Common sense more and more is not very common. I see it in sales. Here are some examples of common sense in sales that should be more common.
Don’t touch your customers is common sense in sales. .
First, let’s be clear. Some salespeople have known their customers for many years. There is awareness of boundaries between genders. There’s also a true friendship and respect that is created between salesperson and customer. You just might get a hug for Christmas! You might give your customer a friendly pat on the back.
The common sense I’m talking about is not about true friendship with your customer. What I am talking about is a first-time meeting where the salesperson puts his hands above the elbow of a customer. It is considered “public space” from the elbow to the hand. Above the elbow is not! That’s why a handshake is fine. A salesperson putting his (or her) hands anywhere else during a first-time sales call is wrong. It distracts and is inappropriate.
Common sense in sales tells you not to make sales harder than it needs to be. Keep your hands to yourself.
Don’t touch their stuff.
I’ve seen salespeople move items on a customer’s desk to make room for a laptop presentation or other materials. They did this without asking the customer where they could put their laptop so the customer could see the screen.
I never want to embarrass someone I’m with in front of a customer. I was still shocked that this salesman started reorganizing the customer’s desk before he put his materials on it. This customer was not the flexible type either. His face tightened while he couldn’t take his eyes off the corner of his desk that was now “redecorated.” Do you think the customer listened well to the presentation? Of course he did not.
Take your competitor’s strengths seriously.
I’ve seen too many salespeople plan their strategy to get new business without a true understanding of their competitors’ strengths. It’s bad enough not even to know what you’re up against. It’s worse to know and to ignore it.
Common sense tells you to figure a way to leverage your strengths while considering your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Going head to head with a strong competitor isn’t smart. The better way is to leverage your strengths against your competitor’s weaknesses.
Why do salespeople ignore their competitor’s strengths? They’re addicted to a drug. It’s HOPIUM. Hope won’t make your sales. Good strategy will.
Not all hope is misguided. If you really want to hope, you can hope that common sense is not very common with your competition.
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