In Praise of “Counselor Servant Sellers”
“One of the little joys of being a human being, is the occasional opportunity to enjoy “being human” together – to bask in the warmth of an affectionate smile, to appreciate an inside joke, to be caressed, to be served coffee by someone you know cares whether it’s gone cold…”
– J.R. St. John
Executive Counselor,
Consultant, Speaker
Founder of The Fusion Group
(1952 – )
All right, listen up! This is for all you sellers and servers suffering in silence thinking that you don’t contribute anything to the nation, the economy, the company or your client / customers.
What if YOU are the uniqueness in the product? Yes, You!
What if you are the reason we buy the coffee?
What if you are the reason we feel safe investing in your anonymous money management company?
What if you are the reason we feel confident buying the new car from a different company with the custom glass and the very cool upholstery?
What if you are the reason we think buying the new computer is not a stupid risk?
What if you are the reason we were able to buy orthotics to resolve that nagging foot pain; confident that it wasn’t diabetes, but flat feet?
What if it’s your passion [about your product] that makes us want to hang around you and listen, as we buy your stuff to pay for the time?
What if it’s not the special paint?
Not the unusually cogent portfolio management team?
Not the super fast microprocessor?
Not the special sauce?
Not the price?
Not the time allocation required to attend the training…
What if it really is YOU, the person – the counselor servant seller; the individual responsible for hearing what the customer says, divining what they actually mean, then choosing the product, the access, the amount and the level of follow up required to keep them happy long term?
YOU. Not IT! You.
So now you’re probably busy erecting a wall of humility and misdirection… “Aw shucks ma’am, I didn’t do nothin’.”
But you did…you did something by “putting in the nothing” (the moment of profound personal understanding) right between when they finished and when you proposed a solution. There was a moment where you were listening and heard what they meant, and felt, and thought. In that moment, they were understood. (Being understood is not a quantifiable event – it’s no-thing. And a pretty important nothing at that.) That moment made the next moment possible and meaningful… Because you were able to bring them exactly what they needed. You proved you knew them by serving up the answer to their question, the solution to the problem.
The solution could be had almost anywhere… or at least in several places. But YOU are what made it possible for them to find the answer today. Here. Now. Just in time. Before it was too late…
You. The product. The delivery mechanisms. Together, you form a powerful composite product solution. Without you, it’s just another microprocessor on a shelf.
Some suggestions:
Managers: It generally takes longer to sell through service – so consider your management metrics carefully before coming down on your wildly effective servant sellers for not doing more meetings in less time. Manage to results, not merely the meetings. It’s a different tack, but quality takes time… and builds long lasting relationships.
Sellers: Recognize that you can’t get someone to listen – or absorb – until they have been heard out, and understood. So invest the time, and get what’s on their mind and in their heart. You’ll know if you’ve got a product that’ll serve; and because you’ve listened – you’ll have earned their trust in your advice.
Customers: (Especially you retail customers) those service people have a hard life, and they deserve your thanks and respect. Why not lavish a little extra TLC on your clerk next time and start them down the path of service?
Almost everything we own was purchased. Some of those purchase experiences were banal if not actually painful. Conversely, many were not only pleasant, but also rewarding far in excess of the price. We know you didn’t have to do it. We know the extra study, patience and warmth is hard to summon up from the depths. Thanks…for your service! And for the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of “being human together.”
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