Inspire Yourself – Know Your Responsibility!

Once you take the wheel, you have to feel your responsibility as a seller. When You Take The Wheel, The Ship Is In Your Hands!
There is no point to explain that I have never steered a sailing boat or that I have never sold anything by phone. When you accept the challenge and take the wheel, the ship is in your hands. So feel your responsibility. Everything you say or do will effect the reputation of the company and your own reputation as a seller. Whether your company is a small kiosk or a big stock exchange company, all the selling is evaluated as good or bad performances. That is a fact!

The sales world is full of legendary cases, in which some screwed up totally. All the possible mistakes, which should never happen, have been made. That´s the way it sometimes is, but the wise one learns from mistakes, the stupid one repeats them again and again, always. Don´t be a jackass, who repeats the same mistakes time after time.

So, I must write a few fresh examples which I have experienced about the subject lately: Recently a young woman called me and asked for an opportunity to discuss with me about subscribing to a journal. I was at work so I asked her to call again at 17.15 when I would be available. She called from one telemarketing company at 17.30.

I listened to her unbelievably poor performance with open ears. The show started when the seller began to inquire if I had received a sample number of Newsweek –journal. I browsed my paper pile at home and I found a MicroPC –journal, which I had received as a free copy recently and read.

The Seller recognized that the journal is owned by Talentum. I asked her whether Newsweek is a magazine or a tabloid. She answered that she didn´t know, but she could read to me about it from her papers. She began to read from a A4 handout, what Newsweek Journal and its contents are.

I thought that “what the heck”. Is this quite true, that the seller doesn´t even know which journal she is selling? It was quite embarrassing so I felt a need to help her little. Then one word refreshed my memory and I stated that Newsweek is tabloid the size of Kauppalehti, “the Finnish Financial Times”.

The seller reacted to this by saying:
”Wait I read from the papers… Yes, it appears 43 times a year. Computer and information technology things…”

I stopped her reading by saying that I am not too interested about information technology, but I follow a little. However, the seller never asked what I am interested about. So I prompted her to ask at least one question by telling her that I am primarily interested about things which are related to my profession. Then, finally at last she asked about my profession.

I answered ― sales. I have worked in that field and made sales over 30 years exceeding 30 million euros. I detailed my experience in the following way: 15 years of exhibition sales, 10 years of holiday shares and 10 years as a property developer for villas and apartments.

In the end I stated that we are colleagues because at the moment I work as a telemarketer in order to analyse the conformity to law in telemarketing. I am planning to write a sales book about it, under the tittle CALL ME –how to succeed in telemarketing?

The young woman seller said to this “wow” and continued immediately by reading again from the paper that now they offer a free present worth 59 euros for the subscribers. I commented, that I was not so interested about presents, more about information. I told her that I have been disappointed with the presents of the journal houses. As an example I mentioned, that I made a regular order with my daughter for Science Images -magazine because they promised a decent mp3–player as a gift. However the player turned out to be trashy, and displeased with the bad service we cancelled the whole order. In my opinion the promotion mentioned above approached a deception. So I informed her, that because of it I am not interested about the presents.

This didn´t stop her at all. The seller continued reading more “selling points” from the paper. I inquired calmly and essentially, if she had an e-mail. I could send over some sales tips, and at the same time I could recommend some local customers.

The seller marched to her superior with the headphones on and asked if she has an e-mail. The superior stated that she doesn´t have one. The young woman forwarded the information to me. I was sorry for the situation and said that it would be worthwhile to have an e–mail, for example on gmail, to receive feedback. There was a long silence ― and then : “bye”.

The sales discussion mentioned above stayed in my mind as a farce which approaches a cardinal blunder, and unfortunately registered as a defeat of the Talentum company, where the novice girl works.
After our conversation I stated to myself that a sales education is absolutely needed in Finland, Scandinavia. At least they know the basics in my hometown Oulu. Dna Shop Ltd. and Novia Finland Ltd. are experts among others. I have worked in both companies. Of course I would have wanted to give instructions straightaway, but I fell silent as we commonly do in Finland.

WISDOM – Winston Churchill once said:

“All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.”

Who really has the responsibility in sales? YOU HAVE IT AS A SELLER. Remember that when you are asked to make a performance as a employee, you make it only when you are 100% ready for it. The responsibility is primarily yours even if you had never sold anything. The ship becomes your responsibility when you take the wheel. Always do your best, know your product and know your subject. In addition to yourself you represent your family, your nationality and the products you are showing and selling.

SKILLED SELLERS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED

Always be interested about the customer and clarify what he is interested in. Your own act is secondary, whether it is reading from the paper or from acquired knowledge.

   Arouse the interest for the product you are selling only when you are aware that the customer has started to listen to you. Always follow trends. Be curious and watch how the customers are behaving. During hard times they usually change behaviour radically. Remember that the world is moving to new things such as community medias Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. These never remove the sellers work, but can facilitate it a lot.

ADVISE – The primary importance is what the customer really is interested in. Be genuinely interested about your customer! Once you can sell, be proud of your own professional skill.

A TIP – Pushing is out and it has never been in. By using pressure, you cause only destruction. Build or destroy? You decide 100%. Take the responsibility for right kind of result making.