فصل 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

GIVE, GIVE, GIVE

THE MAGIC OF GIVE, GIVE, GIVE

Selling is the act of giving, not getting; serving, not selling. Unfortunately, most people in sales are looking for their commission and what they’re going to get out of the deal rather than what they’re going to give, what their product really offers, and how the client will benefit. The old adage is that it’s better to give than to receive, but in selling, the only way to receive is to give first.

I believe that the true essence of selling is not just getting the sale, but the sincere desire to help. I also believe that a spiritually aware person will ultimately be a better salesperson than someone who’s just interested in compensation.

I believe and have validated in my life that if you give enough in life, life will give back to you. It’s the same in sales as it is in life. I don’t mean giving the lowest price, or giving products and services away for free, but giving the most attention, the most energy, the best attitude, and the highest level of service.

Give, give, give is the assurance of sales, sales, sales. If your client wants one option, give him three, six, or even twelve options.

I created a software program for retailers based on the give, give, give philosophy. The program is called Epencil™ and provides the client with multiple options on different products in a succinct and professional manner. Epencil™ has been extremely successful in the auto industry where, for years, salespeople were inclined not to give information or to give only limited information. What I introduced was a program wherein a customer who asks for information is given an array of payments, package options, and price information, thereby making the buyer feel serviced, not sold. This concept of taking give, give, give to an actual application resulted in increased profits, increased sales, and happier customers for auto dealers. It fully utilizes the idea that service is senior to selling and giving is senior to getting.

If someone asks me for a drink, I get it for them, open the bottle, and bring them a glass, ice, and a napkin. That’s give, give, give in action. I don’t ask them if they want the glass and the ice—I deliver it and leave it to them as to whether they want it in the bottle or want me to pour it over ice! If I’m a waiter, I don’t ask if you want dessert after dinner. I bring you the dessert tray, tell you about each dessert, tell you about my favorite, and dare you to pass. I can service you into the dessert without ever seeming to sell it!

A friend told me a story that illustrates the give, give, give attitude. She and her husband were leaving a restaurant in New Orleans one evening, and as they walked out onto the street, a haggard-looking man in a threadbare coat approached them. He immediately asked the husband for permission to serenade his wife. Reluctantly, the husband agreed and the man got down on his knees before her right on the sidewalk and began singing. She said that the incredible voice and heartfelt passion that came from that desperate character was powerful enough to blow the glass out of every window on the block. The man went on singing for two minutes, pouring his heart and soul into that song and giving them every fiber of his being. When he finished, they were speechless. Her husband handed the guy $100. With tears of gratitude, the man thanked them, then ran down the street to a beat-up car where his wife and children were waiting. The only thing that the guy had to offer was his voice, and he knew that if he didn’t give it right then and there, his family wasn’t going to eat that night. My friend’s husband, a career salesman, said that he’d been so impressed by the man’s intention to give that he hardly felt $100 was enough for what he received. That man on the street poured his soul into his song with the give, give, give attitude, not knowing if the couple would tip him at all. Regardless, for those two brief minutes, he belonged entirely and completely to them.

Give all of you to a prospect, not just a part of you. Give all of your attention, all of your energy, all of your suggestions, all of your information, and then find some more of you to give! Exceed expectations and go all the way with him and then a bit further. Withhold none of you and give yourself without reservation.

As a customer or client, I don’t want to have to ask a salesperson for something. I want him to offer it. I want him to predict what I need and offer it to me. I want to be provided with what I ask for and everything else that will help me to make a decision. This shows me that he wants to take care of me, is thinking like me, and is actually predicting my expectations and surpassing them all at the same time. Deal closed!

LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH

Always pay attention to your customers and stay with them from start to finish without allowing interruptions. Show each customer how important they are to you and how they’re the most important person in your universe. If you can do that you will be rewarded. If you chase two rabbits at the same time, both will get away. Commit to the one you’re with all the way. Handle your phone calls and e-mails later and never allow interruptions.

Make your total commitment to that one opportunity, that one customer, and let him know that! Give your customers all of you and they’ll see that you’re with them all the way. Regardless of them taking calls, or you being interrupted, keep your focus on the person you’re with. Too often, people feel neglected in life; so don’t let them have that experience with you. Show them complete attention from beginning to end! Give, give, give your full, undivided attention to your customer and don’t stop until you bring it home!

Make it your goal to give 100 percent of your attention to the customer regardless of the quality of the prospect or the estimated odds of closing the deal. Human beings are much more valuable than money. Treat them like that and you’ll be rewarded.

In the business of sales, you have to be willing to serve people, not just sell them. For a business to survive and prosper it has to serve and help people, not just sell products. That means taking take care of customers and going beyond their expectations. The best salespeople I’ve ever met were not the fast-talking guys, but the most service-oriented ones. Those professionals who care the most are the ones who go the extra mile to find ways to improve the customer’s life.

ARE YOU A HOLIDAY INN OR A RITZ-CARLTON?

As a salesperson, are you a Holiday Inn or a Ritz-Carlton? Be honest with yourself and you’ll see why you’re being paid whatever you’re currently making. If most of your customers are grinding you on price, then your level of service is not obvious to them; otherwise they wouldn’t grind you on just the price, because they would value the service you give them.

