Case study: Walking the talk

by John Carroll

Some years ago I was selling seats for one of my public sales improvement seminars. I went about it the way most would, by targeting local sales managers and business owners. I spoke to anyone who would speak to me, first uncovering needs, presenting a representative sampling of the training I was to deliver and asking for the sale.

It was early January when I first met Bob, the general manager of two local radio stations. Bob seemed interested in my stated purpose for being there, so I started asking questions and taking notes on critical result areas for his sales effort. I focused on getting the information I needed to highlight in presenting the features and benefits of my offer.

Well, it took three calls before I could finally make my presentation. On the big day, I arrived at his office looking as if I was moving in, with a large catalog bag in one hand and an even larger portable video player/monitor in the other. (He even jokingly asked if I had remembered to bring my toothbrush!) As I unpacked the materials and began to review what we had discussed previously to insure we still had agreement on his needs, he gave me a scare with a single statement. "John, this is our slowest time of year, and money is so tight that I won’t be able to send anyone to your training until spring," he said.

I stopped what I was doing, looked him in the eyes and said, "Bob, if we can spread the money for the training over several payments, will that help you do this now?" His immediate response was yes, and he decided on the spot to send one of his people to the next seminar.

As I began to pack all my materials back into their respective cases, Bob noticed a rather broad smile on my face and asked me about it. "Well, I didn’t even have to present the content of the program for you to buy it," I replied.

He responded with something I’ve remembered ever since. "I’ve been watching you in our meetings, and I see the way you’ve handled yourself. I have to figure that you’re a product of the sales training you offer. I like what I’ve seen, so there’s no need for me to see the content of the course itself. I trust that it will be good."

Before you get the wrong idea, you should know that I strongly believe in asking one’s way to sales success. Asking good questions, asking for the advance, asking for the business and asking for referrals are all critical pieces of the sales puzzle. I share this story simply because I learned on this day, many years ago, that walking the talk in selling can sometimes single-handedly win the sale.

John Carroll is President/CEO of Unlimited Performance, a Mt. Pleasant, SC firm focused on organizational and individual performance improvement. He is the author of Sales Illustrated - 68 Sales Lessons from Everyday Life. Contact him at 1-877-755-8844 toll-free, e-mail at jcarroll@uperform.com, fax at (843) 881-6746.