Learning’s from the best salesperson ever by John Berenyi (Business Speaker)

John Berenyi is one of Australia’s most prominent marketing professionals, with three decades of experience across Australia, Asia and USA. John’s work has helped some of the world’s most successful organisations. He’s the winner of numerous awards, and in 2015 John won the coveted ESOMAR World’s Most Effective Research Award against stiff international competition. As a presenter, facilitator or chairperson, organisers and audiences consistently rate him highly for both his research-proven, tailored content and his entertaining yet thought-provoking style.

Here the Business Speaker shares the learning’s and sales tips from when he recently discovered the best salesperson ever.

Until I saw him, it was just a normal Christmas shopping trip.

In the midst of Christmas panic shopping, I saw him. The best salesperson ever.

A big call. We work with super sales and marketing people; salespeople who sell to hard-as-nails Coles and Woolworths buyers, salespeople who sell cars or houses. We work with people who sell multi-million-dollar deals to governments, boards and multinationals. Yet this guy, in a Melbourne department store, was the best.

I watched him for almost an hour. I had a million things to do, client reports to write and lunch to eat, but I was transfixed. He was in the zone. His conversion rate was unbelievable.

He was a pool of calm in a jungle of commerce. He stood quietly, passively surveying the passing hordes. When he saw his mark, he did not pounce: he beguiled.

His competitors enthusiastically and mindlessly sprayed everyone they could get to stop or even slow down. They were working hard. They were meeting their KPIs of sprays per hour / and sample cards handed-out. But, they were not thinking about what they were doing, let alone thinking about the prospect. Their techniques (reflexive spraying; vacuous, insincere praise or snide looks/comments ‘proving’ their fragrance was more fashionable, sexier or better than competitors’) were getting samples out; but not selling units.

My guy was selling. Selling Mindfully.

He was in control of himself and thinking about every detail of what he had to do. He focussed on the details of things prospects had control over, could be proud of.

He noted a new haircut, new jewellery, new clothes, a happy bouncy gait, a puzzled look. He used this to build rapport and qualify.

“Excuse me, I just love that haircut. It so suits you! How did you decide on it? Where did you get it done?”

He said nothing about the fragrance he was selling.

Great rapport building. True. He went further.

He actively listened to the responses and used them to unlock what the shopper was really looking for and how they wanted their problem solved. It was a quick chat. Shoppers absolutely loved it (after all their good taste was the topic). He used what they said to position his fragrance precisely and effectively. It was the one for people who were discerning, caring, fashionable, successful, busy or whatever. He reflected and used adjectives and verbs the shopper used in the chat.

Shopper: 

“I’m just so tired, I don’t want to think about it, but I have an important business dinner tonight”

Salesperson:

“The citrus notes in XYZ are designed to give your senses a little wake-up. It really puts you in the game.”

Shopper:

“I just give up with my mother-in-law, nothing I get her is good enough!”

Salesperson: 

“This (Fragrance X) is all the rage with ladies who lunch; your mother-in-law will love it. It will win you points”

This type of targeted reinforcement led to a natural, spontaneous trial close. And final close! Almost no one could resist.

It was pure joy to watch someone really sell; really be mindful of himself and his customer.

Intrigued by John? Discover more here.

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Viki Markoff - National Operations Manager at ICMI Speakers & Entertainers

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