"85% of the interactions between sales people and prospects end without the sales person ever asking for the sale. 85%!" Retail News by Richard Fenton

I asked a number of unsuccessful and marginally successful sales people, "Why don't you aggressively ask for the sale?" I received these top 3 replies:
"I don't sell by pushing the customer.

We have all heard it happened to someone, we have herd the jokes,

Customer to Waiter: "What is that fly doing in my soup?"
Waiter. "Looks like the back stroke."

Customer to Waiter: "There is a fly in my soup."
Waiter: "Don't worry, He will not eat much."

The other day I was having lunch with my good friend Bert.

I remember it like it was yesterday. My friends Jack, Bert and I (we all owned small businesses) were having lunch at the Steak House across from the new, first combination gas station / mini mart to come to the area. It was the first day the Quick Fill was open.

I think I was the first to say, "They will never make it." After all who is going to pump their own gas? I felt I was an expert on the subject of customers getting out of their automobiles and pumping their own gas, as I owned and operated a gas station.

I don't see if often, but I saw it the other day. A real sales professional. A young fellow named Ron, between 18 and 20 years old, working in a grocery store.

As I stood at the customer service counter of my local grocery store waiting for my new discount buyers card to be processed a customer approached. I could see they were augry. You know, red in the face, mumbling to himselves and slamming a loaf of bread down on the counter.

Sam an old experienced sales professional strained to listen as two of the stores younger salesmen stood at the other end of the room talking loudly about how bad business was and how sick and tired they were with the customers. As he walked across the floor to better hear what they were saying he heard one say to the other. "I am sick and tired of always putting up with the customers problems and having to go out of my way to satisfy them.

I remember it like it was yesterday. My friends Jack, Bert and I (we all owned small businesses) were having lunch at the Steak House across from the new, first combination gas station / mini mart to come to the area. It was the first day the Quick Fill was open.

I think I was the first to say, "They will never make it." After all who is going to pump their own gas? I felt I was an expert on the subject of customers getting out of their automobiles and pumping their own gas, as I owned and operated a gas station.

Two men are being chased by a bear in the woods. As the bear is gaining on them, one of the men stops and begins to put on a pair of running shoes. The second man stops beside him and says, "The bear is too fast for us. You don't think those running shoes will help you outrun the bear do you?" The first man replies, "All I have to do is outrun you.

I will make this quick. I know you are busy.
We are a very impatient nation. It's a nation that gets antsy after 20 seconds on hold on the telephone and 3 minutes max in a line. A nation that wants everything so fast we purchase our meals at drive through restaurants. Do our banking and buy our prescription drugs out of the car window. We don't even get out of the car to have our oil changed or wash the car.

While shopping one of the big box home store discounters for a client I watched a perfect example of overselling.

A woman standing by the store's bathroom sink display asked the salesperson, "Does this sink come in rose color?" Immediately the salesperson replied, "It comes in rose, it comes in white, it comes in green, red, blue, almond, black, brown, gold.

If you do not like your job or the way you are being treated you can resign and find another job with supervisors that treat you in respectable and reasonable ways. But, what if you are also married to the owner?

Or what if you and your spouse both work for the same employer and your spouse is you superior and you do not want to leave your job? What if your spouse, like mine for 40 years is a partner in the business, a major contributor to the businesses success?

Many marriages and businesses are annihilated, although most give up a marriage before giving up the business or position with the business, because there was never clear cut decisions made as to whom is responsible for what and because spouses are not treated as our partner in our business or profession.