The salesman's young son came running out of the bathroom in tears.
"What's the matter son?" asked the salesman.
"I dropped my toothbrush in the toilet."
"Ah, that's nothing to get upset about," replied the salesman, "we'll just throw it out and get you a new one."
So the salesman fished his son's toothbrush out of the toilet, and put it in the garbage. When he returned, his son was holding another toothbrush."
"Isn't that my toothbrush?" asked the salesman.
"Yes," replied the boy, "and we'd better throw yours out too, because it fell in the toilet four days ago."
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to be successful at sales you need to always leave your customers and prospects with a good taste in their mouth. No matter what the problem, always treat them with dignity and respect. Second, always deal with your customers equitably. If you are going to give preferential pricing to one, give preferential pricing to all, if they are buying similar quantities. Nothing sours a business relationship faster than for one party to find out a few days after they thought they got a great deal, that someone else they know, got a better deal, from the same supplier. It's like finding out a few days later that someone dropped your toothbrush in the toilet. Like the dropped toothbrush, chances are your position as the customer's vendor of choice, will get trashed just as quickly. Remember, your business dealings, like your teeth, should always be kept clean.
"To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance." - Jean Genet
"What's the matter son?" asked the salesman.
"I dropped my toothbrush in the toilet."
"Ah, that's nothing to get upset about," replied the salesman, "we'll just throw it out and get you a new one."
So the salesman fished his son's toothbrush out of the toilet, and put it in the garbage. When he returned, his son was holding another toothbrush."
"Isn't that my toothbrush?" asked the salesman.
"Yes," replied the boy, "and we'd better throw yours out too, because it fell in the toilet four days ago."
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to be successful at sales you need to always leave your customers and prospects with a good taste in their mouth. No matter what the problem, always treat them with dignity and respect. Second, always deal with your customers equitably. If you are going to give preferential pricing to one, give preferential pricing to all, if they are buying similar quantities. Nothing sours a business relationship faster than for one party to find out a few days after they thought they got a great deal, that someone else they know, got a better deal, from the same supplier. It's like finding out a few days later that someone dropped your toothbrush in the toilet. Like the dropped toothbrush, chances are your position as the customer's vendor of choice, will get trashed just as quickly. Remember, your business dealings, like your teeth, should always be kept clean.
"To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance." - Jean Genet
