[elky] Re: Attitude toward selling (was: The dance of the sugar plum sports car fairies)
- From: John Christensen <johncgg@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:29:39 -0500
I still get out on the sales floor occasionally, but it's a lot less these
days. Can't say I miss it much.
I am a real information hound. Men that purchase in our biz are the same
way. The ladies are very interested in details too. So my 'soft sell' angle
has been to educate the customer a lot. Then they know you are on top of
things, and trust you. The guy that rebuilt my engine, educated me over the
counter a lot. He did it freely, and gained my respect and trust. You don't
have to sound like a know it all, you just share interesting info. Tell them
something they don't know or didn't think about as a distraction, then ask
for the money. <G> Most times, the last word on the way out the door, is "I
really learned something". That is a feel good for me too.
FWIW
JC
---
John Christensen
Saint Charles, IL
On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 1:43 PM, Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> You're very welcome. I agree that attitude is a BIG part of it. If I go
> to a customer with a positive, friendly attitude, I know I'll get better
> results than if I go to him with a defeated or unhappy attitude. I was
> reading a book about photography as a business and I ran across this (after
> I had my epiphany):
>
> 1. Don't take a failure or rejections personally.
> 2. Don't criticize yourself, competitors or clients.
> 3. Don't make excuses or complain.
> (Numbers 2 and 3 are essentially the same as the Al-Anon saying, "don't
> explain, blame or complain.")
> 4. Don't worry about what you can't change.
> 5. Don't dwell on setbacks.
> 6. Never say never.
> 7. Think, act and speak positively.
> 8. Dream lofty dreams.
> 9. Enjoy your successes.
> 10. Profit from your mistakes.
> 11. Keep your sense of humor.
> 12. See the best in yourself and others.
> 13. Live life to its fullest every moment.
>
> Yanno, in the past I woulda laughed that off as pretty schmaltzy. But
> today I believe it. Not just because of what happened last weekend, but
> because something has changed in me. I dunno what it is, but I'm not gonna
> fight against it, that's for sure.
>
> Ok. Gotta get the Burb packed up for the salt...gotta leave pretty soon.
>
> Ray
>
>
>
> At 09:50 AM 9/16/2009, you wrote:
>
>> I appreciate you explaining this, I've ventured back into selling
>> after being away for sometime. I too HATED selling when I was a
>> financial planner. It is very difficult to sell an intangible like
>> financial services. I could relate endless tales of woe but the short
>> version is the average wealthy individual does not respect the
>> profession (and knowing the people in the business I can
>> understand...).
>>
>> I never had patience with the sales process - I wanted my prospects to
>> give me a yes or no answer, not lead me on for months.
>>
>> Now selling performance parts online is a different game. I provide
>> all the information I can on a product and the customer can make
>> his/her decision when they're ready - typically I don't know about it
>> until they've made the purchase. I do get questions though - which I
>> answer immediately, since most questions are "buying questions" which
>> end in a sale.
>>
>> I've also come to the realization that keeping a good attitude is as
>> much a part of success as the sales number. Often times you miss
>> opportunities if you dwell on past misfortunes... for instance: I just
>> applied to become a warehouse distributor for a manufacturer. As a
>> credit reference I put down the warehouse I used to work at, and now
>> have a jobber account with. When he received the fax from the
>> manufacturer, my old boss at the warehouse actually called the company
>> and asked them to NOT sell to me - he wanted to continue to be the
>> middle man. Thankfully the manufacturer is selling to me anyway. In
>> the past I would have gotten angry at what I would have viewed as a
>> personal attack - now I just chalk it up to a learning experience and
>> move on.
>>
>> Thanks for the advice - I'm going to use it!
>> Chris
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 10:48 AM, Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> > Well, ok. Here's the deal. I've had a lotta negative experiences doing
>> > personal selling. I got to where I dreaded it. I was always telling
>> > myself, "I hate selling." Of course that reinforced the belief.
>> >
>> > I knew I wuz gonna have to sell myself (world's oldest
>> profession...selling)
>> > and my product. I knew I couldn't continue with that
>> attitude...something
>> > would break and it would probably be me.
>> >
>> > So after some a lot of prayer and meditation, I realized that the
>> problem
>> > lay at the root: what I was telling myself. Not the act of selling, but
>> my
>> > own internal dialog. So I started telling myself, "I used to hate
>> selling,
>> > but now I'm better at it. And every time I make a sales call/pitch, I
>> get a
>> > little better still." I also reinforced my belief that I AM a good
>> > photographer and the shots I'm presenting to a potential customer ARE
>> very
>> > good. Not just ok, but very good.
>> >
>> > Then when I went to people with some sample prints in my hands, I'd just
>> > tell them what I could do for them and leave it at that...but I always
>> asked
>> > for the order...in a low-key way. I'm told that this is the "soft sell"
>> > technique. Well, it musta worked cuz I left with a pretty decent amount
>> of
>> > cash in my pocket and more to come when I get CDs in the mail.
