My Story: I Hate Sales People

Jack,

I hate sales people. I'm serious. I'm the biggest sucker in the world. I have no defenses against slick sales people. They can sell me cars and timeshares as easily as cold water in August. My temperament is Blue -- as gullible and forgiving as they come. Help me out, Jack!

Mary Johnston

Dear Mary,

When you realize that some joys of your own temperament can hurt you, that's half the battle. The other half is to grow some strengths from the other Colors.

Of course you don't want to stop shopping, right? But you want to buy only what you truly want and at a fair price, right?

Here's Defense Tactic #1:  Invite a friend to the sales encounter with you. An Orange could be a hard negotiator. A Gold might be a no-nonsense weigher of sound options and will put the sale person's feet to the fire for honest answers. A Green friend may eagerly do homework in advance so there will be no surprises. And you are Blue enough, so think twice before you invite another Blue.

Defense Tactic #2:  Learn some behaviors of the other Colors and master them like a good actor would. For example, do some serious research and decide exactly what you want beforehand (Green).  Rehearse and tell the sales person what you want and how you expect the sales process to go; do not mince words or reveal any lack of confidence or resolve (Orange). Own the entire sales meeting like a supervisor or inspector; take time, be patient, demand clarity, sign only when good sense tells you to sign (Gold).

Write me again, Mary, after your next negotiation -- one with a happy ending!

Jack

It's Gold Week -- Are the BEST sales people GOLD?

Guardian Golds are all about dependability when it comes to attracting new prospects and nurturing old customers for new business. This week is Gold - the Gold Guardian sales person who can be a Supervisor, Inspector, Provider, or Protector (temperament-wise).

You might say that dependability is a Gold person's middle name. If you are training one, he/she will dependably adhere to your policies and be the most obedient when given an order.

If you have an online Customer Relations Management (CRM) system, your Gold sales people will be the most likely to use it religiously.

Gold sales folks can be counted on to care about details, learn and share information, follow your sales scripts, and be persistent. They will bond with clients, communicate with them on schedule and even eagerly mail out birthday and thank-you cards.

If Golds have weaknesses, it's that they may be "too thorough" to the point that prospects think they plod and process annoyingly long, deliver far too much information, and seem reluctant to make quickly needed tactical changes.

Overall, however, Gold sales people are "best" servers of customers, excellent responders -- just plain comprehensive!

Orange Sales Team Member Comment: If you're nervous about closing, call me in. You've done all the homework, now don't be shy about asking me to seal the deal.

Blue Sales Team Member Comment: Let me help you figure out what your prospects' real needs are. My middle name is Schmooze.

Green Sales Team Member Comment: If you want the CRM program adjusted, call me. I'll customize it for you.

  :)

Gold Jimmy Carter on YouTube: Golds Talk a Moral Highroad Consistently