Salesperson, Please Sell Me!
As I write this, I'm on a big boat somewhere in the Caribbean... On Vacation... on a vacation where I swore I wouldn't work... but is writing/blogging work? I guess that depends on how well this blog-writing effort goes.
Anyway, this morning, I had my hair French-braided by a charming English girl in the onboard salon. Being a Fun Day at Sea, I'm looking for ways to spend my time and my money on luxuries I wouldn't dream of in the real world at home.
So, I ask my braider about the Total Body Detoxification and Purification Experience I see advertised everywhere.
"How much is it?" I ask.
"Ummm, $129 dollars"
"How long does it take?"
"One hour"
Me again. "Does it make you feel good or tired afterwards?"
"Oh, it makes you feel good."
"Are you all booked up??
"Yes, ma'am, we're booked all day, up til 5:00 I believe."
"Oh." Says I.
A few minutes later, hair freshly braided, I'm gazing at my reflection in dismay.
Me: "Wow - I look tired. Anything you can do to make me look a little more lively?"
Her: "Oh, I hate it when I look tired!"
End of conversation.
I walk out disappointed - not in my hair - it looks great, but I WANTED to spend my money! I wanted an overpriced facial and a one-hour-total body detoxification and purification experience! I wanted that English lass to, yes, SELL me her beautification services.
It's a fine line, isn't it? The line between being obnoxiously ... or helpfully... pushy.
Speaking especially to us introvert-types... how many times do we let sales opportunities slip thru our fingers because we are waiting for a clear go-ahead from our clients? As in, "Jennifer, we love this house and would like to return to your office and prepare a decent offer on it before someone else buys it out from under us."
Well, guess what. That doesn't always happen. Especially if your client is also on the introverted side, he or she may try to feel you out to see if you'll take the ball and run with it. In fact, your introverted client may even feel that she's IMPOSING on you if she asks to take up more of your precious time by writing up an offer. Yeah, this is how we introverts think!
So... what to do, what to do....?
Guess what? You're gonna have to ‘close' ‘em.
Now don't fret, this isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. Stay tuned for help learning to close without fear (of being that obnoxious, aggressive, money-grubbing Real-a-tor!)
copyright Jennifer Allan 2007
Getting to the close is something they should teach in real estate school.
As an auctioneer, I "close" every single lot that comes across my auction block. I am therefore very used to going after it (in all aspects of life - including the sale of real estate).
This story reminds me of church, just yesterday. They had already passed the collection plate and then the preacher got up and gave a rousing speech as to why we need to hire an additional staff member for the church. In my opinion (as a certified benefit auctioneer), they should have passed the hat again. They left money on the table by not closing us again, right there on the spot (when emotions were high). It was all I could do to not go grab the microphone and get-r-done.
I can't wait to read more. I am looking forward to the next installment
And boy howdy, do I wish I had been on the boat too. I would have sold YOU and ME on that massage! LOL
And know when to fold em...
***Hey, who invited Kenny Rogers?***
You are so right. We never want to impose or push our agenda, but personally, I have to learn to be a little more 'pushy'. Sometimes people just need a little nudge, but I'm afraid that will push them over the edge. Thanks for the great post....looking forward to the next.
Jennifer: There have been times when I have gone in to purchase something, wanted whatever it was, and was waiting to watch just how the salesperson was going to try and close me.
Once in a great while, when I am in a playful mood, I will tell the salesperson... "ok... there is where you go into your closing sequence and try to get me to commit." Then I suggest to them what to ask me, what to say, and we role play until I let them close me. If you get the right salesperson, it can be fun... enhancing my own enjoyment of my own buying process, and possibly getting the salesperson to become an advocate for me in the future, and send me referrals. You've got to be very careful when doing this, though. If poorly done, one can end up looking like a know-it-all.
Great post! It isn't very often, in fact you might starve, if you wait for clients to tell you that they like the house, want to buy it, let's go write an offer.
I've learned it is when the client starts telling you what they don't like...it is a buying signal.
Well,
I have had the best luck with "I don't care." Understand me, it is not that I "don't care". I do care about my clients, but, I have a house. The decision to buy is totally theirs and theirs alone. I listen. I watch. I see the cues that they want to buy. I do care that they make a decision. It's just, when it comes to whether they buy any particular house - "I don't care."
There is a fine line between encouraging a client to make a decision and pressing a client to decide on what you believe. Your job is to stay on the service side and be prepared to represent them. If you allow your needs to slip quietly into the equation (i.e.- I have shown them 30 houses and this is the best of the lot), you are serving yourself and not doing your job.
We spend way too much time in how to close and too little time in understanding the needs of our clients. If you get on the same page, you will be ready to proceed when they are ready to buy.
The girl on the boat wasn't ready for you. It sounds like she was ready for something else at 5:15. Had she see how pitiful you felt with your great hair and if she understood her job was to take care of you, things would have happened differently.
I'm kind of glad she was a dolt for a day. She was the unwitting genesis for yet another timely provocative post.
jdawg....you remain the wmd....let's hope W never finds ya.
John - I have used the same attitude - "I don't care", but not in this particular situation. It comes in real handy when a buyer (or seller) is being difficult during negotiations and threatening to close down a deal. Instead of Opening my Checkbook (which I have no problem with), I just back off and say "I have a nice house to go home to tonight. If these guys want to sabotage their own deal, I'll let 'em."
I have to ask... what is WMD???
Well J-Dawg,
In an effort to remain hip and cool I had two choices. Option one was to hippen (yet another new word) up my appearance. The hair gel thing just made my head glow, the baggy pants deal kept ending up around my shins and I damn near killed myself trying out those tennis shoes with wheels. Option two was to spice up my vocabulary with modern cool terms (note-J-Dawg, interweb, hippen).
Due to my difficulty with option one, I have opted for option two.
Back in the day, a woman of your stature may have been referred to "as the bomb". I just figured WMD (weapons of mass destruction) would be the 21st century equivalent.
ciao, ciao, ciao (european hip goodbye)
It sounds like she gets paid to do her job regardless of how many clients she has. Otherwise, she would have jumped all over your opening. That is the problem with hourly or salaried employess sometimes. They don't have to push the bar or come out of their shells. Those of us in sales know that if we don't look for those clues and jump on it that we might not eat next week.