Revoking Your License to Steal
There are so few true entrepreneurs. Guys and gals whose sole passion in life is running a business on which they turn a profit, regardless of the product. No, most of us are enthusiasts. I cannot tell you how many industries there are in which people downplay their salesmanship, or deny it outright. Probably in every single one of them, there’s a guy collecting somebody else’s money and saying “but I’m not a salesperson.” Here’s a brief list of the kinds of deception people use to fool themselves into thinking they aren’t a salesperson: Product Specialist, Associate, Assistant Manager, Team Member, Team Leader, Account Executive, Service Professional, Strategic Alliance Manager, System Engineer, Interior Designer, etc.
What do all of the above people have in common? At least 2 things: They’re enthusiastic about their expertise in some field (which represents a product category for someone else), and they are all, despite their gyrations to the contrary, salespeople.
I think we all know what it means to be enthusiastic about a product which pertains to a skill or an interest of our own. Guitar players sell guitars. Who owns the local pool supply company? The ex-state champion swimmer. The retired race car driver didn’t run out and open up an electronics store, he opened a car dealership. I’ll bet every person who works at your local tack store has some experience with horses.
When people are put into a position of perceived authority, an amazing thing happens: other people start asking them questions. The problem is that the more people ask your opinion, the more you believe it matters. You really start to think and act as though you are an expert. And this is not to suggest that you don’t have expertise, only that your opinion of the merchandise is not as important as the customer’s opinion of the merchandise. Pride is a sale-killer.
Anyway, in service contracting, one of the more common results of using our system is a high level of trust with customers, which frequently leads them to ask the Technician the following question: "What would you do (if it were your home or your decision)?"
There is only one possible answer to this question if you're true to your ethics as a craftsman, and your salesmanship matches that resolve.
“Thanks for asking my opinion, but it would be completely unfair of me to
answer. See, I'm a Technician. I'm a craftsman. I actually like doing this stuff, it isn't an inconvenience or an interruption to my life. I know distributors and have access to the parts. So the decisions I'd make in my own home really don't have a lot to do with what's going on in yours. I haven't given you a bad option, we just need to work closely to figure out what's the best solution for you.”
The customer just gave you a license to steal. And you just handed it right back. Lots of Techs talk about ethics. This is walking that walk.
What do all of the above people have in common? At least 2 things: They’re enthusiastic about their expertise in some field (which represents a product category for someone else), and they are all, despite their gyrations to the contrary, salespeople.
I think we all know what it means to be enthusiastic about a product which pertains to a skill or an interest of our own. Guitar players sell guitars. Who owns the local pool supply company? The ex-state champion swimmer. The retired race car driver didn’t run out and open up an electronics store, he opened a car dealership. I’ll bet every person who works at your local tack store has some experience with horses.
When people are put into a position of perceived authority, an amazing thing happens: other people start asking them questions. The problem is that the more people ask your opinion, the more you believe it matters. You really start to think and act as though you are an expert. And this is not to suggest that you don’t have expertise, only that your opinion of the merchandise is not as important as the customer’s opinion of the merchandise. Pride is a sale-killer.
Anyway, in service contracting, one of the more common results of using our system is a high level of trust with customers, which frequently leads them to ask the Technician the following question: "What would you do (if it were your home or your decision)?"
There is only one possible answer to this question if you're true to your ethics as a craftsman, and your salesmanship matches that resolve.
“Thanks for asking my opinion, but it would be completely unfair of me to
answer. See, I'm a Technician. I'm a craftsman. I actually like doing this stuff, it isn't an inconvenience or an interruption to my life. I know distributors and have access to the parts. So the decisions I'd make in my own home really don't have a lot to do with what's going on in yours. I haven't given you a bad option, we just need to work closely to figure out what's the best solution for you.”
The customer just gave you a license to steal. And you just handed it right back. Lots of Techs talk about ethics. This is walking that walk.
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