Sales Minute

A recent visit to a new restaurant in Greenville, S.C., got me thinking about how the experience related to the world of sales. (If you haven’t noticed by now, I usually relate just about everything to sales and marketing.)

First of all, the waiter did a great job of initially building rapport with us at the table. He was asking where we were from, trying to find common ground. He wanted us (his customers) to like him first. People really underestimate the power of likeability when it comes to sales, but try getting a new client if he or she doesn’t like you.

Then he blew me away with the way he was able to "paint the picture" of everything on the menu, from the Belgian beer to the appetizers and entrees. The way he presented this information to us, we could literally see ourselves drinking and eating what he described. We felt compelled to order the dishes he described to us. When he got to the desserts, he "painted the picture" so well, I felt I had to order dessert because I did not want to miss out, and I never order dessert.

We can all learn a valuable lesson from this waiter. If you are able to effectively "paint the picture" to your probable purchasers, you will definitely close more business. After your initial meetings and presentations, prospective clients should see themselves actually using your secure shredding service. They should visualize what it is like to be your customer. They should also visualize what it would be like if their information fell into the hands of ID thieves.

Here are some suggestions on how to "paint the picture" for your prospective clients:

Next time you go to a restaurant and your waiter does such a great job that you can actually visualize eating what he is describing, think about how he did it, and maybe even think about hiring him as a sales professional for your company.