How To Let Customers Want What They Want

I started my sales career selling Cutco knives. It was rough at first, but I was able to grow to become an assistant manager and one of the top reps in our office within my first year.

I remember one particular time when I grew very quickly. It was like a wall got completely smashed and selling was so much easier on the other side.

I would do my presentation in people’s homes and, ideally, I would always meet with both the husband and the wife together. That way they could make a decision today if they wanted to.

One time I did a presentation for a wife only. I needed more appointments than I was getting so I took the appointment without trying very hard to make sure the husband was there.

I don’t remember much about the presentation. It didn’t feel like I made any strong connections with her. She didn’t indicate she liked any of what I had to offer and she never bought anything. I let her know if she bought something today, I could also throw in some free stuff, but if she didn’t, then that offer would go away.

Some time went by and she reached out and asked if I could do my presentation again, because this time her husband could be there. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get any free stuff, but she still wanted to meet.

I didn’t have a read on the situation at all, because I didn’t even know she was interested. But my hopes were up that I was going to make a sale. Why else would she want to do another presentation?

When I got there, I did the same presentation as I was taught by Cutco, but this time the husband got to see it. I then asked if they wanted to buy our most expensive set, but they didn’t want it. Then I dropped down to the next set, but they didn’t want that. And all the way through the entire pitch. Nothing.

Finally, at the end I showed them some extra stuff Cutco made. Stuff like BBQ tools, a cheese knife, flatware, etc. Half the time I skip over the Cutco flatware, because it didn’t make any sense to me why anyone would buy it. One set had two forks, two spoons, and a steak knife, but those five pieces cost over $100 (and this was over 20 years ago).

I still didn’t have a read on this couple, but this time I happened to show them the flatware. The husband perked up and grabbed one of my forks and ran over to the garage disposal. He put the fork in the garbage disposal and said, “Look, honey, this fork is long enough you can still see it if it falls into the garbage disposal!” Then he turned to me and said, “We’ve lost so much flatware to our garbage disposal it’s embarrassing. We’ve even needed to use plastic utensils with guests because that’s all we had left. But these long handles are exactly what we need.”

So they bought twelve sets of flatware and a paring knife, and that was the biggest sale I had made so far.

I was a poor college student. The mattress I slept on was probably something I had found for free. I couldn’t imagine anyone spending money on flatware, but they were some of my happiest customers.

That breakthrough changed my entire sales career. Up until then, I was only selling what I could imagine buying. I was thinking about me and my phase of life.

After that meeting, I realized it has nothing to do with me. It’s all about the customer and their wants, dreams, and desires.

That breakthrough led me down a path of other discoveries where I was able to toss the canned presentation. I learned to listen to what the customer actually wanted instead of focusing on what I thought they should want.

What do you think?
Joseph