Simple Selling by Jim Meisenheimer

Last weekend I experienced a perfect example of simple
selling.

Let me explain. Last weekend Bernadette, my wife, took
me to Howey-In-The-Hills for a 3-day golfing package to
celebrate my birthday.

Mount Dora is a beautiful lakefront village located in
Central Florida and that's where we headed as soon as
we arrived at the Mission Inn Golf Resort.

Mount Dora had one of the biggest Art and Craft shows
I have ever seen. Exhibit after exhibit was stuffed to
the gills with every imaginable kind of Arts and Crafts.

Most exhibits did their best to overload your senses.
Most exhibits except one.

The Appalachian Bow Saw exhibit was different because
they only demonstrated and sold one product.

This was simple selling at its best.

The Bow Saws we will looking at has its origins in the
Appalachian Mountains. You can use this Bow Saw to cut
red, crusty French, tough bagels, and mushy sourdough
or can be cut with these. You can also use this knife
for vegetables, fruits, and cheese.

Robert Linn has one product that was available in a wide
variety of domestic and imported woods.

After briefly describing his Bow Saw, he handed it to you
and ask you to cut a slice from a loaf of French Bread.

This was simple selling at its best.

Robert to be sure, helped sell his product, and he allowed
the product to do some selling too.

I remember selling laboratory supplies years ago. Back
then we had a catalog filled with over 100,000 chemicals,
supplies, glassware, apparatus, and instrumentation. The
tendency back then, and I suspect for a lot of salespeople
today, is to talk about as many products as you can.

It's very easy for Robert to focus on one product during
a sales call because he only has one product to sell.

Simple selling enables buyers to do simple buying.

Don't talk too much!

Don't sell too many products at one time!

Don't forget to let your sales prospect touch and feel
the product - if that's possible!

Don't overstay your welcome!

Do ask questions!

Do have a prepared and rehearsed product presentation!

Do have a prepared and rehearsed response to common
objections!

Do have a prepared and rehearsed way to ask for the
order.

Robert's simple approach to selling made it simple for us
to buy two of his Appalachian Bow Saws.

Don't complicate the selling process.

Establish crystal clear sales objectives for every sales
call using simple selling techniques.

Then watch your sales take off!