Rise Above The Crowd- Sell The Combo!

Onward and Upward

As a former sales person in various industries and later a District and General Manager for the restaurant and retail industries I felt it was necessary for me to stand out above my peers when it came to production. I was always taught that hard work will help me rise above all others and for the most part that was true.

On the other hand, sometimes there are people that put forth just as much, if not more effort. What does someone do to stand out then? Maybe you have a spouse, kids and other responsibilities that some of your other aggressive and focused peers don’t have. How do you outwork someone with seemingly unlimited time, no life outside of work or just a single minded desire to move up the corporate ladder?

Play Nice

In order to stand above your peers it is not necessary to attack their work ethic and going after them on a personal or professional level is simply counterproductive and damaging to you as someone looking to advance in their industry.

I have always found that it is best to simply outperform my counterparts in order to be recognized as a valuable asset and the “go to” person for results.

I have always been a very competitive person; it was not enough for me to be ok or even good. I have always felt that if I was going to be working I may as well make an impression while I am with a company.

Bundle

One of the best ways to make a positive impression with your supervisors and their supervisors is to lead your team (and maybe the whole company) in sales! Every business exists to turn a profit; your salary is a necessary evil when trying to turn a profit. In order to make yourself a more valuable asset you have to generate more revenue than those around you.

One of my favorite techniques has always been to bundle products and services and add on’s to sales as well as service customers.

All but the most aggressive or the most well trained reps find it difficult to resist the urge to simply take a customer’s first choice and close the sale. It takes a determined and strategic person to take the time to come up with different offerings and packages on their own and relentlessly offer these “bundles” to your customers as you are dealing with them.

Delivery is Key

As a retail manager in the wireless industry one of the strategies I implemented for my team was to put together a price list of wireless phones along with one accessory (like a car charger) and another option such as a phone, car charger and case. I had the different prices next to the registers so that it was easily accessible to the representative. I encouraged the reps to memorize the “bundles” for the best selling phones. If a customer came in to look for a new phone the reps new to quote the entire bundle as opposed to just quoting the cost of the phone.

For instance if the price of a phone was $199 the rep would offer the customer our $218 package which includes a phone and a car charger, who doesn’t need a car charger right?

The more natural the delivery and the less hesitation with the sales person the more likely it is that the customer takes the deal.

This strategy led to the location leading the region in accessory sales, earning a top 10 result nationwide multiple times and changed policy for the region. Instead of using the standard price stickers, the region went to a price tag that included an accessory! Of course the tag also included the phone alone prices as well, but in smaller font and below the phone + accessory price.

There are several ways to make this work no matter what industry you find yourself in. You simply have to look at what your company offers and put products together that make sense and work well together. Often you can sell to service type customer too. Using the phone example, frequently customers complain about battery life. Having problems with your battery? Here is a spare for just $29 or a car charger for just $20!

Recognition

If you are a sales or service rep the recognition should come organically from your supervisor and his supervisor as well. If you ARE a supervisor you are obligated to mention your best reps at functions and meetings. A great leader recognizes their best employees and takes pride in helping them develop skills that they will always have available to them.

If you are found to be a glory hog you will undoubtedly destroy your own chance of advancement, the best companies don’t prefer great individuals they prefer individuals the can CREATE great individuals.

Pete Kontakos is a former Retail Manager and District Manager as well as a General Manager in the restaurant industry. His interests include football, wrestling, martial arts, health and supplement discussion. Pete is certified as a coach through USA Wrestling.