SALES - Understand the Question, Before you Provide the Answer

SALES – Understand the Question, Before you Provide the Answer


By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC October 2009.

Don’t you just hate it when sales people don’t listen to what it is that you are telling them and they just presume to know what it is that you want or need? It drives me nuts!

I mean, think about it for a moment – how would you react if you went to a doctor with symptoms relating to the flu and then before you even discuss anything with him, he whips out his prescription pad and prescribes medication for a heart problem. I can just imagine the look on your face, actually I can also just imagine the look on my face too! I would be absolutely appalled and extremely disgruntled and I would be very suspicious of anyone who did not share that sentiment with me.

So why is it that sales people often think that they know better, about what we want, than we do? It happens every day, we go into a store intending to purchase “X” and we often come out of the store with “Y”, which then often just shoved into a cupboard only to resurface months or years later when we move home and are getting rid of all the rubbish that we have accumulated. Oh and please believe me, I am just as guilty of this as everyone else!

I have got cupboards full of stuff that I have never used and will in all probability, never use and it has gotten to the stage now that I even avoid opening that cupboard. How crazy is that? In all honesty, I resent the cupboard, I resent the person who sold me the crap and actually I feel completely out of sorts with all sales people in general.

Lately I have been heard to say “You’re not listening to me”, when I deal with sales people and in extreme situations the words “What makes you think that you know what it is that I want, better than me”? are sure to come out. Sure I understand that I have become somewhat grumpy in my old age, but really, what’s with that?

I, for one am certainly going to make a concerted effort to stop doing things in the same manner! I, for one am not going to tolerate having useless bits of product and/or services thrust upon me because someone else thinks that they know what it is that I want in life.

I, for one am going to ensure that, for a change, my needs are met. So salespeople all over, you have been warned. Listen to what it is that your clients want and then give that to them – especially if that client is me – if you don’t, not only will you lose the sale, but you will lose me as a client as well.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za