Sales Blog for Sales and Sales Management

"Sales vows? Tony, what are you kidding? I've read your exploits about roller skating and selling. I tolerated your stories about ‘if sales people could fly'. Sales vows? Okay, I'll bite."

Thanks.

Yesterday, Linda and I attended the wedding of her cousin's daughter, Kristen. During the ceremony when the priest was providing guidance to what helps a marriage thrive, grow and last, Father Wayne talked about several things but these three hit me as very applicable to sales and selling:

Thank you,forgive me and I love you.

1. Thank you: Anytime you get the chance to tell a prospect or client "thank you", tell them "thank you". Though you've earned the right to be with them, they still have the option to tell you "no" so thank them. Though you did what you needed to do to sell them, they could have still told you "no", so thank them. And when they bring you a problem you would rather avoid or make excuses for, thank them. This leads us very well to "forgive me".

2. Forgive me: Instead of saying, "I'm sorry we messed this up", ask them to forgive you for the mistake. No, you can tie the two together- "I'm sorry; I ask that you forgive me."- but now it is up to the client or prospect to offer the olive branch with forgiveness. Saying "I'm sorry" is an attempt to sweep the event under the rug and hope they forget it. I'm sure you've been in situations in a store or airport where something has gone wrong and the representative says they are sorry. I'm also sure that it does nothing to solve the problem and usually it sounds like something they've been trained to say. It is meaningless most of the time. "Forgive me" on the other hand is a great deal more sincere and it acknowledges that your client now has the power and option to determine what happens next. I promise you it will make them feel better and they will look at you differently.

3. I love you: Well, I admit this is a bit of a stretch for some of you and for others this will make perfect sense. I truly love and care about my clients. I tell them in the very beginning of the relationship that if something is keeping them awake at night, it will keep me awake at night. If something is bothering them, I want it to bother me. Nobody they can hire will care more about their success than I do. When you love someone there is no blame, there is no bitterness, noone boasts, envy doesn't exist and pride fullness is non-existent. This is how relationships, business and personal are supposed to be. Love your clients.

The reception was great. There was lots of laughing, dancing, singing, remembering of weddings past and guessing as to whom is next to walk down the aisle. One of the great moments was when two couples on the floor continued to dance. One couple had been married for 57 years, the other for 61. I imagine that many times they executed the trilogy of "thank you, forgive me and I love you". Imagine having those types of long lasting relationships with your clients.