| "Dull Dan" Calling... |
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With the low interest rates, my husband and I have decided to refinance our Atlanta house this summer. Now, maybe it's just me, but as a salesperson, I LIKE to talk to clients. I LIKE to sell. I also LIKE money. So why is it that the lenders who are supposed to work on commission are SO lazy? I have talked with three lenders, so far. The first, Cary, has been on the ball. He's friendly. He takes his time with me. He follows up. He also seems to care AND want the business. The second, we'll call "Lackadaisical Larry", called me on Sunday. I thought he was either hung over, or just too tired to talk. He called, directed me to his website, and didn't want to answer any questions or engage in a conversation. The third was Hank. "Horrible Hank" is my nickname for him. HH was so bored and lazy when he called, he asked if I had received his email and to click on for the rates. Then, call him back when I'm ready to make a decision. Yeah, right. I ask you--what is wrong with these people? Are Larry and Hank so busy handling financing that they have no desire to talk to customers and get more business? I find this whole approach to "sales" appalling. Most salespeople I know WANT to talk to customers. They THRIVE on speaking with customers because they know that there may be a sale at the end of this conversation. After all, isn't one of the reasons we all got into sales is because we enjoy people? So aside from some attitude issues, let's take a look at what really went wrong with Larry and Hank. Then, I'll contrast that with what Cary is actually doing. 1. Both Larry and Hank assumed that since this is not a referral, they won't get the business. Going through the motions of "Here's the price--take it or not", has never been an effective sales technique. Cary has been willing to build a relationship with me. Picking up on the fact that I'm a relationship-building type of customer, he has gotten to know me and I've become familiar with some facts about him. I like that. 2. Larry and Hank both felt that "The email speaks for itself." Why should I sit there and read a lengthy email ad nauseum when I would rather talk to a human being? When a customer asks a question, answering with "Go to the website" is the absolute worst answer available. What are their employers paying these guys to do--direct people to their websites? I think not. In contrast, Cary answered my questions with intelligent answers. Sure, he may have had to look something up, but at least he didn't ask ME to do all the work. I'm busy. Cary is doing the legwork for me. I like that. It saves me valuable time. 3. Larry and Hank sounded bored and boring. Say, I would much rather do about 74 different things, rather than mortgage-shop. It's not my idea of fun. Both of these characters started their conversation with me as though they could care less about me, our mortgage, OR their commission. OK, so that's fair. If they don't care--neither do I. Cary cares. He shared with me that he's new to this line of business and that he was hired by their president because of his background. He told me that he's highly motivated to be successful. That's exciting to me--he cares about his work. So, enough whining about my experiences. Do you see yourself in Cary, Larry, or Hank? Are you motivated, enthusiastic, and exhibit a desire to help your customers? If so, I'll bet that comes through on the phone. If you are bored, disgusted, or expect the business to fall into your lap, perhaps you should get into a different profession. Remember, the profession of sales isn't for the lilly-livered. It's the best profession on the planet. You just have to make sure your customers know that, too! |
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