The Poetry of Sales

Recently I've reflected on the experience of doing good sales.

I think it is a bit of an art form requiring intimate knowledge of one's company and of one's potential clients. The "art" aspect is the ability to see the connection that needs to be made between these two entities and then, have the know-how to thread them together meaningfully.

On the one end, knowledge of one's own business might seem to be immediate and without need to investigate. But, on the other end, the client's desires can actually help a company to determine its own sense of mission and niche.

While we tend to focus on the customer and their business, it is often the case that I find myself reflecting more on who we presently are and what we are to become through engagement with the customer.

In this sense, it is more of a discovery, a dance of possible realities which one has to envision in the midst of the game. I like this aspect because it demands full engagement, as if one is in some sort of Olympic event.

In doing sales of late I've tried to focus more on what is unseen, what is there for the taking if one could define it as being possible for the client. I find myself listening more, positioning myself bodily with the client so as to reduce friction and distracting claims. This all must take place in just a few moments so that one swoops in on the opportunity and leaves with a handful of hope and promise.

Lest I sound too flighty, let me illustrate what I mean. When pursuing a potential customer not too long ago I timed my appearance to be able to meet the District Manager whom I felt certain would be there, which she was. To my delight the higher ups, the Regional manager was there as well. I studied the landscape and realized that if I could land amongst their little group at the right time I would have higher visibility and could impact the message with more weight.

I found out who the Regional was and had another top executive bring me to him in what turned out to be an entrance worthy of a king! In fact, the other executive went out of his way on my behalf to deliver me to the Regional. I met this man with arms loaded with merchandise as I  "just happened to be shopping for my wife" and proceeded to drop half of them while attempting to shake his hand.

He was delighted to meet me and was very responsive to what we had to offer and ended up asking that I contact him in the future! Such an outcome we had been looking for now for sometime. I walked out with a sense of a worthy visit far beyond my expectations.  --- Jonathan