The basics of salesmanship can’t be reviewed enough. I have had a 95/5 theory about selling: 95% of salespeople can’t sell; 5% can! The longer I am in this industry, the more I’m convinced of this.
It’s obvious that few salespeople get it. For owners, this is devastating. Even if 50% of your people can sell (and it’s a rare store if this is true), think of the sales you are missing. She wants to buy and you want to sell. How is it possible to miss a sale? Industry closing averages are about one-in-five. Your people have to overtly do something wrong not to make every sale. I have tried to find a gentler, kinder way to put this, but those of you who have followed me throughout the years know this is not my style. The great coaches in history – Vince Lombardi, Bobby Knight, Woody Hayes and Bear Bryant – were ruthless. Dare I say it? Sort of like Donald Trump.