Sales 101: Never Sell Ice to an Eskimo

I have worked in sales since the day I finished college. Every job I had included sales of some form and nearly every company was terrible at it.

Photo Credit: Ashtyn Renee

I sold Verizon business phone lines door-to-door, computers and iPods at Apple, debt at Citibank, food at many restaurants, foam shoes at Crocs, and job candidates at a Career College.

Sales 101

If you currently work in sales or are even considering it, take a look at the list below before you head out on your next sales call.

1. You Have to Care

The most effective sales people are obsessively passionate about what they are selling. When I worked at Apple I wore t-shirt that said “I could talk about this stuff for hours.” The funny thing is, I really could. Now I wasn’t the best salesman in the store, but I loved what I did and customers could tell.

If you don’t care about what you are selling, just walk away. It will be a complete waste of time and a total uphill battle. You will feel sleazy and pushy, and customers will think you’re sleazy and pushy.

I have turned down sales jobs many times because I just couldn’t picture myself genuinely offering a customer something I didn’t completely believe in or wouldn’t buy myself.

2. Be Very Knowledgeable

If you don’t know what you are talking about, you are dead in the water. You may be charming enough to get in the door, but any customer with a brain will buy from someone who can answer their questions without any BS. Do your homework and learn about the product or service.

Assuming you care about what you are selling, this should be enjoyable and maybe even fun. While working at Citibank I learned a lot about banking and debt. Because of that knowledge I made the decision to stop selling their products.

I did not agree with the manner in which they were sold or the lack of integrity that flowed from the CEO down to each bank teller. Teach yourself what you need to know to make the choice for yourself.

3. Provide Solutions, Don’t Sell Stuff

While working at Apple I came across one of the greatest sales manifestos I have ever seen. We were instructed to provide solutions to the customers, not sell products or services.

What this means is that I would ask a lot of questions to get the complete picture of the customers’ wants and needs. I then recommended what I believed to be the best solution, which included everything from teaching the customer how to use what they already owned or even recommending competitors’ products.

Obviously, I offered Apple products as solutions, but only if I believed they benefited the customer in the best way possible. Customers trusted me because it seemed as though I was giving them insider information, like the fact that they could buy many of the products cheaper at other retailers or online.

Over time, this actually increases brand loyalty and profit.

4. Let the Customer do the Talking

Customers care about themselves, not you. Ask questions to gain insight into their lives and let them tell you all about their problems, hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations. If they feel comfortable enough to tell you their life story, they will buy anything from you whether they need it or not (more about this below).

Selling is relationship building and trust acquisition. I hate the phrase “get in bed with the customer,” but that is essentially what you are going for. This could be as simple as striking up a conversation and then complimenting a hotel desk clerk in order to get a free room upgrade.

5. Never Sell Ice to an Eskimo

If they don’t need it, don’t sell it to them. This is the moral quandary of my sales career. It’s often said that the best sales people can sell ice to Eskimos. On the surface it sounds like the sales person is very talented, but the reality is that an Eskimo has more ice than he knows what to do with and his money would be better spent on solar panels or an outdoor grill.

If you believe in your product and you have a conscience, you will know when a customer is getting screwed and you should stop the sale before it happens. If you are being pressured by your boss to sell the product anyway, it’s time to have a conversation with him or it’s time to find new employment.

There is a fine line between being snazzy and sleazy. Embrace it and live by it.