Selling is simple

f fenB ARE A NUMBsn of different lldefinitions to help you come to grips with what selling really entails.

l. Srlting is the science of helping people get what they want.

If your prospective customer doesn't want or need what you are offering-if it doesn't fill some need in the customer-then you have no business engaging in the selling process with him.

Now don't get too hung up on the definition of "need." If we define that too narrowly, we eliminate everything except food and shelter. Our needs and wants are ever-expanding, and include things that make us feel good or fill some emotional need as well those that meet our basic needs. We may not really need a caramel cream latte, but thousands are purchased every day. It makes us feel good. While selling is what you do and you can do it better, it's still less about you and more about your customer.

2. Sntttrg is the process of helping people make decisions that often lead them to purchase fromyou. Effective selling begins with an understanding that it is about influencing the decisions of the customer. In other words, the ultimate location for the sales process is the mind and heart of the customer. Very few sales situations involve only one decision. One decision leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to the decision to buy.

Let's take one of the simplest selling situations with which I have ever been involved-selling water softeners to homeowners. This is a classic "one-call close." In other words, there is only one sales call necessary to help the customer make a decision. You either sell it when you see them, or you don't sell it at all.

Sounds simple. But even that simple. one-call sales process is quite a bit more involved when examined through the perspective of the decisions that the customer must make.

To initiate the process, the company must advertise and make itself appear to be a reputable solution for hard-water problems. Customers live in the land of apathy and ignorance. In other words, they don't know the salesperson or the company, and that's fine with them. Their lives are okay without them. So, they are igno-

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rant of the company and apathetic about it.

The first decision the customer must make is whether or not to call the company. The company hopes to influence that decision by the quality of its advertising, as well as its reputation in the market.

Let's say the customer decides in the affirmative and calls the company. Now, the customer has a salesperson on the phone. The customer now must decide whether or not to interact honestly with the salesperson. If the salesperson seems rude, arrogant or uninterested, the customer may decide to call someone else. Some get that impression and terminate the call. Others decide that the salesperson sounds trustworthy and competent enough to talk to, and do so.

As the conversation progresses, the salesperson is going to ask the customer for an appointment to come out, view their situation, and test their water. Another decision for the customer. Some decide not to do that, for whatever reason, and they drop out of the process. Others decide to make the appointment and move one step closer in the process.

Now, the customer faces yet another decision-whether or not to keep the appointment. Twenty to 3O7o of those who make an appointment decide, after the fact, not to keep it. So, they make sure they are gone when the salesperson shows up, or they hide in the basement and wait until he leaves. Those who do not keep the appointment drop out of the process, those who decide to keep it, move one step further along.

The salesperson shows up, this time in person, in the customer's home. The customer has another decisionwhether or not to be honest and forthcoming with the salesperson. Should she let me test the water? Should she take him down in the basement and show him the old equipment? If the salesperson appears competent and trustworthy, she will generally decide to interact honestly and the process moves along.

Finally, the salesperson tests the water, recommends a new system, and asks the customer to buy.

This simple, one-call close selling process consisted of a series of six decisions. Even in this simple selling process, the effective salesperson understands that it is a series of decisions and his/herjob is to help the customer make each affirmatively.

3. S"tttng is at the same time both simple and incredibly challenging.

It is simple in that almost every adult of reasonable intelligence, with just a modicum of people skills, can understand it and do it. It is incredibly challenging in that to become exceptionally good at it takes the better part of a lifetime of effort and practice.

Let's compare selling to the game of basketball. Anyone can take a basketball, bounce it a couple of times, and throw it up at hoop. In its essence, that's the game of basketball. However, there is a great distance between the skills and competence of the novice and those of someone like LeBron James. While the world is full of people who can play basketball, only a handful compete at a worldclass level.

You can sell. But more importantly, you can also sell better. You can do each step better.

- Dave Kahle is a sales trainer, presenter and author of eight books, including How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime. Reach him at (800) 331-1287 or via www.davekahle.com.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS: Lumber Association of California & Nevada's 2nd GroMh group celebrated the holidays Dec. 2 at the Sheraton, Cenitos, Ca. [1] Al Reed, John Allen. [2] Jack Butler, Joe Allotta, Bill Young. [3] Mike Ganity, Larry Christensen. [4] Steve & Kristin Schroeder. [5] Bob Schmidt, Chris Garcia, Craig Larson. [6] Mike Born, Johnny Pringle. [7] Gavin Morris, Chris Johnson, Tianna Cash, Matt Satterlee. [8] Mickey Spolar, Gerry Perez, Michelle Chase. [9] Rick Ponce, Rick Deen, Terry Rasmussen. [10] Michael Parrella, Janet Pimentel, Scott Crutchfield.

[11]Jean Henning, Mike Carey. [12] Scott Whitman, Rex Klopfer. [13] Mark Huff, Richard Coale. [14] Dan Croker, Chris Huntington. [15] Qeorge Kallas, Danny Sosa. [16] Ed Aguilar, Margarita & Jorge Vargas. [17] Jim Nocodemus, Frank Bader. [18] Mike & Karin Caputo, Natalie Allen, Brett Collins. [19] Betsy Bendix, Doug Willis. [20] Chris Skibba, Tim Hummel. [21] Mike Carey, Chris Freeman, Teny Rasmussen, Danny Sosa, Johnny Pringle, Jay McArthur.

William S. Cowling II,81, retired president of Dixieline Lumber & Home Centers, San Diego, Ca., died Nov. 27 in La Jolla, Ca., after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

The Cowling family founded the company in 1913, as Dixie Lumber. It later merged with Airline Lumber and became Dixieline. Mr. Cowling joined the company in 1954, after graduating from San Diego State University and serving with the military during the Korean War. In 1970, he succeeded his father as president and c.e.o. ln 1979, the Cowling family sold the business to Weyerhaeuser. They regained control in 1994, but sold it to Lanoga Corp. in 2003. Mr. Cowling stayed on as a consultant for five years, and the company eventually became part of ProBuild Holdings. Today, Dixieline has l0 home centers in Southern California; a DC in Colton, Ca.; a DC and truss yard in National City, Ca., and a dock facility in Columbia City, Or.

Bruce E. Blakely, 76, manager for 35 years of Copeland Lumber, Riverbank. Ca.. died Dec.22.

Walter "Leet'Evans. 103. founder of Evans Lumber Co.. Santa Rosa. Ca., died Dec. 19 in Santa Rosa.

He got his start in the lumber business in Oklahoma in 1935, reselling timbers from sawmills in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas to the oil field trade. He moved to Mitchell, Or., in 1940 to build a mill with Clarence Hudspeth, but the mill burned down a year later. To repay his debts, he worked for Hudspeth Sawmill, Bridge Creek, Or., through the war years, then in 1945 restarted Evans Lumber in Prineville, Or. In 1950, he sold the mill to John Hudspeth and moved to Santa Rosa, from where he bought and sold timberland. In 1953, he sold most of his timber holdings to focus on development.

Mardean Tupper Bartleson, 69, co-owner of Browning Lumber & Hardware, Browning, Mt., died of colon cancer Dec. 20 in Kalispell, Mt. She and her husband, Rod, opened the yard in 197 |

Cleone Esplin Judd, 92, office manager for 25 years at the old Kaibab Lumber, Fredonia, Az., died Dec.23 in Kanab, Ut.