Sales Success Tip-The Customer is Not Always Right
Sales Success Tip-The Customer is Not Always Right
A man (customer) walks into a car dealership. He is immediately greeted by a salesperson who asks, "Good morning! How are you?" "What brings you in today?" (Notice, he did NOT say the sales killer phrase you hear at almost every story you ever go into.) "Well," said the customer, "I am looking for a truck." "Great!" exclaimed the salesman. "I'm certain that you'll find one that will be just what you want." "And I already know what I want. A 2007 "xyz" truck." "I see, " said the salesman. "I can certainly see why you would like that truck. It's a great one. And in demand too. So much so that I'm afraid we don't have any left and we won't be getting any in for about 2 weeks." "Apparently," said the customer. "This is the third dealership I've been to today and it's the same everywhere. The other dealerships put me on a list and said they would let me know when the new shipment comes in. Will you do that for me?"
Now, this is where the story takes a different road. You would expect a "good" sales person to do as the customer asked and hope that his shipment arrives before the others. But not this guy. He understood that we have to give our customers what they want, but sometimes they are entirely aware of what they want! I'll explain a bit further.
This particular salesman said. "I'll be glad to do that for you, but before I do, may I ask you a few questions?" Ah yes, those wonderful magical questions. "Just for curiosity, what exactly are the features of the 2007 Tundra that you like so much?" The customer named about or 8 features that were what drew him to the vehicle. I won't list all of them because I don't want to bore you and also because I don't remember what they were! That's not the point. The point is that our salesman whipped out a sheet of paper and began taking notes. When he was sure he had all the features that were important to his customer, (How did he know…because he asked!) he invited him outside to the lot where he stood next to a 2006 model of the same truck.
"Now," said the salesman, "let me make sure I got everything." He then went down the list that the customer had just given him. The customer responded, "Yes, I think that's about it." Now, here's what the salesman said. "Mr. Customer, this truck has every single feature that you described to me." "And," he said, "it has two very important features that the 2007 model doesn't." "Really," said the customer, "what are those?" "It's here on the lot today, ready to be driven off and it's $2000 less than the 2007." Bam! Done deal! Less than an hour later, the customer drove off in a new 2006 truck that was everything he wanted and more!
What have we learned here? The customer is not always right. In this instance, the customer insisted that he wanted a 2007 truck, when all he actually wanted were the features of the 2007. The customer had to be educated. He had to learn what it was the he really wanted.
Just as importantly, the salesman did not immediately give up on the sale and take his name and address, assuming that the "customer was always right," nor did he "tell" the customer the he would be just as happy with a 2006. He let the customer tell him! He asked the questions, the customer sold himself. Had the salesman insisted on trying to convince the customer that the 2006 was just as good, the customer would have resisted. Instead, he came to the conclusion on his own.
Remember, when you say, you are a salesman trying to make a sale. When your customer says it, it's the truth. Thus the mind of your customer.
Sales Success TipThe Customer is Not Always Right - To learn more about this author, visit Greg Beverly's Website.
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We've heard it all our lives. Even before we got into sales. Even as youngsters growing up, we heard it. "The customer is always right." Well, I'm about to tell you that this universally accepted phrase is completely wrong! Let me explain. Here's a true story.
A man (customer) walks into a car dealership. He is immediately greeted by a salesperson who asks, "Good morning! How are you?" "What brings you in today?" (Notice, he did NOT say the sales killer phrase you hear at almost every story you ever go into.) "Well," said the customer, "I am looking for a truck." "Great!" exclaimed the salesman. "I'm certain that you'll find one that will be just what you want." "And I already know what I want. A 2007 "xyz" truck." "I see, " said the salesman. "I can certainly see why you would like that truck. It's a great one. And in demand too. So much so that I'm afraid we don't have any left and we won't be getting any in for about 2 weeks." "Apparently," said the customer. "This is the third dealership I've been to today and it's the same everywhere. The other dealerships put me on a list and said they would let me know when the new shipment comes in. Will you do that for me?"
Now, this is where the story takes a different road. You would expect a "good" sales person to do as the customer asked and hope that his shipment arrives before the others. But not this guy. He understood that we have to give our customers what they want, but sometimes they are entirely aware of what they want! I'll explain a bit further.
This particular salesman said. "I'll be glad to do that for you, but before I do, may I ask you a few questions?" Ah yes, those wonderful magical questions. "Just for curiosity, what exactly are the features of the 2007 Tundra that you like so much?" The customer named about or 8 features that were what drew him to the vehicle. I won't list all of them because I don't want to bore you and also because I don't remember what they were! That's not the point. The point is that our salesman whipped out a sheet of paper and began taking notes. When he was sure he had all the features that were important to his customer, (How did he know…because he asked!) he invited him outside to the lot where he stood next to a 2006 model of the same truck.
"Now," said the salesman, "let me make sure I got everything." He then went down the list that the customer had just given him. The customer responded, "Yes, I think that's about it." Now, here's what the salesman said. "Mr. Customer, this truck has every single feature that you described to me." "And," he said, "it has two very important features that the 2007 model doesn't." "Really," said the customer, "what are those?" "It's here on the lot today, ready to be driven off and it's $2000 less than the 2007." Bam! Done deal! Less than an hour later, the customer drove off in a new 2006 truck that was everything he wanted and more!
What have we learned here? The customer is not always right. In this instance, the customer insisted that he wanted a 2007 truck, when all he actually wanted were the features of the 2007. The customer had to be educated. He had to learn what it was the he really wanted.
Just as importantly, the salesman did not immediately give up on the sale and take his name and address, assuming that the "customer was always right," nor did he "tell" the customer the he would be just as happy with a 2006. He let the customer tell him! He asked the questions, the customer sold himself. Had the salesman insisted on trying to convince the customer that the 2006 was just as good, the customer would have resisted. Instead, he came to the conclusion on his own.
Remember, when you say, you are a salesman trying to make a sale. When your customer says it, it's the truth. Thus the mind of your customer.
Sales Success TipThe Customer is Not Always Right - To learn more about this author, visit Greg Beverly's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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