IT’S YOUR UP
Six Powerful Words “Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt
W
Tom Jennings VP of Professional Development
hile President Roosevelt uttered these famous words nearly nine decades ago, they have proven to be timeless. We have all been in situations where a speaker is droning on and on in search of a point to make. The likelihood of him making a favorable impression upon you seems to diminish with each additional word spoken. The same point could be made when summarizing the effectiveness of many salespeople. With acknowledgement to our former president, let’s take a lesson from his six famous words.
Tom Jennings is a lifelong member of the flooring business. Since selling his family’s retail business in 2006, he has served the industry as an educator and speaker. He is a past board chairman of the WFCA and is currently the board chairman of WFCA Services, Inc. and WFCA vice president of professional development.
Be sincere Just as animals can sense fear in humans, I believe that most customers can sense the essence of baloney emanating from the pores of too many salespeople. Somehow these clowns mistakenly believe that being slippery, or cute, is a shortcut to being successful. Misleading tactics may work selling snake oil at the carnival, but they are not remotely effective when selling large ticket items. Flooring is installed in our homes and offices where we must live with the consequences of our decision for years. Customers are looking for someone to purchase from even more so than they are looking for something to purchase. To be effective selling, you must first be liked. Only after a customer likes you, will they trust you. Once they trust you they will then believe you. When they believe you they will purchase from you. But they must first like you. Very few people like a phony.
He may be reached at tjennings@wfca.org.
Be brief Most salespeople seem to think that if their lips aren’t moving that they aren’t selling. Wrong! You will sell more using your ears and your eyes than you ever will with your mouth. Learn to ask interesting questions that engage your customer. Then shut up and absorb what your customer is telling you; both verbally and non-verbally. There
There is a saying to the effect of “I have never learned anything while I was talking.” 8 Premier Flooring Retailer | Q3 2019