I love my books. I can remember not long ago when I hated to read books. (Thirty years ago.)
Most people, regardless of their age, still don’t like to read. And if they do, they spend their time reading fiction, which is simply and simply entertaining. Me? I like to read business books. They make me think.
On one particular evening, I grabbed a book I had read years ago and began rereading the underlined passages. I can’t read a book without underlining meaningful sentences and circling paragraphs while making notations inside the book jacket which utterly destroys the book’s pristine look.
Cool your jets. I’m getting to the point. The Nordstrom Way was the book’s title and a passage on page eight is responsible for today’s reminder.
“Then he gave McCarthy some of the most important advice a sales associate can get, advice McCarthy has carried with him ever since, advice that today he gives to new employees:
“Relax. Stop worrying about making sales.” Easier said than done, thought McCarthy in a hotly competitive Nordstrom arena of commission sales. “When you stop worrying about money and concentrate on serving the customer, the money will follow.”
Similar advice comes from one of the friendliest countries I know of – Australia – when they remind us time and time again: “No worries.” This is another way of saying “stop trying to sell so hard and start lightening up.”
So there you have it. A message worth taking to heart but a message that I fear will fall on the majority of deaf ears.
Get ready to stop trying to sell. This advice works for Nordstrom’s and it will work for you, but only if you start focusing on your customers. Now, go make a few more people glad they know you.
Mike Marchev has plenty of stories, strategies and tactics to keep you on top of your game.
Mike will be conducting his 5th annual Travel Sales & Marketing Business Development Cruise, sailing the Freedom of The Seas from Ft. Lauderdale. Email him at mike@mikemarchev.com for complete details. Five cabins are still available.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
