Sales Process: Can You Sell Me a Pen?

By Darin B. George

Sales Process Training


By reading this book you will learn quickly and easily a proven sales process. You will immediately increase your selling skills and the earning potential naturally associated with those new skills. There are no bounds to what you can sell and your ability to earn a great income will be guaranteed.

Having a great sales process is like using a good map, it takes you exactly to your final destination.

Are You
Finding it difficult to close the sale?
Not achieving your monthly and year sales targets?
Lacking a structured selling strategy or sales process?
Interviewing for sales positions and not getting hired?
Making too many presentations that dont turn into sales?




In your customers eyes, you are your company.
If they like You
They will like your Company.


www.canyousellmeapen.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481700375

Darin B. George

DARIN GEORGE is a sales process instructor, recruiter, author, columnist and corporate speaker. He is the author of SALES TRAINING – Automotive Edition. Darin is repeatedly published in numerous automotive and sales management industry magazines as a featured sales training columnist for the United States and Canadian auto industry and his articles are regularly published in Ward’s Dealer Business Magazine, Dealer Marketing Magazine, AutoWorld Magazine and Automotive Digest. You can email him directly at [e-mail] or call at 416-346-9847 www.canyousellmeapen.com

Book preview

Chapter 1

Can You Sell Me a Pen?

Once upon a time at a job interview for a sales position, the interviewer asked the potential new company sales representative; Can you sell me a pen? The interviewee said sure I can and began to show how they would do it. The problem with the interviewees answer was; the question is not about showing how you would do it but can you sell them a pen right now, on the spot.

While the question may seem like a very simple task for most prospective sales people, it is very difficult to do with any type of success and professionalism.

What I am going to show you can be used for any type of product or service you are selling; i.e. home appliances, furniture, roofing, advertising, life insurance, windows and doors, bank financing, computer sales, men and women’s clothing, shoes, home renovations, automobiles, boats, and the list goes on. The following dialogue conversation is on how to answer the title of this book. You will have to put yourself in the position of the salesperson and then make up the customer’s replies. Have fun with it.

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Example Conversation

The interviewer says: "So… Can You Sell Me a Pen?"

Salesperson or Interviewee Replies:

Sure I can, no problem… Welcome to our pen company my name is Darin George and your name is? . . . Ok great… Tim, its nice to meet you. Is this the first time you have contacted or been to our pen company?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Did you know that we are one of the largest pen companies in the world?

•   Pause and listen to their response; if any. It’s important to give a bit of your company’s history at the beginning of your sales process; not after they have purchased.

We have been in business since 1965 and produce all of our pens at our factory in New York City.

•   Pause and listen to their response.

So what feature are you looking for in your new pen or pens?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

"Any ink color preference? Blue, black, red or green?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

What style of pen are you looking for?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Who will be the main user of this pen?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Is the pen going to be used for business or personal use?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Is there anyone else involved in the purchase of the pen or pens?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Great, I’d like to show you our newest pen. It sells for $10.00 and has been designed with many special features.

•   You will do a pen presentation now. You have to show every detail of why this is a great pen. The clip part that attaches to your shirt pocket, the rubber piece for better grip and writing, the smooth ball point ink flow, the way you can close the pen tip preventing ink stains, the color of the ink and design of the pen… etc.

Will you please test the pen on this paper.

•   It is very important to do a pen demonstration now. Let the customer test the pen by writing on some paper. Let them test a couple of pens if necessary.

How do you like the feel and flow of the pen?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Have we selected the right pen for you?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Do you have any other questions regarding the pen or our company?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Great, if there was anything preventing you from getting this pen right now, what would it be?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

The following are two possible scenarios that will happen.

•   It will be understood that the customer can also object and say they don’t want to buy today or they want to think about it. But in this example we are going with a customer that is serious about possibly purchasing right now.

Scenario Reply #1

•   There is no customer negotiation. The customer or interviewer purchases the pen for the asking price.

