Sunday, August 12, 2012

BloggeRhythms 8/12/2012

I got my first real sales job many years ago. The product was Allis-Chalmers (AC) materials handling equipment, specifically –fork lift trucks. At that time, the industry leader by far was Clark equipment which had a huge percentage of the market overall.

AC itself, was relatively new to the lift truck game, arriving there almost by default. Their real interest had been in a company called Buda, known for it’s engines which AC wished to install in it’s farming and agricultural equipment. However, whereas Buda also built fork lift trucks, after acquiring Buda, AC decided to grow that business as well.

As for myself, when I first went out in the field, I knew almost nothing about the intricacies of purchasing decisions from the buyer’s side of materials handling equipment. And that lack of expertise became a major embarrassment to me when quickly noticed by not only prospective customers whose questions I couldn’t answer, but to my own manager who dressed me down as if I were unworthy of my position…and he was absolutely right.

Fortunately, I wasn’t immediately fired and had enough time to react, whereupon I came to one of the best conclusions I’ve ever reached. First, I read and memorized every single specification sheet AC ever produced regarding it’s line of equipment, and then went into our shop, going from mechanic to mechanic as they worked on various models performing every kind of repair and adjustment imaginable from engines to hydraulics, to tune-ups, replacing lift-chains, to clogged propane lines, to tire jobs and welding of broken parts. And then in time, there just weren’t any questions that anyone could possibly ask me about the design, engineering and performance of our trucks that went unanswered correctly.

Now, the best part of it all was that AC had truly done a brilliant thing by acquiring Buda for its engines, because they were by heads and shoulders above all the rest, including Clark’s. And now, when I called on prospective customers, and especially when given the chance to prove my promises by providing a demonstrator unit, I not only most often outsold my competition of all kinds, I frequently blew them out of the ballpark altogether.

So, why recap all this history of my career? Because what it taught me was, if you know your product well and it works as promised, you never, ever, have to say anything negative about your completion. All you really need do is professionally present your facts, illustrate why and how what you offer provides the best possible alternative available, and clearly demonstrate the benefits to be derived. And when you do it that way, you not only gain buyer’s confidence, you attain their respect.

However, if you do it the other way with smears, distortions, untruths and aspersions of any kind about your competition, you come down in the eyes of serious, thinking, decision-making people and most often, not only lose the order…you completely lose their respect as well.

And speaking of someone totally outclassed with absolutely nothing to offer except weak attempts at complete degradation of his competition, is that remindful of anyone we know?

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

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