Of all the sellers I have managed and worked with throughout the years, it is impossible for me to pick the best complete seller. I can pick the best at the different aspects of sales. Bar none, with no question, the best closer I have ever worked with is Carrie. For someone who was apprehensive about going into sales early in her career, she has developed into a great salesperson. As she achieved success, she enjoyed the position more and stayed with it. Carrie is successfully selling CL media. She is responsible for both the print edition, plus digital assets. She has remained with the same company her entire career, through the recessions, booms, busts, the death of print and the rise of online, and to this day is still the top seller.
I asked her: What is the best piece of sales advice you received?
Her friend and mentor Nancy Martin told her, “Agree when the product is not a good fit. You will have a good fit for them, at some point, and they will trust you.”
You do your best to prepare, understand the challenges of your clients, listen attentively and hope you have a product to fit their needs. When you find yourself contorting your product to be the perfect fit, you need to realize this, and stop pushing your product.
You need to be confident when telling the prospect that your product is the right solution. When it is a bad fit, don’t look at it as a lost sales opportunity, instead, look at it as an opportunity to build the relationship. Therefore, the next time your product is a fit, you have confidence, and your client has trust in your solution. I’d be damned if you don’t get the sale, more budget, and open a dialog up that provides repeat sales and a relationship that helps build a long, successful career. Relationship building 101= Trust.
Carrie is a Senior AE at Creative Loafing, Atlanta. She has a beautiful family, and her girls just won the Dartmouth award. Creative Loafing first published in 1972; Creative Loafing has been Atlanta’s go-to source for news, food, arts, and music coverage for over 45 years. With new print issues every month, as well as an expansive digital reach with www.creativeloafing.com. And social media, Creative Loafing is the leader for everything ATL.
