Make the customer remember you Some books mention the importance of "image." So, as a novice salesperson, I followed the book's advice and dressed sharply, wearing a suit and tie to visit terminal customers, but it backfired. Later, through conversations with customers, I found the reason: Boss: "When you first came, all dressed up like a general manager, talking at length about your company and your products, do you know what I was thinking?" Salesperson: "What were you thinking?" Boss: "I thought you were crazy! I meet hundreds of salespeople like you every day, all saying the same things, and I'm already tired of it. Besides, look at my shop—it's busy all day. When do I have time to listen to your nonsense? You come in talking about your company and products without knowing anything about me or my situation. Why would I bother listening? So, I just wanted you out so I could get back to business!" Salesperson: "Then why was your attitude better the next time I came?" Boss: "Wasn't it because there were no customers then, and you helped me move the goods?" Hearing this, I suddenly woke up! He was absolutely right. How do I make customers remember me? How can I stand out among the many salespeople? Later, I summarized a few points: 1. Dress cleanly and neatly If there's a uniform, wear it to show you're professional. Avoid overly unique styles—customers might see you as unreliable. Also, don't dress like a general manager; it will create distance, and they might even curse you behind your back after you leave. 2. Don't talk too much Briefly introduce yourself. Instead of rambling on and rushing to sell, observe the customer's environment—use your eyes, remember, and think! 3. Find opportunities to help the customer On the first visit, eliminating unfamiliarity is key. The best way is not through words but actions. In offline sales training, salespeople often ask me: How can I quickly get familiar with small shops? What if I can't find topics to chat about? What scripts can build trust fast? My answer: Instead of chatting, do something practical. If you get the chance, find ways to help the customer! Let the customer understand you 1. Personnel situation a/ Mom-and-pop shops The wife usually manages money in such shops; building good relations with her makes collecting payments easier. Children: They are a window for emotional connection. Sometimes praising the child or buying them an ice pop can instantly change the boss's attitude. Staff: The hardest to deal with in a dealership is often not the boss but the staff. Remember that! Because more work is executed by the staff. For example, when you go to collect payment, even if the boss agrees, if you have a bad relationship with the accountant, you might not get paid. If you have a bad relationship with the sales staff, even if the boss approves your product, they won't push it, and it won't sell. Eventually, you'll have to return the goods to the factory, and you'll never get another chance. b/ Competitors You need to know who from competing companies has a good relationship with the boss. This isn't something you can figure out in one visit, but always keep it in mind, observe carefully, and ask and listen. 2. Product situation a/ Competitive products You can see some issues with the products in the customer's environment with your eyes. On your first visit, customers won't tell you much, so use your eyes. Note them down and research them when you get back. If you're a frontline manager, ask your salespeople what competitors they saw. If they can't even name the competing products, you need to educate them! Recording competitors is for homework—to understand more so you have something to talk about on the next visit. Many people don't know what to say when meeting customers because they don't understand. So, how well should you know competitors?

  • Brand: Besides the products you see, also consider other products from the same manufacturer that the customer doesn't carry. Ask yourself why the customer only stocks this item and not others.
  • Price: Not every customer gets the same purchase price. You should know the approximate market price and compare it with your own. Remember, don't just look at price—it's not the only factor!
  • Manufacturer: Learn about competitor manufacturers from your company. Small and medium customers usually know little about manufacturers and are eager to learn more. If you can share insider info, they'll appreciate it! (This is also a chance to show your superiors that you're eager to learn, haha) b/ Products related to your sales You might ask: What's the use of knowing those? They're not related to us; we don't sell them. Haha... That's true, but here's a truth: any product the customer sells is related to your sales! For example, if you sell "Bull switches," but you learn about the "light bulbs" the customer sells. They seem unrelated, but they're not. If you appropriately discuss products unrelated to yours, offer advice, and share your views, what will the customer think? He'll think: "This guy isn't like other salespeople who only talk about their own products. He cares about my other products and knows a lot. Interesting!" c/ In-store promotions and advertising Promotions and ads help you understand what competitors are doing, but make sure they're accurate. Many promo materials aren't updated promptly because salespeople are lazy. 3. Customer flow a/ Busy vs. quiet times When it's quiet, the boss has time to chat; when it's busy, your visit is useless—not noticing is bad, but hindering business is worse. b/ Main customer groups A salesperson under me once followed a customer for a long time, had a good relationship, but the customer never ordered. So, I accompanied him on a visit. The customer was near a university campus, buying copy paper for students to print review materials, and each sheet cost only a few cents, so the product grade was low. Since the salesperson didn't pay attention to the customer group, he kept pushing mid-range products, which not only failed to reduce costs but increased them. No matter how good the relationship, it was futile. Many salespeople fail because they ignore the customer group.

Let the customer trust you

  1. Sincerity I put sincerity first because many salespeople have scared customers. Before ordering, everything is great; after paying, everything changes. So, a sincere salesperson is the foundation for customer acceptance.
  2. Professionalism A good salesperson must master their field, know all relevant knowledge, and have unique insights different from peers.
  3. Consider the customer's interests Salespeople who only think about how much to sell and how much commission to earn, regardless of whether the product fits, will stuff it into the customer's warehouse. This is the most annoying behavior. A colleague once, to hit targets, forced 200 boxes of copy paper on a customer who could only sell 50 boxes a month. Then raw material prices dropped suddenly, causing huge losses. From then on, no one trusted him, and he and his products left the market!
  4. Learn to say no You might be surprised—usually customers reject us. Why would we reject business? That's crazy, right? Wrong! When a customer makes unreasonable demands, you must learn to refuse! Business is equal; both sides must benefit. There's no one-sided deal. Also, refusing unreasonable requests is a sign of self-respect!
  5. Keep your word Always fulfill promises to customers. If you can't, say so clearly. Don't make empty promises. Customers remember every commitment you make.
  6. Be loyal and compassionate Be loyal and compassionate to customers; don't be ungrateful. Help whenever you can within your principles, and don't be petty. Also, when talking with customers, don't always talk business; discuss family and emotions to build a bond beyond business. OK, if you want to quickly build trust with customers, do the above work seriously! Reply with the following keywords to search and read related professional articles: Sales Supervisor, Second-tier Management, Regional Manager, Dealer Management, New Channels, City Manager, Competition, 2015, Manufacturer-Dealer Game, Product Slowdown, Terminal Visit Management, Route Management, Deep Distribution, Internal Management, Sales Skills, Profit Improvement, Recruitment, Distribution, Daily Management, Team Motivation, Trade Promotion, Sales Misconceptions, New Product Launch, Township Market, New Product Pricing, Sales Target Achievement, Closing, Market Visit Inspection, Baijiu, Beer, Sales Increase, Agency Products, Cross-region Sales, KA, Terminal Visualization, New Market, Market Operation, Learning, Book Recommendations, Inventory Management, New Salespeople, Consumer Promotion, Execution, Old Products, Expired Product Handling, Model Market, Franchise Recruitment, New Media, Dealer Development, Performance Appraisal, Assessment, Annual Planning, Shopping Guide, Morning Meeting, Display, Transformation, Stock Pressure, Holidays, Dealer Cost Control, Channel Operation, Marketing Theory and Laws, Brand Truth, Order Meeting, Team Management, Training, Debriefing, Work Report.