Sales - A Dirty Word!

Salesperson - a pushy, loud and arrogant hand shaking backslapper. Right?
Oh yes, there still are those kinds today, and even in the remodeling markets of today.
Throw-backs to the dinosaurs of the 50's and 60's, the "Tin-Men" were famous for that approach. Mechanical closes, like traps, gimmicks and of course unrelenting high pressure.
Rent or buy the movie the "Tin Men" 1987, Danny De Vito and Richard Dreyfus, a story of 2 competing "Tin Men" or aluminum siding salesmen of the 50's, funny movie. Stereotypes; but, the high pressure sales techniques are still being taught and used today. Good movie!
I went to a weekend sales clinic. Someone that I thought had knowledge about sales told me it was good.
I left, after paying for the whole weekend, halfway through. There's just no way I could bring myself to trap and cajole sales out of the people who own the $2,000,000.00 houses that I love to paint.
Oh and I would always be afraid they would give me the" bums rush" because these people are smart and would see right through the trickery.
So what do you do when you are selling jobs and you feel like an old rat getting trapped in a corner, running out of ways to sell?
Go back to your beginning, before you knew anything.
What I mean is the open minded approach, and not that you know nothing like the beginner; because, you do know a lot. But the answer is not to spill your knowledge all over.
I'll bet money, that in the beginning you were a better listener.
It truly is the customer's world, let them tell you what it is they want, not force feed them your knowledge, however great it is.
A listener is the opposite of the "Tin Men" with their striped suits and polka dot ties.
Listening to understand the customers' needs.
People today are generally better informed but they are also more misinformed about our trade. When a person watches a "home" show, they come away with a simplified outlook of painting. It is usually an unreal understanding. Then they are told they must get 3 estimates, and they usually take the cheapest one. We know that the cheapest price is not the best value; but, they don't Today's customers are too informed to try to use canned sales tracks. And that is really great. I enjoy it because it means that we must use the honest approach.

Patrick Cavanaugh