| Sales training and prospecting tips from the | | | | tradesmen not salesmen. When a windows |
| unbelievable sites I witnessed while watching | | | | salesman knocks on your door they are doing it |
| window fitters working on my house. I recently | | | | for their benefit. When you stop a working guy in |
| had new windows fitted and while watching what | | | | the street you are doing it for your benefit. |
| happened I saw some fantastic sales prospecting | | | | Imagine what a sales person could have done |
| techniques that just naturally happened because | | | | with all those leads. |
| of how prospects think and act. Forget classroom | | | | Buyers will always take the easiest actions. Which |
| sales prospecting skills you learn on courses, I | | | | is easiest, searching through adverts, directories, |
| saw a steady flow of sales prospects that would | | | | and the internet and having to make a decision on |
| fill any sales person's diary and make their target | | | | which company to contact. Then speaking to |
| for the month. I'm now adapting these techniques | | | | someone on a sales line and waiting to be |
| with my working sales teams and you can fill | | | | ambushed into agreeing to a sales appointment or |
| your diary or grow your small business sales by | | | | even a sale. Or, stopping for a casual chat with a |
| doing the same. | | | | working guy that you can see actually knows |
| The front of my house is on a busy lane that | | | | what he's talking about? If you wanted |
| leads to the local shops and throughout the day | | | | information and advice about having new windows |
| many people passed by and saw the two guys | | | | fitted who would you talk to. A guy in overalls |
| installing my new windows. I saw people slowing | | | | that fits windows everyday or a smart suited |
| down and stopping to look towards the house and | | | | salesperson that knows more about the credit |
| the work being done. Some took the contact | | | | agreement than the windows? So what sales |
| details from the side of the window fitter's truck, | | | | training lessons can we learn from the actions of |
| and many others stopped to ask the guys | | | | the passing sales prospects and my window |
| questions about windows and for prices for | | | | fitters? Without knowing your line of business it's |
| repairs or renewals. I have to admit I cringed as I | | | | difficult to give precise sales tips. But consider the |
| listened to the window guys responding to these | | | | following ideas and think how you could adapt |
| passing sales prospects. They were excellent | | | | them for your sales role. |
| window fitters but not salesmen. | | | | If you were a sales person for the company my |
| What I learned was the marketing power this | | | | window fitters worked for how about getting |
| situation created. This was far more effective | | | | your hands dirty and spending some time with the |
| than expensive T.V. or newspaper advertising. It | | | | guys fitting the windows. Put on some overalls |
| triggered a reaction from anyone passing that had | | | | and talk to all the passing prospects that want |
| the slightest need for the guy's services. This was | | | | information. From what I saw outside my home I |
| a sales person's dream, prospects queuing up to | | | | guarantee you will fill your sales diary. |
| talk to someone. It got to the point where it was | | | | Small business sales can be boosted by making all |
| stopping the guys from working and they didn't | | | | your front line people sales motivated. Put a |
| have the time to deal with all these people. What | | | | reward scheme in place and supply every one of |
| a waste of sales opportunities, I bet there are | | | | your staff with sales and information literature. |
| home improvement direct sales people that work | | | | Give them a prospect pad to take details of any |
| all month to get that many prospects, more on | | | | potential sales opportunities, and reward them for |
| that later. | | | | every sale that they generate. |
| There are several reasons why these prospects | | | | Sales people are perceived as doing their job and |
| stopped and talked to the working window fitters, | | | | contacting people for their own benefit. Working |
| and within these reasons we can find valuable | | | | people in non sales roles are viewed as being able |
| sales training and prospecting ideas. | | | | to offer information that will benefit the buyer. If |
| The main reason people felt comfortable was | | | | you're a sales person how do your prospects |
| that someone else has taken the first action and | | | | perceive you? What can you do to be seen as |
| decided these professionals were the ones to | | | | someone that can benefit the buyer, and how will |
| contact and employ. So the prospects follow | | | | you get a queue of prospects wanting to talk to |
| some one else's first action. | | | | you. |
| Another reason is that these were working | | | | |