You've got to Speak to Sell

Last weekend it was Scouts apple selling weekend.  It is the time where kids 12 and under stand outside various businesses in the local community asking for a donation to help them go to camp.  In exchange for a small donation you’ll get a shiny apple and a big smile.  This is the first year my kids have been enrolled in scouts and I was interested to see them in action trying to sell apples for funding their activity.  It’s a great learning opportunity for kids, as young as 6 years old, to learn important sales skills to further their cause.  After spending hours in the cold with both of my boys selling apples over the course of 2 days, I had the opportunity to observe their sales approach and provide my own coaching/encouragement between customers.  Seeing the similarities in the general sales principles from apples to products/services we sell every day as professionals, I thought it was a great opportunity to share this experience with others.

1. Speak up!  If you don’t say anything, even a cute 6 year old in a uniform will get walked past without being noticed!  The key lesson here is simple.  If you don’t open your mouth and interrupt people’s normal train of thought, you will not get their attention.  Simply saying “hi” or “excuse me” is a great opening to begin a conversation.  No matter what your opening is for your customers, if you do not take people out of their comfort zone, you will never get the change you need to get you the sale.  Speak up, get noticed and be prepared.
2. Practice!  Now, we actually got their attention…oh no!  You need to have a practiced pitch.  Why are you interrupting my train of thought from what I was doing?  What are you asking for?  How do I benefit in this exchange for the interruption?  You need to have a well-rehearsed pitch that you can say cold (both figuratively and literally in Canada, eh?).   Lot’s of people worry about sounding too rehearsed, but you really shouldn’t.  No matter how much practice you have you will be nervous which will make it sound more natural regardless of how comfortable you think you are.  Don’t make the cardinal sin of taking someone’s time by getting their attention and then stand there with your hands in your pockets tongue-tied.  It’s cute when you are 6 years old dressed up selling apples.  Not so cute as an experienced professional trying to make a sale.
3. Always Be Closing.  No matter the outcome of that initial exchange, you need to close the customer.  This starts with specifically asking for the sale (i.e. Will you support me going to camp?) and ends with a polite “thank you” no matter the outcome.  Look at it from their perspective.  You’ve interrupted their train of thought, you’ve taken time from their day by getting them to stop to listen to the story, now make sure you finish with the ask and always be nice.  This is fundamental if you are asking for a quarter in exchange for an apple or a major contract sale with a customer.  Remember, if they say “no” the battle may have been lost, but the war is far from over especially if you close effectively.

The big take away from the entire weekend of the apple sales event for me is a very simple case study in opening and closing a sale.  You cannot make a sale if you don’t take people out of their usual routine.  You need to have a clearly articulated customer focused value proposition and always be polite in the face of adversity.  You may not close every deal and if you are nice about it, you will have an opportunity to get them next time!
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Don is a new product development executive with 20 years of experience delivering great solutions to customers globally.  If you would like to learn more about how we can help you with your product or service, please contact us at info@prismaticglobal.com