How many times have you opened your door or answered your phone to a salesperson eager to make their sale? It wouldn't surprise me if many of you said 'loads' but have a negative story to tell.

 

If you are a "cold-caller" you can frighten away your customers in the first 10 seconds of them opening the door or answering the phone. They don't know you and they possibly don't know your product, therefore the fact you may know their name (call centres) your knowledge could appear intimidating.

As you may have gathered by now I work in direct sales. I have the mine field that is selling items that are of a specific personal choice to the customers.

More to the point: I am a customer.

The other day I opened my front door to a very eager salesman, so eager that he put his lovely polished shoe on my door frame to keep it open. Quite casually in his suit, he leaned against my door post and started his speech about his company, the product, how much better it was than the original, etc (there are 3 companies that supply this service in Ireland). He never told me his name though. I thanked him and said that I was happy with the provider I had. He persisted saying that theirs was the best offer on the market, and "who are you with". I told him our provider, he persisted again asking me "are you aware that offer doesn't last much longer". Now can any-one else tell me where this is going?

I politely stopped him in his tracks and said. "I work for a Direct Selling company. If I found out one in my team had behaved the way you have this last few minutes, I would be horrified". "How do you mean?" he replied. I looked at his foot in the door... He sheepishly removed his foot. I told him that unfortunatelly I took anything he said in the wrong light because of his very first action. More likely, I would have taken what he said the same way, foot in the door or not, as his manor matched his first action.

I will give anyone at my door or on the end of a phone a chance.  It is not easy in direct sales. I've spent years learning my trade. Introducing myself (then my company) is one of the most important things I can do and train my on. (As well as politeness, friendly body language)

He put me off in the first 10 seconds, perhaps he should have stopped before he rang my doorbell?