SALES: LEARNING FROM THE PAST FEATURE
Sales: Learning from the past
What can you learn from a 1960s car salesperson when it comes to social media? Steve Phillip of linked2success discusses.
According to a recent study by Google, 67% of customers will be influenced to purchase from your business based on the reviews and content they read about your products online. Before they ever step through your door or pick up the phone to call, your customers probably will have researched and know as much about your products and services as you do and they'll certainly know more about your competitors than you.
The world of selling is changing and if your business hasn’t recognised this then it will be left behind. But rather than sales techniques moving in a linear direction it just may be that we are coming full circle as far as selling is concerned, despite the fact that technology has moved on.
Could it be that we need to apply new world technology — I refer to social media here — alongside some good old fashioned sales methodology? The 1950s and 60s saw the birth of the legendary salesperson, noted for their ability to sell at incredible levels. And since then there have been a host of courses teaching how to sell and close the deal.
For 18 years, I was employed as a salesperson in the automotive industry - yes I sold cars! Now, for many of these years I worked in management and ran car dealerships but in my heart and my head, I recognised that I was and am still, a salesman. During my time working with General Motors in North America, I was introduced to the story of Joe Girard and one aspect of his success has always stuck with me.
Joe Girard was a car salesman who became one of the most successful car salesmen of the post-war era and during a 15-year period sold more than 13000 Chevrolets, reportedly selling 18 in a single day. Girard had his own admin support team and all his sales came by referrals from other happy
customers. In fact, as a customer, so the story goes, you had to book an appointment with Girard if you wanted to buy a car from him.
Why is this car salesman's story relevant to you, your flooring business and social media? This story is relevant to how you promote your flooring services via social media, because it explains how important it really is to build relationships with your customers. Girard knew this - he built relationships with his customers. When it was their birthday, he would send them a card; he would record the dates of their children's birthdays and send them cards. He would even record the numbers of the drinks selections, his customers selected when they had a coffee or other beverage from the dealership's vending machine so that when they returned, sometimes years later, he would present them with their favourite drink.
So, the question you need to consider is; is it now time for you to reassess how you communicate with your customers and could social media tools, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook help you do so?
Through all the frenzied posting on social media and the battle to get the most profile views, Twitter followers or page likes, let us not forget that few people will purchase your products and
services if you have not built know, like and trust with them.
Build your network of followers and share good content and you will maintain a strong brand presence, this is still an important part of your marketing strategy. However, do not neglect your important connections, nurture these relationships by engaging with your customers where they are — on social media. Do this and you might just become the next Joe Girard.
www.linked2success.co.uk Tomorrow’s Retail FloorsWinter 2016 | 29
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