Have you read The Best Seller by Ron Willingham?  It’s a good read with a number of helpful snippets for sales meetings.

Below are two I’ve shared with salespeople who seemed to be spilling their guts…telling everything they could about the product and the company and  blah blah blah blah blah  before they even knew anything about the customer.

These snippets are a bit silly so if you share them with others, don’t be surprised if you see an eye roll or two.   But don’t let that worry you because woven into the silliness is wisdom and the two together have a way of causing shifts and aha’s.

There was once a hungry salesperson named Barrymore,

Who bored customers by talking until their ears were sore!

He’d never get to first base,

Because he didn’t have the grace,

To precede his selling by establishing rapport!

from page 29, The Best Seller by Ron Willingham

There was once a starving salesperson named Ralph

Whose income was somewhat of a drought.

But his sales began to glisten,

when he learned to ask questions and listen,

Instead of constantly running off at the mouth!

from page 47, The Best Seller by Ron Willingham

Listening more.

A powerful sales tool.

A powerful management tool as well.

copyright 2010 – Business Class Inc

Jan is a coach, teacher, speaker and author who is passionate about performance management and corporate culture.

Her coaching specialty is working with women in leadership to take charge more effectively, make things happen and inspire others to do the same.