Years ago, when Sir Hugh Rigby, the Sergeant Surgeon to King George was asked “what makes a great surgeon (among the many),” he replied, “There isn’t much to choose from in manual dexterity . . . what distinguishes a great surgeon is that he KNOWS more than other surgeons.”
I would submit today that we can apply the same principal to sales to a large degree.
Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes for a minute. You have decided to buy a new TV . . . one with all the bells and whistles. You roll into BestBuy and up wanders a part-timer . . . probably has some personal knowledge of technology but you can tell he is not answering your questions with conviction.
Finally, he summons the pro . . . the guy who works there all the time, has sold hundreds of electronic devices . . . so let the REAL sales experience begin.
He answers all your questions with authority. He offers suggestions for alternatives. He talks about changes in technology that are coming to help you prepare and not buy something that will become obsolete in six months. You feel good about the experience and you decide to make the purchase.
Like the great surgeon, the electronics salesperson was successful in closing you because “he knows more.”
I like to tell salespeople . . . particularly salespeople who are just starting out, that it can seem like we have a lot of “downtime” between meetings. I tell them that for the best salespeople, there is no such thing as “downtime” while they are on the clock.
The best salespeople are constantly learning more about their products, studying the competition, researching anything a client might want to know about.
Great salespeople “know more!” And that power and conviction are absolute magnets when it comes to communicating with prospects and clients.
