Who hasn’t watched Miracle on 34th Street at least once during the Christmas season? Here’s the quick and dirty…Kris Kringle was indignant to find that the person assigned to play Santa at Macy’s was intoxicated. When Kris complains to the event director, she fires that guy and persuades Kris to take his place. He does such a fine job that he is hired to be the Santa for Macy’s flagship New York City store on 34th Street.

Ignoring instructions to steer parents to goods that Macy’s wants to sell, Kris directed one shopper to another store for a fire engine for her son that Macy’s didn’t have. She is so impressed; she tells the head of the toy department she will become a loyal customer. Kris later informs another mother that archrival Gimbels has better skates than the brand carried by Macy’s.

Kris has generated so much good publicity and customer goodwill for Macy’s that a delighted R.H. Macy promises generous bonuses to all the staff.

The store then expands on the marketing concept Kringle started and, anxious to avoid looking greedy by comparison, Gimbels implements the same referral policy throughout its entire chain. Eventually, Kris accomplishes the impossible: Mr. Macy is photographed shaking hands with Mr. Gimbel.

Although the original movie was made in 1947 (you’re probably more familiar with the 1994 remake), today’s business enterprises seem to be shifting their focus from simply adding new customers now to creating future customers via relationship selling. You must be mindful of this and ride that same bus in order to prove your worth to buyers and prospects.

Today’s buyer wants something more from sales people than solutions. Most buyers are well informed and have access to information about products and services through the Internet or contact with other businesses in their industry.  If they are in need of a product or service, they do some research and discover the available options.  A decision is made as a result of matching their needs with the products and services offered by a vendor.

However, when you make a sales approach toward buyers, they want the assurance you are knowledgeable in four diverse areas:

  1. Mindfulness – An expectation that you have a reasonable awareness of how their business functions as well as some amount of industry knowledge and marketplace familiarity, including an understanding of the economic and financial trends they face.
  2. Magnetism – They also want to be on the receiving end of basic interpersonal skills; being trustworthy, believable, credible, and competent, meaning that you must be a good person.
  3. Matching – Additionally, buyers expect you to know enough about your own products and services to match your features to their problems in order to stop their pain. They also want this information without having to endure a bloviating sales pitch.
  4. Multitasking – Finally they require that you’re a pro at being efficient and organized in how you do what you do and that you follow a specific process and execute a plan beneficial to them.

A few years ago a marketing survey polled a large group of buyers to determine the most desirable traits for top performing reps to exhibit. The responses, in no particular order, are shown here:

Top Performing Sales Reps:

  • Listen
  • Always speak the truth
  • Don’t push products
  • Understand my business
  • Understand my customer’s business
  • Help solve business problems
  • Do what they say
  • Don’t waste my time
  • Are an information resource
  • Make me look like a hero

Regardless what you sell, you no longer have to be a mind reader or even a good guesser to meet your buyer’s expectations. Exhibit these traits and buyers will be drawn to you like a magnet, transforming you into the Kris Kringle (or the Captain America) of your marketplace!

———Kudos from the Gem State———
Todd Sawyer, owner of the Orkin franchise in Boise, ID. recently sent me this note; “I want to thank you again for all you offer in our online weekly training meetings. The techniques and strategies we talk about every Tuesday will make a huge difference in the success of our employees and our company, and you are an important part of our team.” You Can Do This for Yourself
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