Take the Blinders Off When Making a Sales Call

I was stunned when I read this LinkedIn post from Joshua Wamser, President of Industrial Compressor Solutions:  "During your interview, I was there. You didn't notice me, because I was dressed like a service technician. You walked past myself and another potential coworker 3 times without ever saying hi. You were very cordial to the people you believed to be in charge though. None of us are better than anyone else. Say hi, smile, wave, or engage everyone you can." This is a classic example of how to lose a sale--of not being aware of your surroundings; of not understanding who your customer is; of not doing basic research before your sales call. So, a salesperson makes a call on Industrial Compressor Solutions and ignores the president and talks to the guys in the polo shirts or suits--thinking that they're the decision makers. Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that this has violated several sales commandments. If any salesperson walks into a customer's facility without understanding who the players are then he needs to go back to Sales 101. And this goes for any kind of salesperson. Have you ever been in a situation in which there have been two customers together, one male and one female, and the sales person addresses the male, thinking the female is NOT the decision maker? Underestimating the influence of one or the other person while making a pitch is a sure way to lose the sale. I have a customer who are a wife and husband team and the wife is the president of the company. I can't tell you how many times I have watched sales folks address the husband and ignore the wife--and LOSE the sale. When you're making a sales pitch, make sure you understand who the players are and their roles in the decision making process. If you don't know, ask. Take your blinders off or risk losing the sale--it's that simple.