Good morning!
Right around the time this sales tip hits your short attention span, I will be riding my 2011 Victory Vision motorcycle with some consistency. The season doesn’t really get started until May but there are typically a few days in April when the cover comes off and I put a few miles behind me.
Unless you are lucky enough to live in a part of the country where you can ride year-round, it’s a good idea to take it slow at first and run through a safety checklist:
- Ride like everyone else is trying to kill you;
- Make no assumptions and take nothing for granted;
- Watch out for sand on the side of the road;
- Think ahead to where you are going and focus your eyes there;
- Test all of your equipment— especially your brakes —before jumping on the saddle.
I write this list because of its similarities to sales. Riding a motorcycle has made me a better driver. Perhaps these lessons can be translated to make you a better salesperson:
- Sell like your competition wants your customer. Because they do;
- Make no assumptions: You are as good as the last job you shipped in;
- Be prepared for the unexpected slip-up;
- Think about where your customer is going with their business;
- Keep your selling skills and communication equipment properly maintained.
As the job of sales itself, there is nothing more freeing than being on the back of a motorcycle. I often wonder why everyone doesn’t sell/ride. In both cases, success/safety comes from paying attention and thinking ahead. Stay focused on the customer/road. There is no such thing as a minor motorcycle accident and all customers are sacred.
Let’s ride!
