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I'm walking through Terminal 2 at O'Hare Airport lugging two heavy bags. I see the shoeshine stand directly ahead. The shoeshine man is looking for his next sale. I'm walking and thinking about getting to my connecting gate. Somehow, he catches my eye. When he has it, he looks down at my shoes. My eyes follow his. As I pass, trying not to look him in the eye again, he says, “Sir, let me shine those Cole-Haan loafers for you.”
“Uh, no thanks, I've got to catch a plane,” I reply. Now there's an objection he's never heard before. I keep walking, but now I'm thinking, “How did he know these are Cole Haan shoes? That was an interesting approach. I wonder if they really are Cole Haan shoes.”
I duck into the nearest men's room and, balancing on my left foot, I take off my right shoe to check the label. It reads, “Cole Haan.” I put it back on and return to the shoeshine stand. “I've changed my mind. I need a shine after all.”
Are you willing to learn from someone who's not a trainer or teacher? This shoeshine professional sold me a $5 shoeshine and threw in seven sales success principles absolutely free. Sure, his service isn't very complex and his sales process isn't nearly as complicated as yours. At the same time, you can benefit from and form a philosophy around these seven ideas:
1. A Strong Opening Is Critical.
When you pass the typical shoeshine man, he says, “Shine 'em up?” My pro had taken his approach to a higher level with a customized opening line for each customer. Research ranks approach/involvement as the number one must-have selling skill, way above closing. This shoeshine man's opening question and confirmation question are one and the same. A strong opening leads to a strong closing.
2. Product Involvement Is a Powerful Success Trait.
By calling out the brand of shoe, he was communicating, “Hey, this is what I do. I care about shoes.” Wouldn't you rather buy something from a salesperson who is into what he's doing?
3. Controlling the Meeting's Focus Is Critical.
When I passed the shoeshine stand, I was focused on getting to my gate. The salesperson broke my preoccupation with catching a plane and forced me to focus on my shoes. When you control the focus, you control the situation.
4. Eye Contact Is an Important Trust-Building Tool.
You convey confidence with eye contact. Looking customers in the eye and smiling with your eyes and mouth both help build trust and reduce a customer's reluctance to do business with you.
5. Helping Customers Discover Their Needs Is Part of the Process.
By getting me to look at my own shoes, I discovered that it had been a while between shoeshines. People rarely resist their own data and discoveries.
6. Doing It Differently Is Refreshing and Memorable for the Customer.
I have passed thousands of shoeshine stands and had hundreds of shines. I still remember the shoeshine guy who did it a little differently. Will your customers remember you?
7. Customers Buy from Salespeople Who Align Their Behavior with the Things Customers Value.
Customers want to buy things. They want to work with professionals. They want to be engaged and challenged. Because I believe life is one big seminar and lifelong learners get more out of life, I can get a $129 seminar out of a 50-cent brochure that advertises a seminar on how to write brochures. And I can get seven key selling strategies from a $5 shoeshine (plus tip).
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood.”
What lessons will you learn today? Who will your teachers be? You never know. Just be open to learning from everyone.
Excerpt from Chris Lytle's book,
The Accidental Salesperson: How to Take Control of Your Sales Career and Earn the Respect and Income You Deserve.
