About Selling and Life

Having the luxury of time, I was able to browse old magazines and I thought this one is worth sharing– the thought may not be new and may not be popular with most business selling strategies that we know of, but definitely value adding.

Source: Avancini Report

Everything I learned about selling I learned one afternoon from my father at his furniture store in New Era, Michigan. I was 12 years old and I was sweeping the floor when an elderly woman entered the store. I asked Dad if I can wait on her. “Sure”, he replied.

“May I help you?”

 

“Yes young man I bought a sofa from your store and the leg fell off, I want to know when you are going to fix it”.

 

“When did you purchase it Ma’am?”
“About ten years ago”.

I told my father that she thought that we are going to fix it for free, he said to tell that we’d be there in the afternoon. After screwing on the leg, we left and on the ride back, Pop asked,

“what’s bothering you son?’
“You know that I want to go to college. If we go around fixing the sofa for free. we’ll go broke,” I said.
“You have to learn how to do that repair job anyway. Besides, you missed the most important part. You did not notice the store tag when we flipped the couch cover? She bought it from Sears.”
“You mean we did that job for nothing and she’s not even our customer?”
Dad looked at me in the eyes and said, “she is now”.

Two days later, she returned to our store and bought several thousand dollars worth of new furniture from me. When we delivered it, she filled a gallons jar filed with change, singles, fives, tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds on the kitchen table. “Take what you need,” she said and left the room.

I’ve been selling for 30 years since that day. I have had the highest closing average because I treat all my customers with respect.
 
 

Proverbs 11:16 A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth