In the course of my career, I've had to deal with a lot of vendors-software companies, sensor manufacturers, electronics distributors and more. Some of them have left lasting impressions on me, whereas others have been eminently forgettable. I'd like to talk about two of the more memorable vendors, and the simple technique that they used (perhaps unknowingly) which made them stand out in my memory.
As my bio shows, I have the letters "Ph.D." after my name; however, I seldom use that title, except in my various writings and official correspondence. For professional reasons, I do have these initials on my business cards and my e-mail signature; however, I never expect people to call me "Doctor," and if they do, I almost invariably insist that they call me by my first name instead. For most of my daily affairs, this title simply isn't very important.
Most salespeople don't mention this title either, which suits me just fine; after all, I've always been a fairly informal fellow. On two occasions though, a vendor actually took notice of my degree, and chose to address me using the "Doctor" honorific. Even though I normally eschew that title, this was still a pleasant surprise. It was nice to see a prospective vendor take notice of such details, however unnecessary they may be.
Any good salesman knows that building rapport and making yourself pleasantly memorable are key elements in developing customer loyalty. This simple, trivial act made these particular salesmen stand out prominently in my memory, and in a pleasant way. I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I found that I almost wanted to send these people some of my business-perhaps because such deference is noticeably rare.
This simple tactic can be especially helpful when dealing with prospective customers of foreign descent. Remember that some cultures are more title-conscious than American society is. The failure to mention this title may prove offensive to some of these individuals-or at the very least, it may suggest a lack of attentiveness. Better to err on the side of caution, I would say.
This simple technique is exceedingly trivial to use, requiring no additional investment of time or effort. At the very least, it can be one way to make yourself stand out from the crowd of other vendors who are vying for someone's attention. So why not try it? It costs nothing, it can't possibly hurt, and it may just land you some new customers.
V. Berba Velasco Jr. is a senior electrical and software engineer at Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.elispot-analyzers.de, http://www.elispot.cn) a biotechnology company with its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.
An attractive woman has a decided advantage as sales representative... Read More
You arrived on time and completed your calculations. You worked... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
Do you know your conversion rates? Conversion rate is the... Read More
I wonder when we decided to become a sales person.... Read More
This evaluation is not for the "weak-kneed". Real questions to... Read More
One of my first internship jobs as a college student... Read More
Hi, I'd like to discuss the most powerful words you... Read More
Imagine being in a crowded concert or bar. All of... Read More
Occasionally EGOPOWER readers send me questions or topic suggestions that... Read More
Mannequins are primarily used in stores to display clothing. A... Read More
Picture this scene from the 1984 smash comedy movie from... Read More
The headline that appears over the salutation in a fundraising... Read More
In my opinion, the most overrated topic in sales training... Read More
Many times in the process of making a sales presentation... Read More
Products for sale need to be displayed in a manner... Read More
Would you pay $12,500 to discover the keys to great... Read More
What comes to mind when you think of networking --... Read More
Is cold calling dead? And if laws are being passed... Read More
Some of the best sales people I have ever met,... Read More
Most salespeople I know consider cold calling a dreadful, but... Read More
So often sales men and woman are the very people... Read More
Saturday morning, I sat in my pajamas, sipping strong, black... Read More
A few weekends back, the Brobdingnagian Bards performed at the... Read More
Barter is becoming an increasingly popular method of commerce. The... Read More
Can you close a sale in just seven seconds? If... Read More
This article is meant to inform. Please don't construe this... Read More
The formula for defining a "profession" is similar throughout many... Read More
"THE ANSWERS (1 - 5) ARE HERE!!!"Question 1) List the... Read More
Make no mistake that emotions are the driving force behind... Read More
Have you ever asked yourself, now how did I let... Read More
It is a basic tenet of behavioral psychology that people... Read More
You could just send out your brochure to potential customers... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
A few days ago, I was signing copies of my... Read More
If you are in Sales, you have probably heard these... Read More
The main reason for buyer resistance and selling stalls boils... Read More
Over the years, many prospects have hidden behind their well-trained... Read More
We all have people whom we find difficult. We don't... Read More
The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More
Selling To Women - Selling To Men - It Isn't... Read More
One disadvantage of selling by telephone is the lack of... Read More
TELEPHONE TECHNIQUESSelling face to face is different from selling on... Read More
Would you like an easy way to track the performance... Read More
Any company in today's global economy must eventually face the... Read More
Many pressure washing companies try to stay away from the... Read More
One of the most useful and fundamental communications lessons that... Read More
When you think about ways to gain repeat business from... Read More
If you live in England then you will already be... Read More
A sales letter is a document designed to generate sales.... Read More
All customers have a choice to make. Sometimes that choice... Read More
Value is in the Eye of the BeholderSales today is... Read More
There are many fund raising ideas on the market today... Read More
HANDLING OBJECTIONSSales presentation is not always going to be plain... Read More
Back in the days when I sold for CTV and... Read More
When Dr. Frankenstein exclaimed "it's alive... it's alive," he thought... Read More
When it comes to effective selling, one simple fact never... Read More
I've been using a technique that has helped me to... Read More
As a result of providing marketing consulting, training and coaching... Read More
After reading and researching thousands of books, articles and other... Read More
So often sales men and woman are the very people... Read More
This is an important and potentially profitable piece of advice.... Read More
A conversation: The Salesperson: "I don't cold call-I want to... Read More
When I write sales letters for my clients, one rule... Read More
When I ask salespeople to define what a gatekeeper is,... Read More
Even in this day of websites, many customers want to... Read More
Sales |