Every good player has both fundamentals and passion.
I spent the weekend at a gift market helping my parents purchase inventory for their gift store. If you haven’t attended a gift market before, it's quite simply a large mall. Showrooms filled with the latest products and gifts for you to purchase in bulk, intended for resale.
So throughout the weekend you meet with sales rep after sales rep. You can't help but compare them to one another and wow, was there a difference. It made me reflect on myself and my sales abilities.
Do you know your product?
In the game: Some reps were phenomenal. They knew the best-selling items in each gift line, the minimum quantities to purchase and quickly told you the show specials and how to take advantage of them.
On the bench: Other reps only knew the bare minimum. They looked up each item in the catalog, had trouble finding certain information and many times having to go ask another associate the prices, quantities or specifics.
Do you have the passion?
In the game: The "A" team representatives had the passion about their products. They gave selling tips that have worked for other clients, advised you on colors and quantities, showed you how to display and utilize the product so it would sell fast, prompting re-orders.
On the bench: The "B" team representatives seemed less than interested if you purchased their lines. They were quite simply order-takers and not even very good ones. They lacked the confidence that many business owners are looking for when purchasing a new product.
Many other professions are similar to a gift market with changing inventory, new seasonal items and a number of other variables so I can only assume this would be a challenge. However, the question remains - are you on the top of your game?
No comments:
Post a Comment