The question of the day!
Since I know my head and my mum put me in her shop to sell I knew: "I LOVE THIS". But selling in a shop where people pass by on big occasions mainly and same ones too, or selling a company's services +/- products are different things. Isn't it? Yes, but still there is one thing that's the same and that's YOU, the person selling.
For a while I am stuck with this selling issue and a matter of fact it is an issue, a huge one. Why? Because there is a huge difference when you provide something that's needed and also give that little extra with it (such as your excitement, a smile etc.) and when you "JUST SELL"...
A lots of companies wonder, why is that their products aren't selling or nothing goes as it should be?
Let's take some examples of my facts which I hope will be useful:
Case 1.: The highlight of my sales career was when I had to jump in at Selfridges in London at David Clulow's to be the extra. Omg that was a waooo. And I guess it is because it was Boxing day and I had no clue who they are, what they do, what am I going to do there and I wasn't even certain that I'll survive the day :)))).
I got there, had no idea which way is in our out from that building and the crowd was massive. Got lost like 2 times and late with half an hour (thanks for the briefing I got over the phone in 10 minutes). But finally when I arrived, everyone told me just to relax and let's get down to work. Get it??? No pressure, just do your job. I started to look around, and was so scared of my manager (who turned out to be an awesome person at the end of the day) that I felt like running out of the building.
Then things started to buzz, and after watching for half an hour who is doing what from the perms I started to sell and offer everyone as mad without the smooching. I was so excited that I even wanted to show premium, expensive and locked up glasses for everyone and hardly could swallow that I had no access to them :))).
One of my colleagues, on site, was sent home after 1 hour because he was just standing around, thinking he was selling. I got a shock, but frankly I considered it a wise decision after watching him going from one closet to the other and not even smiling once. At the end of the day I got a business card from Greek gentleman, I had an amazing chat with a lovely guy, who ended up buying two sun glasses and my sales were over target with 50%. I was standing in a 15 cm tall high heel for about 4 hours, and I said to myself "Whoever said that high heels are for work was an a*"...
What made a very badly started day to finish so well?
The fact that my manager and supervisor understood that I am a human too, they were not afraid of telling me off and praising me either plus they believed that I can do it and provided me all the necessary tools to give a great service (ex. helping me out when stuck with product information, and pointing me out exclusive benefits of certain products that actually people are/ might be looking for).
Case 2: working for Biotherm. I got there, had no clue who they are, there is no one to brief you about a routine day and well you get a thick map with all the necessary "literature" plus the fact that you work on target and alone on your shop's floor. Imagine, when on the second day you get on the train realizing you're in trainers and your work trouser breaks apart on you whilst leaning down to get a product sample for the customer... Didn't reach my target in any of my days. Not proud, but given the circumstances I was glad to make sales.
Now watch this: the firm is renting a space in a department store, in a small town, people have no clue who they are (asked about 50 people and 2 of them said love their products rest was something like: "Oh I see them always when I pass by and I guess they are selling beauty products. But too expensive...") and you end up handing samples out and explaining what benefits they have, in what form they come, where else they can be found and you really pray inside yourself that someone will actually try it and talk about it.
The biggest issue here was that people didn't know much or anything at all about the company and its' products. I as a new starter apart from samples had nothing in hand to provide people a demonstration, plus I have been also asked to not to hand out to much of the samples either so that they have it for later... I don't blame anyone and to a certain point yes you can't always hand out samples, but that whole business was just messed up right there where it was. Turnover of customers wasn't big, I wasn't motivated and I learned more about the product within a day then ever from anything for what? To get to the conclusion that someone either wants that "boat" to sink, or has no clue how to market/ sell or doesn't actually give a shit what's happening there. Whichever it is a very very bad approach and won't bring you forward. Yes, your loyal customers will come back to buy from you, but what if your business isn't growing and one by one you'll loose them too?
Case 4: Selling your services. Here I won't give any specific company names, there are to many too and the main point is on selling something that others need, they can't touch it but certainly want that it improves their lives. I was sent to meetings where I had nothing in my hand from the companies I worked with, where the CEOs of the companies I went to looked like the head of a gangster band, and also spoke to CEOs who were just like me, simple people, with great ideas, but of course with more money and more action in their lives. One thing I saw in each department I worked in is that once you actually find a service that lives up for itself without the need of selling a product with it, from that fact sales people tend to loose their ethics and they sell the service/ product as crazy, but once sold life stops there... Kind of no one seems to want to take responsibility of rolling things as fast and as well forward as before sales.
Sales ethics... what an interesting combination of words, isn't it ? ... and yet some just don't seem to get it.
No back to the point and to the highlight of this article: What makes a good sales person? It is actually very simple: YOU, a good work ethic, healthy company culture (where you know what your job is and understand the fact that we are all humans at the end of the day), right tools, supportive colleagues, a big enthusiasm, patience, to be organized & talkative & honest and have a bright (natural) smile on your face and take responsibility to your actions.
Whether it is you selling or you want someone to do the job don't forget that to be good in any position inclusive sales, depends on both parties. I believe that everything can be done by everyone. It all depends on the person's approach to learn & develop and the company's approach to actually believe in their employees abilities & capabilities of doing the right "stuff", plus providing the necessary tools & support to achieve their goals professionally.
Don't expect from someone to sell all your stock if it is not needed by your customers (check your previous sales figures and keep up with trends),
* provide clearly understandable and fair salary/ commission system (don't give commission to your administrator every month just because she is putting the invoices in your system, perhaps end of year bonus if the company does well);
* make sure your employees and even your colleagues look forward to go to work (involve them in actions that help you and them too to build strategies that brings you all together, closer to the "big picture"). At the end of the day it is you 5, 10, 15 or even more of you at the company from whom it depends what's up and that your environment gets a very good buzz about it too.
Ohhhhh and I almost forgot: your employees will be scared talking to you about their ideas, specially if you were not quite honest and/ or open at the beginning, so have faith + patient (but not for eternity) and check what you need to improve in yourself to gain their trust back and keep things rolling.
DON@T forget: IF YOU ARE HAPPY YOU'LL MAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY AND THEY'LL MAKE YOU HAPPIER, BUT IF YOU F* IT UP, YOU MIGHT DO THAT FOR GOOD, VERY FAST ...