Sales strategies… the Agent Smecker way.
Just who is Paul Smecker? He’s one of those top sales performers that jumps across the country, giving seminars to jam-packed banquet halls.
Paul Smecker, played by Willem Dafoe, is a FBI agent in the movie The Boondock Saints. If you haven’t seen the movie, please stop reading because this blog post will make no sense whatsoever. Aside from being a killer movie, it also teaches some valuable lessons about sales strategies that you’ll need to survive as a rep.
Understand your umm… “target.” Do your homework.
If you want to achieve killer sales, you have to understand who your customer is. What motivates them? What do they need? What are their tastes? Where do they live? Do they have a home alarm? (Ok, maybe the last two points may be a bit much)
Study your target audience, in depth, to the point that you are driven by the pursuit of your prospect sale or your product. It’s not about you anymore; it’s your customer’s needs.
Smecker knew his target. He clearly understood what would get him (literally) past the front door. When he pulled on pantyhose, slithered into a dress and yanked a lovely wig into place, it was because he was sure when it came to what his target’s preferences were. It was one hell of an unorthodox prospecting process, but I’m not going to knock the effectiveness. As a law enforcement agent, he didn’t stand a chance of gaining access to a mafia member. As an alluring “woman,” he did.
However, he utilized one of the most crucial sales strategies around: he did his homework and found out what his target’s preferences were. That’s what “sold” him to the gatekeeper and got him in the door.
Devise a plan of attack.
People who can anticipate a customer’s concerns can head off the questions before they surface; this is one of those priceless sales strategies. Knowing what your customers want from your product or service will help you mold your pitch to suit their needs.
Data might come from phone surveys, face-to-face contact or online questionnaires. Wherever the information comes from, study it. That data is crucial to how you create your sales pitch.
Execute your plan. Follow the steps you planned out, but always be prepared for the curve ball.
During The Boondock Saints, Murphy is chained to a toilet while Connor is taken downstairs and outside by our friendly neighborhood assassins.
In the alley, the thugs were overconfident. The only thing they had on their minds was the hit that was about to happen. They weren’t prepared for the unexpected, which came in the form of the toilet dropped onto their head.
Although it’s critical that you carry out your plan, and although – thankfully – you’ll never have to keep an eye out for fifty pounds of porcelain plummeting towards you, you do need to be prepared for the occasional obstacle. Anticipating the possible “what ifs” is one of the sales strategies that will keep you prepared and proactive.
Slay the competition.
If you know your customer so well, it’s almost as if you are them… if you devise a plan yet keep an eye out for the occasional curve ball, you’ll win over your customer. And, you’ll leave your competition in the dust…
