This story about the salesman’s magic pen illustrates how the smallest detail, or idea, can make a big difference in any sale. It’s another in our Sales stories from the front line series – tales sales professionals tell in order to get their point across. Stories from the front line are counter intuitive and funny, or at least ironic. They entertain, and educate, but aren’t always true.
This one is true, and it goes like this.
John was intrigued. At this first meeting with Steve, he noticed a pen in his shirt pocket. A pen wasn’t unusual, of course, but this one was. John recognised the logo on the pen clip. He had one just like it himself. Those pens were gifted to prospects and customers by Steve’s fiercest competitor.
Steve represented one of the two hardware companies dominating the Unix server market. John was in the process of choosing a hardware supplier for the new database project. He’d already met with, and been impressed by, the other company. That was how he’d been given his pen. He didn’t understand how Steve would get hold of one, and especially couldn’t figure why he’d be advertising his competition.
The question had to be asked. Why was Steve showing that pen?
Steve smiled, shyly. He’d need to tell the story of how he came by it.
John already knew the competitor was eating Steve’s company’s lunch, winning just about every deal in the market. The business had professional sales people, a strong product line, and management refusing to lose new opportunities under any circumstances. (Perhaps Steve was hoping to be recruited by the other side?)
But that wasn’t the story of how Steve got the pen.
He’d been one side of the usual punch up over a new server sale, and in trouble. Despite proving his hardware was superior, and persuading management to let him offer an eye watering price, he still wasn’t winning. The other side was determined not to lose, and offered to supply it’s server for free, just to stop Steve’s company winning a deal, any deal.
Instead of giving up, He decided to stay in the game and fight. Cutting a long story short, Steve won the deal based on functionality, service, and a reasonable price, against the opposition’s free of charge.
At the meeting scheduled to sign the contract Steve asked his new customer if they could swap pens. His branded, gold plated, version of the pen for the cheap plastic logo giveaway. The customer agreed. Steve left the meeting with a signed contract, and what was to become his magic pen.
John chuckled at the story. Later he’d find out why that buyer had chosen to pay for a server when the alternative was available for free. Right now he still didn’t know why Steve was displaying the pen in his pocket. So he asked again.
This time the response was a broad smile. Steve carried the pen in his shirt pocket because at every first meeting, the new prospect would ask why he was displaying the pen. Then he’d get to tell the story.
With the help of that magic pen, Steve continued winning business. He was promoted, first to sales manager and then to VP of Marketing and Sales.
The competitor tried to recruit Steve several times. Maybe it wanted it’s pen back?
