Masonry Magazine October 1967 Page. 12
SMOOTH SELLING
by George N. Kahn, Marketing Consultant
ARE YOU A SALESMAN?
Certain words mean different things to different people. Rich, poor, smart, dumb-all these terms take on various shades of meaning, depending on the person using them. A Calcutta beggar would consider any American rich; a man who can read and write is thought of as smart by an illiterate.
The term "salesman" produces the same kind of semantic problem. To many people, the noun would apply to anyone who sold anything to anybody. This would include sidewalk pitchmen, door-to-door gadget vendors, newsboys and store clerks as well as the man making $100,000 a year selling highly technical industrial equipment.
A salesman is a creative individual. He also is a man who develops markets, who aids the buyer as well as himself, and who is constantly trying to increase his sales through bold, imaginative thinking.
Selling Credentials
Unless you can really communicate with a customer so that he thinks like you and is motivated to buy through your persuasive powers, you are not a salesman.
Unless you can see the customer's point of view and turn it to your advantage, you are not a salesman.
Unless you can determine what a customer needs-not what he wants-you are not a salesman.
Unless you have a thorough knowledge of yourself, you are not a salesman.
Unless you have studied other people so you have some insight into their character, you are not a salesman.
Don't Stop Growing
Are you still growing? Growth is at the heart of salesmanship. Even if you have been selling for 25 years you should still look for new ideas and methods.
One of the nation's leading insurance salesmen surprised his supervisor one day by volunteering for the firm's training course for sales recruits.
"But, Dan", the boss said, "you sell more insurance than anyone in the organization. This will be kid stuff to you."
"Jack," Dan replied, "not a day goes Copyright-George N. Kahn by that I don't learn something new. In that training course, no matter how basic it is, I'll pick up some piece of information that will help me sell more insurance.
Some people stop learning the day they leave school, whether it's grammar, high school or college. These are the individuals who are passed by in earnings, promotion and prestige.
Qualities Needed
A mark of the successful salesman is his work habits. If you are committed emotionally or philosophically to the eight-hour day, then forget salesmanship. The man who writes the big ticket thinks nothing of putting in a 10, 15 or 18-hour day.
Thomas Edison said that genius is 99 percent work. The salesman's income will invariably be related to the time he puts on the job. Planning is also important.
A sales manager for a well-known rubber company once asked a discouraged salesman how many prospects he had seen that day.
"Two," the salesman said.
"How many had you planned to see?" the boss continued.
"As many as I could," the salesman answered.
"That isn't planning, that's hoping," the supervisor said.
There is a lot of concern today about whether this country is on the moral skids. The television quiz scandals, the price fixing conviction of some businessmen, the link between sports and gambling-all these have prompted serious soul searching.
I'm also concerned about this question, but I do not believe for a minute that morality particularly business morality-is an outdated product.
No salesman should think honesty is old fashioned. The man who cynically disregards business principles is deluding himself.
Honesty and dependability are not outworn attributes. The salesman who has them is endowed with human values that will translate into earning power.
Let me mention another equally important: maturity.
A man who flies off the handle at criticism is not mature. The mature individual, who is criticized, will use the censure as a lever for improvement.
About People
It's human nature that men are drawn to individuals who are understanding and sympathetic. If someone knows that you care about him, he will care about you. This is especially true of the customer-salesman relationship. A genuine liking for people is another invaluable asset for a salesman.
A buyer for a midwestern electrical firm was such a grouch that salesmen used to go miles out of their way to avoid him.
"Who wants to be insulted by that crank?" they would say.
Fred Naylor, had a different idea. He breezed into the buyer's office one day, stuck out his hand and announced: "Mr. Grant, I've made up my mind about two things: I'm going to like you and you're going to like me."
The crusty purchasing agent was so surprised that for a few seconds he simply stared at Fred, open mouthed. Then he began roaring with laughter and put out his hand.
Fred walked off with a huge order. There must be sympathy before a salesman can truly cater to the needs of his customers. You can't be expected to read a customer's mind, but you should have a fairly good idea of the things which motivate him-his fears, aspirations, likes and dislikes.
This quiz will test your self-honesty and help you answer the question: Am I a salesman or an Order Taker? A score of ten or more "yes" answers means that selling is for you.
Am I a Salesman or an Order Taker?
1. Do I actively seek new knowledge about selling?
Yes No
2. Do I spend extra time with a customer on his problems?
Yes No
3. Do I work beyond 5 o'clock on some days without thinking of it as a burden or chore?
Yes No
4. Do I plan my working day? Yes No
5. If the competition uses unfair tactics, do I maintain my dignity and composure by not emulating them? Yes No
6. Do I see criticism as art effort to help me?
Yes No
7. Would I spend time with customers if it didn't mean money to me? Yes No
8. Do I know and understand my own weaknesses?
Yes No
9. Do I do anything about them?
Yes No
10. Do I like most people I meet?
Yes No
11. Do I sometimes seek out an appraisal of my work?
Yes No
12. Do I look forward to sales meetings as a chance to learn something that will help me?
Yes No
13. Do I feel my customer's problems affect me?
Yes No
14. Do I believe that selling and service go together?
Yes No