I know a guy who’s a tremendous salesman. A natural. Ice to Eskimos, coal to Newcastle, the whole thing.
He also spends money like it’s going out of fashion. It’d be slower to set fire to the stuff...!
He was telling me about his latest purchase the other day, and it got me thinking about an old truism - as relevant in advertising sales as it is anywhere else.
We sell, the same way that we buy.
If you’re a cautious buyer, reluctant to blow the cobwebs off your MasterCard, then you’ll naturally be a cautious salesperson.
If you’re a budget buyer, always looking for the cheaper option, then that’s what you’ll expect from your buyers, so that’s where you’ll direct them - consciously or otherwise.
If you put decisions off, you’ll leave your buyer an open door to put their own decision off, rather than closing them there and then.
Why am I telling you this?
Because I know a few cheap salespeople, and they’re not very good.
I don’t want to get all fluffy on you, but I'm certain it’s a mindset thing…
My friend who can sell sand to the Egyptians is a fast decision-maker. He sees something, decides if he wants it, and then buys it AND pays the extra for express delivery.
When the tables are turned and he’s the one doing the selling, he expects his prospects to behave in the exact same way, and they invariably do.
Easy buy, easy sell.
Easy buyer, easy seller. Money flows.
It’s about being congruent. Consistent.
If you’re trying to get a salesperson, who deep-down doesn't believe it's the right thing for an advertiser to invest thousands on a campaign - because they wouldn't themselves if it were them - then is it really a surprise that they’re not pulling up trees?
Salespeople need to comprehend and fully appreciate the value that the end-user gains from the advertising and marketing services that you sell. Otherwise, they'll struggle massively to sell what is possible, even what is right.
Something worth thinking about the next time you’re hiring a salesperson. Or, even a point worth discussing at your next sales meeting.
