I wrote this a few years ago but it seems like yesterday. The sales lessons in this article are timeless. Just a few weeks ago I saw something that made me scratch my head in amazement. Carla closed almost every customer she worked with. I knew that she hated selling furniture. Why was she selling so well? What was her secret? I was hoping she was going to tell me it was the training that I gave her. After a few hours I couldn’t take it anymore. So I asked her. Her answer was not what I expected. She informed me with glee, “It’s my last day!” How could that be? Here are the keys to her success that last day.
Happy- She was so happy that she glowed! Her customers obviously bought into her positive energy. I’ve either been selling or observing retail salespeople selling for the past thirty years and what I’ve learned is that happy salespeople sell more!
Relaxed- Knowing that she was leaving and didn’t really have to be there changed her perspective. Have you ever worked with someone that was retired and only worked because they wanted to? Their calm manner is disarming to wary shoppers.
Fearless- I had noticed that at times she used to be tentative with customers. I remember encouraging her to be herself. Not today, she was fearless, she had nothing to lose. She didn’t worry about what her customers or managers thought. She let it all hang out. It was wonderful to watch her blossom as a salesperson right before my very eyes.
Creative- Offering creative solutions to their customers is one of the hallmarks of great retail salespeople. Creativity flourishes in a positive environment that is free from fear. She enjoyed that environment on her last day as she was happy and fearless. She closed sales on her last day with creative solutions that had eluded her in the past.
No Tomorrow- There literally was no tomorrow for her. There was no selling for the mythical be-back. She focused all her energy on closing the customer now because for her there was no tomorrow.
Action Step- Maybe we should all pretend that it’s our last day and see what happens? It doesn’t have to really be your last day to adopt Carla’s successful attitude. How do you stay motivated? Please share your wisdom with us! Your feedback is critical to this blog’s success. Please post your comments and questions. I answer them all.
Wishing You Success,
Pete