The customer says: I’d like to buy the pen.

You will say: Great, let me wrap it up for you. Will that be cash or credit Tim?

Scenario #1 Note:

•   This happens when you have done such a good job at selling yourself and your product, that the customer just makes the purchase.

Scenario Reply #2

•   The customer or interviewer wants to negotiate the price of the pen. They want a discount or a bulk purchase order.

Ask the customer: So what you are suggesting Tim, is that, if the price is agreeable with you and our company, you would like to get the new pen as soon as possible. Is that correct?

Example of a Customer reply: "Yes, if you can get the cost agreeable to me, I want the pen now."

You will say:

So Tim, you want a discount or special? Well… we don’t usually do that here but I will see what I can do for you.

What I’m going to do now is pull out a worksheet and go over the details on the pen you want.

•   The worksheet would usually only be done for volume sales not just one pen.

"Like I mentioned earlier Tim, this pen is for sale at a price of $10.00 and we don’t negotiate our prices (pause) but what if I could sell it to you right now for $9.95?"

•   Pause and listen to their response. The customer then says, they want a lower price.

"No… you want a bigger discount off. (pause) What price were you thinking you can get the pen for?"

•   Pause and listen to their response.

Wow… You only want to pay $9.00… , maybe we are not looking at the right pen. I can show you some of our less expensive ones… No; you really want this one… Ok Tim, how did you come up with the number of $9.00?

•   Pause and listen to their response.

I can not do it for that price but I am willing to be flexible with you, what if I could do it for about $9.90?

The customer then says… No, I only want to pay $9.50.

Ok I can see you are willing to be a bit flexible as well. I’ll go and talk with my manager and see if we could do it for $9.85.

•   Pause and listen to their response.

No, you want me to tell my manager $9.70. Ok give me one minute, I’ll be right back.

•   Go and discuss the final negotiation with your manager, if required. In some situations you would ask for a credit card to confirm their intention to purchase now.

"My manager has approved the sale at $9.80… Ok? (pause and wait for their response. If its ok, complete the sale. If you still need to negotiate, do it.) Great, let me wrap it up for you. Will that be cash or credit Tim?"

Scenario #2 Note:

•   As you can see in this scenario, I went down to the least amount possible with the negotiating customer. I kept it as close to our original asking price of $10.00 as possible and made the sale. It wasn’t full priced but it was sold. Every sale will be different in final price but you will sell more and achieve higher profits by being in control of the negotiation.

So if you are ever asked,

Can you Sell me a Pen?

Do it right and it’s Sold or You’re Hired.

Now that I have taken you through a sales process conversation, let’s go through all of the chapters in the book that will give you your own selling process.

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Chapter 2

The Education of the Salesperson

The number one reason people will Buy from you and your company is,

You & Your Sales Staff.

It’s also the reason they don’t buy.

Note: This is providing your products or services are as good as or even better than anyone else in your marketplace.

The majority of people entering the sales profession today have received a post secondary education. Their studies range from Degrees and Diplomas in Architecture, History, Engineering, Accounting, Economics, Journalism, Education and many more. These chosen fields of study have played a major role in their personal developments but have very little to do with the profession of sales. I am also aware that some of you have not even finished high school. It really doesn’t matter because some of the greatest business and sales people have no post secondary educations but instead, they have a natural intelligence or talent that enables them to perceive, assess and positively influence one’s own and other people’s buying emotions. This is referred to as Emotional Intelligence (EI) and is measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ). Your EQ is the most important thing you can have as a salesperson. Think of some famous people or political leaders, do they have emotional intelligence?

One of the biggest problems that sales management and business owners face everyday is how to motivate their sales people so they will perform above the average. The answer is education; a professional sales training process delivered not just in a ‘hit and miss’ session but one that is well thought out and ongoing, daily, weekly and monthly.

Is being a Salesperson a Career