>> >
>> > This is what I've always heard referred to as "positive self-talk." I
>> know
>> > it works, but this was a very dramatic example of it. So when I go out
>> for
>> > World of Speed (we'll find out in about 90 minutes if it's been rained
>> out
>> > or not) I'll be sure to have some sample photos from Speed Week and a
>> good
>> > attitude.
>> >
>> > I'm having a hard time believing that it's me writing this stuff. For a
>> guy
>> > who spent most of his life as a "glass half-empty", Type A personality
>> with
>> > a bad attitude, it really doesn't seem in character at all. But a whole
>> lot
>> > has changed over the last 18 years and a lot of it has occurred in the
>> last
>> > 4 or 5 years. I really believe that I've become a Type B person and
>> I've
>> > come to look at the glass as at least half full, if not overflowing.
>> Take
>> > it for what it's worth.
>> >
>> > Ray
>> >
>> >
>> > At 08:15 AM 9/16/2009, you wrote:
>> >
>> > "new mental attitude toward selling"?
>> >
>> > Do tell...
>> >
>> > On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:02 PM, Mary McCarthy <printces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > wrote:
>> >> for 1/2 a mile away that's a pretty darn good pic.
>> >>
>> >> glad to hear you're having fun and making a little cash, too.
>> >>
>> >> excellent!
>> >>
>> >> mary
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>> I covered a race event that lasted 4.5 days last week and I'd be on
>> >>> the salt flats if it wasn't for this little rain issue they've had
>> >>> there. A decision was to be made at 10:00 am today...and they made
>> >>> one. They decided that a decision would be made at 10 am
>> >>> tomorrow. (Sits here, twiddling his thumbs...and editing
>> >>> photos.) If they decide to push things back by one day, then I'll be
>> >>> there Wednesday, Thursday and half of Friday. I'll come back to
>> >>> shoot qualifying for the Grand-Am race at Miller's and stay to shoot
>> >>> the race on Saturday. Then I'll go back to the salt for a week. If
>> >>> the event is cancelled, I'll spend 2.5 days at Miller's and then see
>> >>> if the Streamliner Shootout will take place. Weather: the ultimate
>> >>> powerlessness.
>> >>>
>> >>> As for the sugar plum fairies, in the final race of the NASA
>> >>> Championships last weekend, it seems that a Corvette (I believe it's
>> >>> the brand-new Pfadt car...a local race car builder) and a Viper were
>> >>> discussing 2nd place; the Viper had it and the Corvette driver wanted
>> >>> it. On the last lap the Viper slid wide in turn 3 and got a couple
>> >>> of wheels in the dirt, forcing him to lift off the throttle for a
>> >>> moment. The Corvette driver used that opportunity to go by on the
>> >>> left. But the driver of the Viper wasn't about to put up with that
>> >>> so he attempted to get back on the track as soon as possible. When
>> >>> he did his car made contact with the Corvette (and I believe he hurt
>> >>> something underneath his car) and the Vette went flying and the Viper
>> >>> spinning.
>> >>>
>> >>> I bleeve they both came back on rollbacks. I know the Viper did. I
>> >>> don't think either driver was too happy with the whole deal.
>> >>>
>> >>> I've just attached one photo and it's cropped from a shot made from
>> >>> turn 1 all the way across the track....about half a mile. I've got
>> >>> several more of the whole thing but a lot of it is obscured by dust.
>> >>>
>> >>> It was an interesting few days....sometimes it was hours of boredom
>> >>> (Spec Miata and 944 Spec classes tend to be slow and boring)
>> >>> punctuated by moments of cynical excitement as someone would spin and
>> >>> hopefully be caught on digital film.
>> >>>
>> >>> I shot a whole lotta photos (around 9500) and made a decent amount of
>> >>> money by selling prints and CDs with photos on 'em...which will be
>> >>> mailed out in October. Most people were happy to pay in advance,
>> >>> since I'd throw a print or two in with the deal and let 'em have
>> >>> something in their hand for the money. I also adopted a new mental
>> >>> attitude toward selling that seemed to help...a lot.
>> >>>
>> >>> Now...to wait and see if I'm heading for the salt tomorrow or not. I
>> >>> spose I'll do some more photo work.
>> >>>
>> >>> Ray
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Rules: Please play nicely with others.
>> >>
>> >> -List members page (text & pic links):
>> >> http://www.myelcamino.net/eclist.htm
>> >> -List members page (all pics):
>> >> http://www.myelcamino.net/ec_list.htm
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > Rules: Please play nicely with others.
>> >
>> > -List members page (text & pic links):
>> > http://www.myelcamino.net/eclist.htm
>> > -List members page (all pics):
>> > http://www.myelcamino.net/ec_list.htm
>>
>>
>> Rules: Please play nicely with others.
>>
>> -List members page (text & pic links):
>> http://www.myelcamino.net/eclist.htm
>> -List members page (all pics):
>> http://www.myelcamino.net/ec_list.htm
>>
>
>
>
> Rules: Please play nicely with others.
>
> -List members page (text & pic links):
> http://www.myelcamino.net/eclist.htm
> -List members page (all pics):
> http://www.myelcamino.net/ec_list.htm
>
>
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