OK, I’m in sales and I’m probably not the best salesperson in the world but I am passionate about our company, which helps. In over twenty years in sales, I probably made some of the worst classic mistakes you can make. You know the ones, not qualifying a lead’s budget, allowing folks to pick my brain and then go to the competition for cheaper … the list goes on. Yet I do know something I’ve been doing right … I try my very best to be positive and treat people nicely.
Judging Books By the Cover
So, the other day I thought, my back is kind of sore, I’m going to buy a new box-spring and mattress and bring it right back home in my truck. I asked Siri, my trusted cell phone friend, to provide a list of stores close by. Low and behold, there was one a few blocks from me. It was a no frills discount store that purchased slightly damaged or discontinued mattresses. I called the store and asked if they had quite a few mattresses in stock because I wanted to be in and out. The sales-person said yes.
On that particular day, I was weeding in my front yard. I did wash my hands but I was wearing jeans, an old t-shirt and boots. I walked into the store and the sales-person looked at me (you know the up and down disapproval look) and said, “So, this row is my $200.00 to $600.00 row you should start here.”
To be honest, it sort of reminded me of this scene from Pretty Woman:
Not that I am full of myself or anything, but the way this man treated and talked to me was so incredibly rude. I almost turned around and walked out. However, it was close by my house and I was already there. So I said, “What’s your most expensive row?” He pointed to that row. So, I said “Well show me what you think is the best quality here.”
Maybe it was the way I said it but I think he realized I could afford it. Sure, the little rebellious teenager spirit left in me popped out and maybe made him show me about six more mattresses after I actually made up my mind on a mid-price mattress, but hey!
So I made the purchase, had him and his employee help me get it into the truck, and I was off.
A Potential Referral That Didn’t Happen
The very next day a neighbor of mine said, “that’s a great idea (they saw my old mattress on the curb and asked me was I getting new furniture.), we should probably replace a few of our mattresses.” They asked me where I purchased mine from. They know I’m pretty good at finding quality products for a decent deal. I told them but explained to not go there, period.
So the moral to my story here? Be nice and always treat people fairly, even if you have a lead that you find may not be a fit budget wise or fit-wise. You can still create a relationship, possibly make a referral to someone else, or set the ground work for a future sale.