One time I had 1,700 apartments for sale. I had real estate agents lined up around the block begging for the listing, but none of them got it because I didn’t trust that they would service me the way I wanted. I gave it to the guy that I knew and trusted, and I actually paid him double what I would have paid any other agency. I chose him because I truly believed that I could count on him to give me the best advice and the best service. The agent that I chose was someone I believed in, and I was willing to pay extra for it. Why would I do that? Because like most people, I don’t want the best deal, I want the best service, the best product, and the best representation. I want to know that you’re going to be there for me no matter what. I want to know that there’s not going to be unnecessary drama and conflict, and if there is, I want to know that you’ll handle it.

Selling is about helping people, not just selling them. If you like helping people and perfect the other points I’m suggesting to you here, you will be great. Many salespeople whom I’ve met, who otherwise could have been great salespeople, have unfortunately been corrupted by others who led them to believe that they should rely on trickery and deception. You don’t have to trick or deceive to sell. You have to be willing to serve and help people before you’ll get the close. The more you’re able to demonstrate that service-oriented attitude, the easier your job will be. And trust me, no matter how much you serve someone you’ll still have to be prepared to ask, “Will that be cash, check, or credit card?” Service is the only way to higher prices and less competition. A salesperson caught in a constant price conflict will never agree with my point because he’s stuck on price as the solution. But price is not the solution; it never has been and never will be. Service is the solution! A better product is not the solution because sooner or later someone will have similar or better products and will sell them at a lower price.

A buyer will pay extra for great service, a great attitude, ease of purchase, convenience, and being made to feel special. Look at how you can create a level of service that separates you from others. Going to the client rather than waiting for the client to come to you is service. Providing options is a way to service a customer. Sending gifts, flowers, notes, or just dropping by to say hello is service. A big smile, your full attention, and a great attitude are service. There’s no real value in lower prices. What do I get for a lower price? I get a lower price and less service. I can get a room at a Holiday Inn for a fraction of the price of a room at the Ritz. What do I get for saving $400? I get a cheaper room, minimal service, and “I don’t care” attitudes. What is the difference between a $500 room and an $80 room? Service!

You don’t have to look far to find companies that are known for great service and higher prices. People even brag that they pay extra to do business with them. Look at Tiffany’s, Ritz Hotels, the Four Seasons, and American Express Centurion. There are high-end beauty shops where haircuts are $700, but they aren’t selling haircuts—they’re giving service in abundance.

This kind of service is no different for a salesperson. If you elevate your level of service above the rest of the market, your customers will quit shopping the price. How much are you willing to bend over backward to make sure your customers are happy?

I once attended a seminar as a salesperson where the speaker said that one should never call and ask the client how the product was working because it opens the conversation to problems. While the audience agreed, I sat there in absolute disagreement. If my customer is having a problem, then I want to know about it so I can handle it. Problems and dissatisfaction are opportunities for me to shine, for me to separate myself and to sell again. It’s not a service department’s problem, it’s my customer’s problem, and I want to take care of it for him.

Tip: Problem = Opportunities for Future Sales.

SERVICE IS SENIOR TO SELLING

No amount of slick advertising or public relations can make up for poor service. Twice a year my wife and I go shopping for new clothes, and one time we decided to go to a big department store in our neighborhood that had recently started promoting a new image of personal service and customer satisfaction. After twenty minutes of walking around this store, not a single person had greeted us. Not even a hello! It was unbelievable. We were two qualified buyers with the intent to buy something and there was no one willing to help us or even acknowledge that we were there. What were these people thinking? I left that store feeling infuriated and swore I would never buy there again. I would never waste another minute of my time in that place. It would have been easier to steal the merchandise than to buy the merchandise there. When I got home, I opened the mail and what did I find? A slick invitation from that same department store inviting me to come down and shop its big sale!

Service is always senior to selling—always. One of the best people I know who is an example of high levels of service is my friend Gavin Potter. While I consider Gavin a friend, he sells me constantly on contributing money to projects for which he raises funds. I consider him a friend and not a salesperson because of the extraordinary service he gives me. He is an incredible salesperson, but beyond that, he’s dedicated to high levels of service and thoroughly convinced of his cause. His commitment to his purpose alone and his dedication to high levels of service is what makes him great. One without the other results in mediocrity. Gavin has both barrels loaded: Service and purpose. I guarantee you that if Gavin were to run his statistics, he would find that his sales rise with every service-oriented action he performs. He knows that service is senior to the sale, and that’s why he’s in a league of his own as a salesperson.

If you incorporate these simple truths about giving and providing stellar service, I assure you that you’ll become a master of your trade. You’ll experience a confidence that you cannot put any value on, and that is worth more than money itself. You’ll be able to name your price, go where you want, work with whomever you choose, sell whatever products you choose to sell, and provide for yourself and your family in ways that most people only dream of! You’ll also experience a lifestyle that very few people actually have—one free of stress, worry, and problems. So give, give, give of yourself fully and provide unparalleled levels of service!