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by John Carroll
Edgar mans one of the sampling stations in our local Publix grocery. As I looked over the pies in the cooler next to him, we started a conversation that illustrated for me very clearly the pride that can still be found in the sales profession.
Here’s how the early conversation went:
“I’m going to take a pumpkin pie home tonight. How are they?” I asked.
“These are the best pies in town,” Edgar said. “We have the best bakery, bar none. We can’t keep enough of the pies available. Last week we had to go round some up from our other local stores to meet the demand.”
“Is that right?” I said in amazement. “What’s special about this store that creates such demand?”
Edgar stood as tall as possible in his compact frame and pointed proudly at the name tag on his chest. “See this? Publix has over 700 stores and I’m the only one with this title anywhere in the company,” he said. The title on his name tag read, “Sales Master.”
I did a
little checking to learn that Florida-based Publix is one of the 10 largest
grocery chains by sales volume in the
“So how did you get that title?” I asked.
“Well, I sell a lot of product,” he replied.
“Do you do that just by offering samples to people shopping?” I asked.
“I get people talking,” he said. “I get to know them and they make it a point to stop and see me when they’re in the store. I ask them about their family and what they like to do.”
I was impressed by how simply Edgar views the world of selling. Offer a good product and show an interest in people and they will buy, he seemed to say.
So what are the lessons learned from watching Edgar in action? I found these:
1. Believe in what you sell – I learned long ago that the more you believe in your product or service, the more of it you’re likely to sell. Edgar makes this perfectly obvious when he brags about his store’s bakery. This is much different from the typical hype you find in many sales presentations. Edgar says it with such conviction that it removes all doubt.
2. Be proud of what you do – I’ve had the conversation with more than one person in sales who confided in me that selling wasn’t what he or she had in mind as a career destination. Some people land in selling positions and consider it a career stopover until they find real employment (whatever that is) while others take to selling as if it’s second nature. That pride in Edgar’s voice and mannerisms surfaced as enthusiasm, one of the most valuable tools in any sales professional’s toolbox.
3. Know your product – We didn’t have the conversation, but I’ll bet that Edgar could talk a bit about the freshness and all natural ingredients that go into his bakery products. Again, it’s more than hype when he can speak to that level of detail and tell you how fresh an item is while it’s in your hands. Knowing your product thoroughly allows you to express it in terms of why it’s valuable to your prospect or customer (exactly what Edgar does) rather than rattling off a long list of features.
4. Be flexible – Publix has a term for the sampling that Edgar and others do in their stores. They call it a selling event. Since these don’t happen everyday, you’ll often find Edgar behind the deli counter, where he’s caring for customers and building great sub sandwiches. Since every day is a selling event for Edgar, he’s moving and speaking with that same level of contagious enthusiasm. He has even given his own nicknames to the various sandwiches he sells. One example: he calls his all-the-way sandwich the “Merle Haggard,” because if you eat this oversized creation in one sitting, “you’ll be singing the blues.”
5. Keep it simple – Edgar doesn’t require a lot of handholding to sell a high volume of bakery or other products. In fact, if he has a spot and some product and his sample table all set and ready, he’s in business. Too many people want to overcomplicate this thing we call selling. At its simplest, selling is getting to know someone, learning what they want and need and helping them find it and buy it.
6. Smile and mean it – Edgar loves what he does and it shows. The pleasure he takes in delighting a customer is something to behold. His smile is contagious and makes you want to buy more of what he’s selling, even if you don’t particularly need it today. A smile may seem such an insignificant element in the overall picture of sales. Don’t sell it short. Check the mirror now and then to see and know what you’re wearing above the collar. As more than one person has said, “If you ‘re happy to be here, try telling your face.”
As I looked over the pies to make my selection, a bakery specialist came with a cart to restock the dwindling supply in the cooler. She made it a point to tell Edgar that these were the last of the day’s pies. He had sold them all and there were just 13 left from the more than 100 made that day.
Edgar the Sales Master can restore one’s faith in what I believe to be among the noblest of professions. If your career relies on your ability to sell, take a tip or two from Edgar to recharge your batteries and love this business of selling.
John Carroll is an author, professional speaker and
consultant and president of Unlimited Performance, a