Courting Behavior of the Successful Salesman
Every time you interact with a salesman, observe him, and note your own reactions to him. Why? Because a salesman trying to make a sale is "courting" you in very much the same way as you do when you are trying to date a girl.
Pretty quickly you'll get to see what comes across as genuine, what doesn't, what puts your guard up, what doesn't.
Here are a few things I've learnt.
* The guy that follows up the sale at some point, gets the sale. If I think the company doesn't care enough to follow up, then I don't want to deal with them.
* Salesmen that use too many compliments come across as slimy and insincere.
* Salesmen that pretend that they are just passing the time of day, i.e., as if they are not trying to make a sale, come across as phony (i.e., pretending you are not interested comes across as lame).
* Salesmen that get to the point even despite obvious nerves, get my admiration for honesty and courage.
* I like it when they take the time to say "Hi", use my name, remember things from the last conversation, chat a little, before getting to the point.
* If I'm trying to back off, and they are pushy, I dig in my heels and get irritated. If they respect me and back off, and come back sometime later, I respect and admire their sensitivity to my earlier feelings/decision, and am better disposed to them, and loosen up.
* If I'm ready to close, and the salesman bails, that's it... forever. (Once had a real estate agent fail to show for a second house viewing, he never heard from me again, and lost a sale.)
* If we are closing, and he suddenly starts trying to renegotiate the asking price (wanting more), I get irritated.
* If they say "I believe in old fashioned values like honesty...blah blah" I get suspicious. (Why does this have to be said if they really are honest...?)
* If they reveal flaws in the product that I wouldn't have seen, I get very impressed with their honesty.
* If they aren't a little nervous, if they are too slick, I get turned off (they don't seem real). If they are way too nervous, like they are going to start hyperventilating or something, I get very uncomfortable.
Now, get your own observations and think what it is like for a girl when you are trying to make a "sale" to her.
