Selling For A Living

I am a salesperson. End of discussion. For most, the idea of sales is some greasy salesperson pickpocketing wallets with words. Yet, I take my pride in my work. I like talking. I enjoy persuading. But most importantly, I love getting to make deeper connections with people. Good sales people want to find their clients the best fit not make money. At the end of the day, they have to make a living just as much as engineers and doctors do.

To be more specific about what I do, I am a sales intern. But to my clients, I am either a sales executive or a sales associate, depends on what pops up first. My job is to sell healthy food subscriptions to those who want to eat right. I work for a company called Prep’d, a Redondo based meal service that delivers to clients in Los Angeles. We pride ourselves in our fresh, organic, and health conscious food.

I have three main focuses as a salesperson:

·       Calling customers

·       Meeting clients

·       Following up with sales.

Each role is as independent as interrelated.

Pick up the phone!

Calling customers is truly an understatement. My job includes going through lists of past customers who stopped ordering and cold-call them to check in. With my different advertising techniques, I convince them to restart their delivery subscriptions. Whether they disliked our extreme focus on health or our prices were too high, it was my goal to get them back for try even one week.

I relate each sale to convincing someone to buy Spotify Premium. Once you go Premium, why go back to limited skips and frequent advertisements? Similarly, if I could show the value of our convenience, why would a customer go back to cooking their own food. Good salespeople have learned that it isn't only about the product, but also about the client. I like having conversations about their lives and their diets to isolate me from a telemarketer!

Talk ‘til you drop

The next part of the job includes meeting with clients. Our company focuses on two markets: individuals and companies. Very recently, my boss and I attended a beginner workout session at a gym in Torrance to give free food to attendees. Everybody loves free food and might as well eat healthy free food, right? Now begins the talking.

I approach each customer as a friend, someone who isn’t going to tolerate a fake conversation. Even after talking for over 15 minutes, I have not mentioned once what I am trying to sell. Why rush? Good sales is all about building trust. If the customer treats you as a person and not as a salesperson, they will listen to you. I let my clients lead the conversation. Or at least so they think. It is like letting a dog on a leash think they are leading you. My job is to provide the skeleton of the conversation. Their job is to fill in the rest of the bones and muscle. Listening is the best way do this. Once you feel comfortable, it is time to be more of a salesperson. A lesson I learned is to never mention the company or your product, only mention the brand idea. Get the client hooked to your idea and they will stay forever. Get them hooked to the product and they will only stay until some alternate shows up. Once you have completed the steps, closing the deal is like cutting butter with a knife.

Make sure it happens!

The last part of sales is the most important part but also the most forgotten part: following up with the sale. Verbal confirmation means as much as glasses with the wrong prescription. The sale was there but the value in the product isn't there. Following up means making sure the client hasn't changed their mind. Saying yes to a sale with adrenaline pumping through veins is often an impulse buy! Yet, as mentioned earlier, if you convince the client to experience the value you add, why would they go back. Might as well spend a couple extra dollars for convenience and satisfaction, right? Without a follow up, a yes doesn't mean a sale.

Sales is a very sensitive industry. If the client is happy, chances are you will be making money that day. On the other hand, if they are mad, you might have wasted precious time. Being on your feet means you can talk to anybody about anything. The reward of being salesperson is the kick I get after a client starts to talk to me. Anything can happen and the unpredictability keeps you on your toes. An uncooperative client can turn into a successful customer if you how to react correctly. Be happy, keep the smile on your face and keep selling!

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