Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Sales Joke of the Day (October 29) The Hitchhiker.

A saleswoman is driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona when she sees an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road.   As the trip is a long and quiet one, and the elderly Navajo woman is carrying a large package, the saleswoman stops her car and asks the Navajo woman if she would like a ride.  With a word or two of thanks, the saleswoman puts the large package into the trunk , and the elderly Navajo woman gets into the passenger seat.


After resuming the journey and a bit of small talk, the Navajo woman notice a brown bag on the back seat behind the saleswoman. 


"What's in the bag?" asks the old woman.


Sally glances back at the brown bag and says, "It's a bottle of wine.  Got it for my husband."


The Navajo woman is silent for a moment, and then, speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder, says, "Good trade."


Moral of the Story.   True sales professionals know that in order to succeed at sales you need to know how to deal.  You need to remember the difference between value, price and cost.   During any transaction if the customer can lower their costs or if they can get rid of a major problem as a result of the deal, the value they are willing to pay for your product or service goes up.   Rarely is such value "feature" based, but rather, it's benefit driven.
  

"I believe you are your work.  Don't trade the stuff of your life, time, for nothing more than dollars.  That's a rotten bargain."                               -      Rita Mae Brown

Note: this picture honors Katherine Smith.  Navajo elder and activist, on the reservation near Big Mountain, Arizona. She was still protesting in 2010 at age 95.  One of those folks you'd like to have the pleasure to meet and get the opportunity to ask a few questions.