Give them what they want (Hint: They want the best)

I was amazed to find the story of "Gloomy Gus" the shoeshine man in Zig Ziglar's "Secrets."

Seeing Zig approach the shoeshine station, Gloomy Gus asks "Well, I suppose you want the regular shine?" (as opposed to the "Best shine" or "Spit shine" etc.)

Zig-(incredulously) "I can't believe you said that! Why would you offer me the Regular instead of the Best?"

Gloomy- "People don't pay for the Best on rainy days because their shoes get muddied up later."

Zig- "It seems to me that if the Best shine gives the best protection and your business is down on rainy days, you would work awfully hard to increase the sales of your Best shine."

It sinks in a little for Gloomy. Zig gives him a few words that improve his sales pitch and Gloomy feels better.

The lesson behind the story woke me up. Why do we sell (or pitch, or talk about) anything less than the best for our clients and consumers? Why do we assume they don't want the best for themselves?

I think it's because we're scared. We're scared that we're not delivering the best and that consumers know it. We stretch to sell (reluctantly) because we don't believe we're delivering value to the customer.

What if we switched our framework slightly? What if we realized it's about confidence, yes, but also about the inherent belief that we're delivering something of value to the person; that we're helping them acquire something they need. That we're not only selling them something, we're helping them by selling them something.

Gloomy's assumption that people wouldn't want to pay for the Best shine undermined his profession, his respect for himself, and the respect for the customers. He should have understood that people want the best for themselves and they're willing to pay for it. Why undermine it when they aren't?

When you think about it this way, it feels lovely to want to sell. To want to get the other's permission and give them what they want.

How often have we sold to people with a lackadaisical attitude, a less-than-enthusiastic pitch, not believing what we're saying? How many times have we decreased our chances because we assume someone wouldn't want the best for themselves?

Comments

[jordan shoes]

It was among such inspirations that impressionism was born.

[Becky Blanton]

How true! I was at the gym last week and asked about talking to a trainer to set up a few sessions. I was pointed to one and asked him if I could speak with him after he was done with his current client. He said sure, he'd come find me. Well, he finished, got his stuff and was leaving the gym WITHOUT finding me! So I waved him down, he looked bored and reluctant, but talked to me. I told him what program I wanted to do and what his prices were ($25 an hour, $15 a half hour). He said my form was good and what I really needed was someone to just motivate me. So I said, "Well, can you refer me to someone like that?" At that point he realized I was serious about hiring a trainer, and said, "Oh, I can do that." He gave me HIS number and asked me to call HIM. Did I? Heck no! If the best I got when he was trying to make a sale was boredom....what are my chances of more later? Zilch. It's why he makes $25 an hour and others make $100.

[Cris Cohen]

I agree that people need to emphasize and focus on quality more than they do now. But I think quality can be present in a wide range of offerings. More importantly, I think the idea of "the best" is very subjective. At the upcoming Academy Awards, some film will win "Best Picture". No matter which one it is, there will be a certain number of people out there who will say it was one of the worst movies they have ever seen.

Another point is that people are now used to salesmen who pitch "the best" as a means of pushing them toward the most expensive option, one that has features they don't need and will never use.

[Kristoffer Nolgren]

When I started working as a salesperson(mostly for an educational purpose), the first thing I learnt was to ask the customer:
- What are you going to use this product for?
Some people don't need super shiny shoes, they just need them to be shiny.

Anyway, diversifying your products using only quality/price is a crappy strategy, it turns your product in to a Commodity.

[Joseph Sherman]

If a salesperson does not believe that he or she is offering a particular customer the best product for them it is better to refer them somewhere else. Word spreads, and ultimately, the salesperson and their company will gain. When I moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina I asked to speak with an investment advisor at the bank where I do my personal checking. I had recently completed my MBA. I knew the market conditions and anticipated several sales tactics. I knew that this retail bank would offer a slightly lower rater of return compared with their competitors. They would try to explain this difference with the additional services or access to advice. I explained my situation to the branch manager because the investment officer was in a meeting. I was prepared to listen and make a rational decision. What I was not prepared for was his sales pitch: "I could set up an investment account for you at the bank, but with your background you are better off on an online investment program. Our additional support will not be worth much to you as it would the average person without a business background." With my jaw dropped, the investment officer suggested two of his favorite competitors for people in my situation. Then he gave the perfect pitch, "We do have a great small business program. I would be glad to discuss opportunities and assist you in any way possible." Brilliant.