Evan Carmichael Top Header about About About facebook Twitter YouTube Google+

Sales and Up-Selling is No Joke


Guest post by: Don Doman
Become an Author

Free PDF Download
Five Attributes of Entrepreneurs - By Don Doman

Name: Email:


Everyday in addition to the basic spam of email, friends send me jokes. Some are funny, some are not. Those that are truly funny have a nugget of wisdom or enlightenment within. Here's a story that I like and it not only makes sense, but delivers a common sense sales message that we can all learn from. And, that's no laughing matter.

A young guy from South Dakota moves to Florida and goes to a big "everything under one roof" department store looking for a job. The Manager says, "Do you have any sales experience?" The kid says, "Yea, I was a salesman back in South Dakota."

Well, the boss liked the kid and gave him the job. "You start tomorrow. I'll come down after we close and see how you did."

His first day on the job was rough but he got through it. After the store was locked up the boss came down.

"How many customers bought something from you today?

The kid says, "One".

The boss says, "Just one? Our sales people average 20 to 30 customers a day. How much was the sale for?"

The kid says, "$101,237.65".

The boss says, "$101,237.65!!" What the heck did you sell?"

The kid says, "First I sold him a small fishhook. Then I sold him a medium fishhook. Then I sold him a larger fishhook. Then I sold him a new fishing rod. Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast, so I told him he was going to need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him a twin engine cabin cruiser. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to the automotive department and sold him that 4x4 Expedition. Ah, that was all."

The boss said, "A guy came in here to buy a fishhook and you sold him a BOAT and a TRUCK?"

The kid said, "No the guy came in here to buy Tampons for his wife and I said, "Dude, your weekend's shot - you should go fishing."

In sales, like in life one thing leads to another. It's simple. If we know our customers, we can help them. There's an educational video series on sales called The Principles of Sales and Marketing: The Power of Ethical Selling. The series outlines the principles that should underlie all sales and marketing transactions. Each program contains solid advice and concrete lessons that teach effective skills. My favorite is called Keep It Simple, which is really the essence of sales and up-selling.

"Customers are constantly bombarded with all kinds of information, misinformation, or jargon, which is used to cover for the absence of information. The successful salesperson is the one who can communicate most directly and simply the benefits to the customer of the product or service being offered. This program explains the advantages of keeping things simple, how to find an information level at which to work with customers, how salespeople can develop a better understanding of their own product, and how they can communicate their own knowledge effectively to their customers."
-- Informational copy from Keep It Simple

The more we talk to our clients and interact, the better we can serve them. And the better we can serve them, the more chance we have of seeing customer satisfaction. Happy customers mean we are successful and will be rewarded.

When the punch line is the bottom line, sales and up-selling is no joke.


Related Articles

  More on Upselling
  Profit Boosting Tip - Always Upsell to your customers
  30 Seconds to Significant Sales - How to upsell without turning off your customer
  Add Up-selling and Cross-selling to Your Sale Cycle
  How to increase sales by upselling
  Upselling
  Upselling Again
  The Dirty Joke's On YOU!
  Why Your Old Sales Strategy Isn't Working
  The System of Selling
  Upselling to Loyal Customers
  Joke or No Joke
  Hugh Hefner Roast
  Why is a Salesperson like a Refrigerator
  Welcoming Speech for Guest by the Host
  5 Financial Mistakes that Can Put You Out of Business
  5 Financial Mistakes That Can Put You Out of Business -- And How to Avoid Them
  Examining Rudimentary Aspects In Joke
  Those idiots in sales just don’t get it
  5 Easy Ways to Upsell Your Products and Services

Home > Human-Resources > Don Doman > Sales and UpSelling is No Joke >

Free PDF Download
Five Attributes of Entrepreneurs - By Don Doman

Name: Email:

About the Author: Don Doman

RSS for Don's articles - Visit Don's website
Don Doman is a published author of self-help books on small business. He and his wife own Ideas and Training, which supplies business training products to organizations around the world. Don and Peg also own and operate PNW Video Productions, which produces video productions for distribution and internet viewing.
Click here to visit Don's website.
Dashed Line

More from Don Doman
Make Your Business Training Program a Mighty River
Business Drive is Par for the Course
Shackled to Our Own Ideas
Setting An Example For Success One Foot At A Time
Problems with Hiring the Turncoat

Related Forum Posts

Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
Hello From Marietta GA! Hello From Marietta GA!
taxes in canada taxes in canada
Re: "How to Cold Call a Big Customer" Re: "How to Cold Call a Big Customer"

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
Share for a Cause



Worksheets
By: Evan Carmichael

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

8 Powerful Steps to Finding Your Passion

Does your pitch suck?

Create a plan of attach to launch your new business.

8-Cover

Like this page? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Bottom Footer



Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

Landscape Your Way to Success with a Metaphor

How to Develop Your Book’s Structure

Mission and Vision Essentials

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.