Are You Making This "Kiss of Death" Sales Mistake?
Are You Making This "Kiss of Death" Sales Mistake?
Really - they give all of us a bad name!
I had the misfortune of running into not ONE but TWO cheesy salespeople this past week-end. I'm still on the car hunt, taking my time and looking for absolutely the next purrrrrrfect vehicle for me.
Two sales people (who were obviously tag-teaming the deal) were a younger guy and an
older woman. The woman proceeded to tell me within 7 minutes that she had:
• Only started working 7 days ago
• NO product knowledge "All cars look the same to me."
• Gained 30 pounds because she had quit smoking
• NO idea of the benefits and disadvantages of premium fuel.
And oh - you'll LOVE THIS, after she took a copy of my driver's license she told me loudly... "Wow - you look hot - I wouldn't have guessed your age." (OKKKKK - thanks for that!)
On to the next dud.
After laughing inside because this salesman focused his energy on my boyfriend - I told him "You're looking and speaking to the wrong person." He gulped and said:
"Oh - but I saw him drive up in the sports car."
Duh - first mistake - don't make assumptions - I didn't feel like driving!
I told him I was looking for a vehicle that was "unusual" and he said "Oh - why would you want that? Unusual means awkward to me."
And with a wave of my hand...off we went because I CANNOT spend my money on people or companies who don't deserve it. I don't care how nice the product is.
Good bye sales.....all those cheesy comments were the "kiss of death" for making a sale with me!
Which Leads Me To This Question:
Where are YOU making assumptions about your customers?
The 2 turkeys that were trying to sell me were making judgments on my age, looks, who was with me, who was driving my car, as well as the words I used. Except that they were WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING.
And you know this rule - because I'm sure you heard this from your mother:
"You can't judge a book by its cover."
Are You Making Assumptions Based On:
• What you THINK you know about your potential customer?
• Your lack of questions to your prospect?
• The research you haven't done?
• Where your customer lives?
• How much money you THINK they have/don't have?
• And the list goes on and on?
Listen.
People buy from who they like, trust and respect.
Making assumptions doesn't provide you with opportunities to be liked, trusted OR respected.
It just makes you annoying.
My Diva Dare To You?
List 3 projects/clients where you may be taking your assumptions for granted and treating it like REALITY. (Even though they aren't fact)
Do some digging. And most certainly - I dare you not to be like the 2 cheese balls I encountered. I would bet you'll discover that you have been WRONG about something BIG and there is a wonderful opportunity RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE.
The good side of my story? The cheeseballs made great fodder for this article. (And I'll never buy from that dealership again.)
So there.
Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,
Kim
Are You Making This Kiss of Death Sales Mistake - To learn more about this author, visit Kim Duke's Website.
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One thing I cannot stand is CHEESY SALESPEOPLE.
Really - they give all of us a bad name!
I had the misfortune of running into not ONE but TWO cheesy salespeople this past week-end. I'm still on the car hunt, taking my time and looking for absolutely the next purrrrrrfect vehicle for me.
Two sales people (who were obviously tag-teaming the deal) were a younger guy and an
older woman. The woman proceeded to tell me within 7 minutes that she had:
• Only started working 7 days ago
• NO product knowledge "All cars look the same to me."
• Gained 30 pounds because she had quit smoking
• NO idea of the benefits and disadvantages of premium fuel.
And oh - you'll LOVE THIS, after she took a copy of my driver's license she told me loudly... "Wow - you look hot - I wouldn't have guessed your age." (OKKKKK - thanks for that!)
On to the next dud.
After laughing inside because this salesman focused his energy on my boyfriend - I told him "You're looking and speaking to the wrong person." He gulped and said:
"Oh - but I saw him drive up in the sports car."
Duh - first mistake - don't make assumptions - I didn't feel like driving!
I told him I was looking for a vehicle that was "unusual" and he said "Oh - why would you want that? Unusual means awkward to me."
And with a wave of my hand...off we went because I CANNOT spend my money on people or companies who don't deserve it. I don't care how nice the product is.
Good bye sales.....all those cheesy comments were the "kiss of death" for making a sale with me!
Which Leads Me To This Question:
Where are YOU making assumptions about your customers?
The 2 turkeys that were trying to sell me were making judgments on my age, looks, who was with me, who was driving my car, as well as the words I used. Except that they were WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING.
And you know this rule - because I'm sure you heard this from your mother:
"You can't judge a book by its cover."
Are You Making Assumptions Based On:
• What you THINK you know about your potential customer?
• Your lack of questions to your prospect?
• The research you haven't done?
• Where your customer lives?
• How much money you THINK they have/don't have?
• And the list goes on and on?
Listen.
People buy from who they like, trust and respect.
Making assumptions doesn't provide you with opportunities to be liked, trusted OR respected.
It just makes you annoying.
My Diva Dare To You?
List 3 projects/clients where you may be taking your assumptions for granted and treating it like REALITY. (Even though they aren't fact)
Do some digging. And most certainly - I dare you not to be like the 2 cheese balls I encountered. I would bet you'll discover that you have been WRONG about something BIG and there is a wonderful opportunity RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE.
The good side of my story? The cheeseballs made great fodder for this article. (And I'll never buy from that dealership again.)
So there.
Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,
Kim
Are You Making This Kiss of Death Sales Mistake - To learn more about this author, visit Kim Duke'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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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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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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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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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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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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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens'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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