SPRING 2017

188
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
John Boe
John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and
seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized
sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the
meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or
call 937-299-9001. A free Newsletter available on the website: www.johnboe.com
SHOW AND TELL
One of the most critical, yet overlooked principles in
the selling process, is the power of self-discovery through
customer involvement. Regrettably, many salespeople
use a “show and tell” presentation style and babble
on hoping they might say something that will generate
a sale. When you show or tell your prospect about your
product or service they have a
tendency to doubt the information
and mentally disengage from your
presentation. On the other hand,
when they participate in the selling
process and are guided to discover
a feature or benefit on their own,
they will be inclined to believe it!
Car salesmen truly understand
the value of self-discovery and
prospect participation. They’ll be
the first to tell you that it’s the
actual smell of the leather and the hands-on-thewheel
experience of the test-drive that sells the car,
not the colorful brochure full of options and features.
Obviously, not every product or service lends itself to
a hands-on demonstration; however, there are always
ways to increase prospect involvement. Any time there
is a choice between whether you or your prospect should
so something - let them do it. For example, if you’ve got
numbers to crunch, hand them the calculator and let
them work the numbers. When it’s time to demonstrate
the benefits and features of your product, don’t just
show them, find creative ways to keep them actively
engaged during the entire selling process.
Recently, I heard an interesting story about a
successful glass salesman named Bill Johnson. Bill was
the top producer in his company and consistently outsold
the other salespeople by a significant margin. After Bill
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE
set a new quarterly sales record, the company president
called to congratulate him on his achievement. When
asked what he felt was the secret of his success, Bill
replied that he had recently added a minor change to his
sales presentation that was making a major difference
in his results! Bill stated that during his presentation he
was now using a hammer to strike
the safety glass several times
to demonstrate its strength and
durability. Excitedly, the president
asked Bill if he would be willing
to teach his hammer technique to
the entire sales force at the next
company-training meeting.
Several months after Bill’s
presentation, the company
shattered its previous records for
safety glass sales! The president
was extremely pleased with the company-wide results,
but was surprised that Bill’s production was still
significantly higher than the rest of the sales force. When
he asked Bill if he had discovered any new techniques,
Bill replied that he had recently made a subtle change
in his presentation. “I still use the hammer technique,”
Bill said, “except now when I get to the part in my
presentation where I demonstrate the strength of the
safety glass, I hand the hammer to my customer and let
them beat on the glass!”
By handing the hammer to his customer, Bill
discovered the secret of successful selling. He took his
sales career to the next level by finding a way to keep
his customer actively engaged during his presentation.
Are you keeping your prospects actively involved? If not,
I encourage you to take a lesson from Bill and find a way
to put the hammer in your prospect’s hand!
JOHN BOE