By Neal Glatt

I recently decided not to make a purchase and it was 100% the salesperson’s fault.  But if he hadn’t said this one thing, he would almost certainly have made the sale.  Here’s exactly what happened, and how you can make sure you don’t lose sales by saying the wrong thing…

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After our final Snowfighters Institute Forum for Sales event hosted at Foley CAT in Piscataway, NJ, where we taught a sold-out class on how to sell more snow contracts, I was enjoying some boutique shopping in New York City.  On my list of items to keep an eye out for was a glass pitcher for serving drinks.

Walking into a particular store, I immediately saw a beautiful pitcher.  I picked it up and was pleased with the quality construction and its light weight.  It was more expensive than I was hoping, but I was strongly considering making the purchase.  After all, it was a boutique find and the perfect solution for what I needed.

Then a salesperson walked up and we had the following the conversation:

Salesperson: “Are you familiar with our brand?”

Neal: “Nope - I don’t know anything about you guys or what you do.”

Salesperson: “Well let me tell you, then!  We were started ten years ago by two friends who wanted to create timessly designed and very high-quality kitchen and home products.  Everything we make is still designed in San Francisco with beauty and practicality in mind.”

Neal: “Very cool.  Thanks for the help.”

It was then that I promptly placed the pitcher back on the shelf and walked out of  the store without making a purchase.  What did he say that changed my mind?  Two words: San Francisco.  

I know it doesn’t make much sense to you.  But I’m from Southern California and a lifelong Dodgers fan.  Our biggest rival is the San Francisco Giants.  I hate San Francisco.  I definitely don’t want to spend too much money on an expensive pitcher from San Francisco for my home.

Here’s the thing - if this salesperson had just offered to check me out and securely wrap up the pitcher, I would proudly own a boutique store find from Greenwich Village in New York City.  Instead, he ruined the sale by talking too much about things that couldn’t help him sell but certainly could cost him sales.

Is this whole thing petty?  Of course it is.  But it happens every single day to salespeople all over the world.  The difference between making or losing a sale is usually not some big gap but a tiny little edge.  Some preference or gut feeling that neither the buyer nor seller may even be aware of is often how decisions are made.

If you need to sell more contracts at higher prices, it’s time to talk less and sell more.  If you need help getting started, check out the FREE course Introduction to Sales here on GrowTheBench.  And if you really want to increase your snow contracts, keep an eye out for our 2023 Forum for Sales events by Snowfighters Institute to be announced soon.

Tags: Sales ,