I’m one of those people who doesn’t respond well to a pressurized hard sell, so when quite a few situations brought this out in me lately I had to write about it. Today’s Game Plan is about How Not to Sell.
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Now I’m not bragging, here. But several years ago, when I worked for Levi Strauss on 57th street (mostly as a VM but occasionally in the retail area), I used to be very helpful but quiet around customers. Never felt a need to be forceful. I guess it was because I disliked being pursued by a salesperson myself.
Well, I made huge sales while doing more of the listening than the pushing a new, $100+ denim article. And because I made those big sales, and because I sometimes just plain enjoyed the customers (particularly when they weren’t annoying), I’d often find myself surprising them with a 20% discount at the register.
They’d gasp and ask “why?”
I’d simply reply with “because it’s Wednesday/Tuesday/Saturday”.
That was fun.