Make Customers Feel Special
Prefacing his advice by stating that, beyond the obvious slights of rudeness and lateness, there are few things you should truly never do in a sales presentation. Graham cautioned against relying too much on catalogs or stock samples. "Showing up with a bunch of catalogs is often not a good approach because anyone can show up with a stack of catalogs," he said. "Another thing I find that doesn't really work is if you just show up with a bunch of products that the other clients have seen, like samples you have just stuffed in the back of your car—that is often not a great way to impress." His reasoning wasn't so much that those tools are flawed, but using them as a blunt-force, repetitive-use sales tool is ineffective. Not only because it doesn't differentiate you as a seller, but it can also make your potential buyers feel like you're not recognizing their specific needs, just treating them like another generic customer.
- People:
- Mark Graham