If you are as big a fan of NBC’s Thursday night comedy lineup as I am then you know that tonight is the series finale of The Office. If you watch the show (who hasn’t watched this show?) then you know that Dwight Schrute is absolutely insane. However, he is also Dunder Mifflin’s top salesman, so he is obviously doing something right. NBC.com put together a collection of Dwight’s top sales tips, which are, like Dwight, insane. I’ve selected a few of my favorites to tone down and translate into language the everyday sales rep could grasp.
“Pre-Sale. Take this time to get your mind and body ready for the fight of its life, because sales is a brutal street fight, but the price points will be your brass knuckles, and customer service, when backed into a corner, might just be your Molotov cocktail out there. Get focused.”
Before you reach out to a prospect take a few minutes to think about what you want to say to them. Try to get to know what you can about them, before you even pick up the phone for the initial call. What are their specific needs and how can you fill them? What objections could your prospect have and how are you going to react to them? (Try to do this without the use of weapons).
“Work in teams. Two are better than one – that’s not only a fact, it’s also math. Jim and I worked together on countless sales calls, and in return, I have backed up Moses on the farm several times to convince out hardheaded goats to stay out of our silo. Not only did we make the sale, but there is now far less goat feces in our wheat.”
Sales teams can be very competitive, but you are still a team. Is there a common objection you keep hearing? Ask a colleague how they have overcome this in the past. Is your inbox empty because your emails are the worst? Ask a coworker to read them over and give you some tips. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and offer your expertise in return.
“Use a personal touch. Treat every customer like they are the only client you have, but never let them think for one second you wouldn’t trade them in if a younger, cooler client came along. Keep control.”
Take the time to personalize your pitch to each prospect. Does their LinkedIn profile give details into their responsibilities at the company? Mention those responsibilities and how you can help them. Did you read an article about the company that caught your eye? Tell them about it, they should appreciate that you took the time to read and learn about them. Don’t be afraid to open up a bit and personalize your messages.
“I’ll be honest, it doesn’t hurt to be really good-looking.”
Maybe you should update your LinkedIn picture?
And last but certainly not least:
“Sales is a battle, so figure out your strategy. I approach sales as if I’m a Level Nine Paladin battling an army of lowly trolls who have been working as informants for the neighboring King Nebulon, and only through acquiring the troll’s gold will I have the funds to hire the army of mercenaries needed to take back control of Middle Land, but different strategies work for different people.”
I had a little trouble following this tip, but I think he might be trying to say that every sales rep is different. This is the mind set Dwight puts himself in before he tries to close a deal, I like to imagine myself as Julia Robert in Erin Brockovich, but that’s just me. We all take different approaches to the sales game, so find the approach that works best for you.
These are just a few of Dwight’s best sales tips, you can see the entire list here. What is your favorite tip from Dwight?
