing the difference of genuine need and supposed need. Finally, the importance of awareness is necessary in selling. At the beginning I opened my conversation saying I’d be happy to end this sale if it is not what Lizzy was looking for. Although this can be an valid tactic, it is more important not to go on robot mode with one’s script and instead be aware of the customer and our setting and adjust to that. So in other words, you have to roll with it.