I’M NOT HERE TO SELL YOU ANYTHING

“I’M NOT HERE TO SELL YOU ANYTHING”, how do you like that as an opening line from a sales rep? I am telling you the truth I have heard reps use this over and over again in all different sales environments.

No sooner do they say it than I start to laugh. The reps usually follow these golden words with an equally pathetic explanation as to why they said it in the first place. To be honest, between my laughing and utter amazement I usually miss this part of the speech (thank goodness).

When they are done I ask, “If you aren’t here to sell me something will you just hand me the order form and let me fill it out by myself and hand it to the cashier?” I have never had one say sure and walk away, they tell me they are there to answer my questions. “What if I don’t have any questions?” At this point they are usually out of stupid things to say and just smile and ask what I want to look at.

I want  to know why a sales rep would start out denying they are a SALES rep. The most popular misconception is that people don’t like sales reps. There needs to be one word added to this last sentence, the word is BAD! The sentence should be; People don’t like BAD sales reps.

I am NOT a fan of the hard sell or misleading customers to make a sale. I don’t believe in using high pressure tactics to make sales. I believe in using good solid consultative selling techniques that help guide the customer through the maze of information and help them make good informed purchases that will satisfy them at all three levels necessary to create a satisfied customer; 1) the emotional level 2) the logical level  and 3) the financial level. If you miss any of these, BUYERS REMORSE will occur, and this is what makes customers unhappy with their purchases.

I am a sales rep, I should look, talk, and act like a sales rep and never deny what I am a sales rep. In my classes I always say if you are the only person in the room who knows you’re a sales rep you’re in BIGTROUBLE!

 As most of the people who read this blog already know, sales is the greatest career in the world. If you look at the world’s most wealthy people, most came from sales. Of all the people you know, sales reps are usually the happiest, most outgoing, most fun to be with, most caring, and by far the most positive of all.

You need to know who you are and what you do and believe in yourself. If you don’t see yourself as being a successful sales rep I can guarantee that you won’t be one. If you think you need to hide the fact that you are a sales rep, you will find your customers hiding from you as a sales rep!

To me the perfect opener would be, “I AM THE GREATEST SALES REP IN THE WORLD, I AM HERE TO HELP YOU FIND THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS, SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM, AND MAKE YOU A LOYAL CUSTOMER OF MINE. I AM LORIN, WHAT’S YOUR NAME AND HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY?”

Lorin