The radio station I worked for had various high=pressure sales classes every once in awhile. While looking successful was always stressed, we were not told we had to buy a Caddy to do so!

Most of them were crap, with the ocassional decent foray into positive thinking, confident self-image and everything, but the best one of all taught what you've said your dad would say, Rick: know your product, know your market, and know yur client's needs and market.

The best one taught what he called "Consultant Selling"...really all it took was being a good listener, you go into a person's business, take the time to ask them if they have time for you, then ask them to tell you about their business. Every once in awhile, you interject with a feeedback of "So what I hear you saying is blah, blah, blah" and bingo, you've made them feel important because they have your undivided attention, you've actually listened to what they've said, as evidenced by your paraphrasing it back to them, THEN you've got them ready to listen to what you can do to help them achieve their goals, which you already know from what they've told you.

The other big thing was always, in the actual ads, to stress the benefits, not the features. "You'll sleep like a baby on so and so's oh-so-soft, yet firm and supportive matress" not, "sos and so's matress has 5,000 coil springs, boxed up in a frame of warped boards, with ten inch nails sticking straight up, with neat suspension and sagless middle section supported by a steal beam wieghing ten tons!"

Well, you get the idea. Bottom line, IMO, the best salespeople are the ones who take the time to listen, to make a person feel heard and valued and that is true in any relationship, business or personal.

This should be a fun one, Rick. can't wait to hear more of what Spaw has to say.

I'll ask Rog what his dad used to say. He sold all kinds of things door to door while also working as a journalist and radioman...raised 5 kids so must've been pretty good at it.

kat