When I speak to salespeople, I often ask them how ready they are to make a sale right now. I almost always get an answer to the effect of, “I was born ready!” Then I will ask them for a clean business card (not a wrinkled one that has been in their wallet for too long). Too often I am told that they are: in the car, on my desk, in my purse or that they ran out. I will then ask them to write something down. You will be amazed how many will ask to borrow my pen! I’ll ask, “You weren’t expecting to write today?” They may have been born ready, but they sure haven’t stayed that way!
Our customers want to purchase. Every sales person has a product or service that they want to sell. There is an old line stating that the best way to keep a job is to show up on time ready to work. I would like to add that the best way to make a sale is to be prepared to sell!
When a customer senses that you aren’t prepared, her confidence begins to fade. You may as well say “I wasn’t expecting you”, or “I care… just not that much.”
They say that champions don’t do one thing a 100% better; they do a hundred things 1% better than their competition. Being prepared to sell is a great place to begin gaining an advantage on yours.
Tom Jennings
