Sales Force
Image yourself like this:
You’re a middle-aged man carrying an extra 50-pounds of personal flesh, strolling through the mall, pushing your 4-month old baby girl along in her carriage. The two of you are in an intense conversation about making the transition from a purely liquid diet to solid food (or in my case, back the other way). You want to try the lobster bisque, she thinks that rice cereal would be a better place to start. Suddenly, your sloppy frame, complete with a horde of unsightly facial stubble, is approached by a young attractive women dressed more sharply than you looked on your wedding day. You figure -
A) She wants to coo at your adorable, well-behaved little girl
B) She wishes to take you somewhere private for a special moment together
C) She desires to politely inform you that you have spit-up on your shirt, maybe your spit-up, maybe the baby’s
D) She wants to distract your attention from your child by giving you a lengthy demonstration of skin care products
If you guessed A or C, then you’re like most men in that situation. If you guessed B, you’re like most desperate lonely men in that situation. Nobody in their right mind would guess D. But D it was.
Now, I’ve worked in retail. And I’ve worked in some desperate times and at some lowly sales jobs (yes, I was one of those boiler-room guys who would call trying to sell you novelty items you didn’t need by hooking you in with a phony sweepstakes prize). But even I know that you make the most money by picking your spots.
And in my experience, an unkempt father with spit-up on his t-shirt speaking in baby jibberish is not a spot worth picking. Granted, I looked like I was in need of some serious skin care, but that does not make me somebody prone - at least at that time - to discuss skin care products and explore my options. I looked like a guy focused solely on his baby.
Ok, sure, I admire her ambition. But when I said very quickly and firmly that I was busy with the baby, her attempt to give a quick coo at my bundle of joy and then redirect the two-second exchange back to her wares made me think that office work might be a more suitable career pursuit for this young woman.
So here are some selling tips: Size up your potential audience, approach them with bait that is tailored to them, and if they don’t bite because they are on fire or don’t speak your language or are juggling a toddler, bottle and diaper bag, don’t try to go back in with the same bait.
Some fish are just not worth putting your sales pole in the water.
TheWriteJerry @ July 23, 2007
>So here are some selling tips: Size up your potential audience, approach them with bait that is tailored to them, and if they don’t bite because they are on fire or don’t speak your language or are juggling a toddler, bottle and diaper bag, don’t try to go back in with the same bait.