Most folks hate salespeople. There’s nothing worse than walking onto a car lot, maybe interested in buying a car, and maybe not, only to be accosted by a salesperson who hasn’t sold anything that week and is desperate for a commission.
On the other hand, we all have the experience of walking into some kind of shop looking for a high ticket item, and meeting up with a genuinely kind salesperson who is genuinely trying to help us.
What’s the difference?
The first salesperson, or persuader, see’s the interaction as a confrontation. These kinds of salespeople gather together and create an “us vs. them” mentality.
The second salesperson, on the other hand, genuinely wants to help. He or she has learned that while the hard cash commissions are nice, (very nice!) it’s also a huge boost to see a happy customer who’s gotten what they wanted.
What’s the difference?
Criteria vs. Benefits
The first salesperson has a list of “benefits” of their product. They fire them away at the poor customer until they’re completely worn down.
The second salesperson knows that the benefits may or may not be relevant to the client. They simply ask the client what they want, what’s important to them, and then make a recommendation based on the client’s criteria.
The second way is more friendly, more honest, and will get you TONS of referrals, if you happen to be in face to face sales.
The first method might make you a lot of cash, but at what expense?
Something to think about.