Sales School

I've always considered myself a lousy salesman. But I've spent enough time in sales to learn a valuable lesson: If you try to sell what you have -- whether it's a product, an idea, or a strategy -- you'll have a tough sell. When I was younger, my approach to selling was entirely about my product, my company, my pricing. But it doesn't take long to realize -- and it's always worth remembering -- that clients don't really care about your stuff. They care about their stuff.

You have to be able to put your finger on what motivates your customer. That requires one thing: effective communication. The best salespeople are also the best communicators. They know what questions to ask. They know how to probe an issue. And they know that "no" never means "no" -- it just means "not now."

I remember one of my first sales calls. My job was to sell retailers more bottles of wine than I had sold them the month before -- Paul Masson, Sterling Vineyards, Mumm's champagne. I walked into one account, and I could tell immediately that the owner was having a bad day. With something like 60,000 items in his store, he had more than 200 vendors vying for his attention. This guy looked at me and said, "As far as I'm concerned, your stuff doesn't sell, and I'd just as soon not have it on my shelf." Standing there, I had three thoughts: I need an immediate career change; I'm never going to make it as a salesman; and I have to figure out a way to make this sale.

I went to where my products were displayed and -- not knowing that this was illegal (I was nonunion) -- started to rearrange the bottles on the shelves. After an hour, I brought him over to show him what I had done. He screamed at me for fiddling with his shelf space, but he finally agreed that my arrangement looked much better than the previous one. I sketched out the fundamentals of merchandising and told him that we should see how this new arrangement worked. In short, it worked exceptionally well, he ended up becoming one of my best customers, and two years later, I was in his wedding. Does that have anything to do with sales technique? You tell me.

Mark Bozzini joined LinkExchange, the largest advertising network on the web, in 1998. Previously he was the CEO of Pete's Brewing Co. Under Bozzini's leadership, Pete's increased its sales from $130,000 to $80 million -- and thus became the second-largest microbrewery in the United States.

Judy George
Founder and CEO
Domain Home Fashions
Norwood, Massachusetts

Selling is like trading -- it's a give-and-take. I learned this truth from my father, who was Lebanese and owned his own business. The Lebanese are great traders, and my father would never ask for something without giving something in return. Whether I'm trying to sell an idea or a couch, I always try to leave an imprint on the person I'm dealing with -- because if I don't make an impact, it's unlikely that I will have moved that person to take action. It's also unlikely that I will get a second chance. To make an impact, I create a bond of intimacy. I find out as much as I can about the other person. I use that person's name throughout the conversation. I speak slowly. I listen. I make him or her feel like the most important person in the world at that moment.

To start my business, I raised $28 million. The three VCs to whom I sold my idea were Harvard Business School graduates. Before our meeting, I learned everything I could about them. I went to Harvard and I talked to their professors. I researched their interests and hobbies. I studied their track records to learn how they looked at companies and what might attract their support. This preparation enabled me to understand where they were coming from. But I also made sure that they understood something about me -- something that I hoped would compel them to take action on my behalf.

I train my sales consultants and managers in this approach to selling -- in getting in touch with each customer. I sell home furnishings -- that is, things. But what people really come into my store to buy is "style." A lot of customers worry that they have no style -- which creates a certain amount of fear in the buying process. I don't resort to the Martha Stewart or Ralph Lauren selling proposition: You have no style, and therefore you must buy mine. Rather, I sell by taking the time to figure out what the customer really wants. I've taught my employees to diffuse the customer's fear by asking the right questions. By asking very specific questions, salespeople can give the customer a deeper understanding of what he or she truly wants.

Judy George leads the fast-growing, $50 million chain of Domain stores. Her goal for the next five years is to add 65 stores to the 23 now in operation. George is also the author of "The Domain Book of Intuitive Home Design: How to Decorate Using Your Personality Type" (Clarkson Potter, 1998).