The business owner was more polite than he deserved. She should have said, "Who cares? Is this about YOU?" Instead, she waited politely while he poured samples into wineglasses.

She proceeded to taste his wines, during which, he explained to her how the wines were made, how long they fermented, special case pricing, etc. In fact, it was like a training program for Italian wine salespeople. However, where was the customer-focus in the call? He never asked her one question during his entire 20-minute sales call. In fact, he hadn't eaten in her restaurant; had only perused her menu.

She had volunteered that she wasn't a wine expert, however, instead of asking her some good quality questions, he continued to explain which wines of HIS sell. Why didn't he ask her what wines were currently selling on HER wine list? Which foods were the best sellers? What were her customers saying about their wines--the taste, color, price, and flavor with her rich curry dishes? How interested was she in adding some more variety to her offering and at what price point? There were only about 37 different questions he could have asked to engage her in the call.

Toward the end of his "sales call" (to me it was a one-sided monologue), he didn't even ask for the order. She closed the call by telling him she was happy with her current supplier and they didn't want to change, and thanked him for his time. He said he'd continue to stop by on a regular basis. (Why??? Instead of stopping by regularly, he needs to invest his time in a professional sales training class.)

I watched as he corked up his wines, placed them in his case, and walked out looking dejected. What do you think was on his mind? I'll bet he was thinking she was a fool not to pick up on his wonderful wines. That she's making a big mistake by not trying some Italian wines in her restaurant. I'll bet he went home, whined to his significant other, and complained about what a tough business he's in.

In my book, I would have rated this guy a "2" on a scale of "10". (The only reason I'd give him a "2" is because he made a nice appearance and seemed fairly knowledgeable about his products.)

However, where the rubber meets the road is what did the customer think?

Since I had already rested my voice enough and was dying to find out what she thought, I inquired about her real interest level, why she didn't buy, etc.  She was honest and told me that she was not interested in adding any wines to her list. What was her level of interest, I asked? There wasn't any. She was being polite to the salesperson. 

Has this ever happened to you? If it has, think back to the call. Did you talk too much? How many quality, open-ended "tell-me" questions did you ask? How much homework did you do on your customer before calling on them? And lastly, if you mentioned your mortgage, you sent a red flag that you are having difficulty making the payments. (Not your customer's problem, my friend!) It's no wonder this guy is concerned about his mortgage payment. He is a marginal salesperson, at best.
 
Customers buy from those who are: 1. Knowledgeable, 2. Professional and 3. Good listeners.

Focus on those three ideas and your next calls will be more successful. And remember, no whining!

(c)Renee Walkup, All Rights Reserved, 678 587-9911, www.salespeak.com