Remodeling Show Blog

As odd as this may sound, to a large degree it’s true. Think about it this way. When you go to a car dealership and a salesperson asks if they can help you, what do you most often say?  With me it’s, “no thanks, I’m just looking.”  I want to look around and not listen to someone pressure me towards a product.  I’m expecting to be pressured and if the salesperson’s response is to continue to try and sell me after I’ve made the previous statement, they’re lessening the chance I’ll buy anything from them. If they’re too persistent they turn me off and lose the hopes of gaining my business.

If on the other hand they give me a card,  tell me to look around, let me know they’re available for any questions I have, and leave me alone, I adopt a favorable attitude towards them. My “Guard Alert” has just dropped from Level Orange to Level Yellow. If I do find something I’m interested in, I’ll search that person out and reengage them. If I believe this person is providing me truthful information, is sincerely attempting to educate and assist me with making a selection that is in my best interest and not just his or hers, I begin to see them as a buyers aid and the alert level drops to green.

Fair or unfair, I’m simply giving an example of how many people think when it comes to sales people. The reality is most people are expecting someone to try and sale them in a way that they naturally resist. When you don’t they’re often surprised and relieved.

Acting as a consultant and buyers aid is a much better way than old school approaches in my opinion. The factors that influence the customers buying decision won’t come down to how smooth of an operator you are in terms of being a professional salesperson, but how they feel about you.

Your rate of success is highly associated with your people skills and personality. In reality if you’re trying to sell anything it’s yourself, not a product. You have to achieve certain basic objectives and create a positive impression and relationship foundation with your prospect during the first meeting. This approach requires general professionalism, organization and learning to follow a general but un-canned process. It helps to have an ability to adapt to different personality types, not have thin skin, and exercise patience. It’ll ultimately depend on the likeability, trust and confidence factor you create through interaction with the prospect.  The comfort level you achieve by displaying your competence of ability, sincerity, genuineness, and communication skills will trump all other aspects more times than not.  It will come down to you the person and the impressions you make on the prospect. You don’t have to be an Albert Einstein or the seasoned professional salesperson. You simply have to weigh your words, look people in the eye, and come across as an honest, knowledgeable, and competent person and create a comfort level the customer. By combining these simple but effective concepts, you’ll wake up one day and realize that not only are you a carpenter, remodeler, or deck builder, but you became a successful salesperson without ever really trying to sell anyone.

Bobby Parks will be speaking at the 2010 Remodeling Show. Check out the website for more information on the event including a schedule of remodeling classes.