Yang, a Seiwajuku member and a president of a uniform distribution company, asked Mr. Inamori * how his company can reinforce the sales department as Yang is not good at sales.
Mr. Inamori shared with Yang important tips on how to improve the sales performance of Yang company.
The tips are as follows;
1 The sales is becoming a servant of your clients
2 Demonstrating top’s commitment in sales
3 Feeling & understanding clients’ concern & anxiety
4 Getting rid of your pride/ insistence
5 Proposing something new
6 Showing gratitude and affection towards staffs
This time 4-6 will be explained.
4 Getting rid of your pride/ insistence
“The improvement starts that you understand that your business is the sales. Nothing else. You can talk with your own words. If your client asks you to bow your head, you are willing to do that. Sales result depends on how much you can kill yourself, demolishing your egoism. It starts with making yourself nothing. It’s like a servant. If the customer says, “If you put your forehead on the ground, I’ll buy your product”, you are willing to do that. That is not embarrassing at all. I don’t think you lose your dignity; this is a demonstration that you can do anything that your client wants. ”
→ Among the Buddhism six disciplines, which Mr. Inamori encourages us to follow, he put the highest importance on “devoting ourselves in working hard”. This is simply because through the hard working people can expect the same effects that they get through deep meditation or prayers. How to lose our egoism, this is exactly what Aikido teaches us.
5 Proposing something new
“I can’t just bow my head without any specific reason. However, such an unsocial guy,to sell Kyocera product, went to America to do business. I am sure that you can do the same. Sales are not difficult. After thoroughly researching your products, you make a presentation by simulating what kind of uniform would fit your client’s new business lines. Think carefully, as if you were a president of your client company. If your client doesn’t like your proposal, all you may say is “I will propose another idea.”
→ I think that customers definitely give us hints. What are they dissatisfied with and what are they worried about? If you receive those messages with a positive intention, you will be able to move forward little by little to be a good sales man.
6 Showing gratitude and affection towards staffs
“I’ll say it again, but you’re too smart, so you can not be tolerant with small mistakes that your staffs have made. Clever staffs have left your company and the remaining are not satisfactory in terms of performance, from your point of views. You have thought that you are unlucky as your staffs’ turn over has been high. I would like you to show your gratitude your staffs who have been working with you and you should feel yourself lucky as you can work with them. “ Mr. Inamori said to Yang.
→Mr. Inamori also said when another president asked him that what the president can do when cleaver staffs easily leave the company,” Don’t take the fact wrong. Not the cleaver staffs have left, but the remaining employees are excellent. A cleaver guy gets tired of poor leadership of the president. However, you could tell your remaining staffs, “ A good staff quits, maybe because I’m not a good leader. But you trust me and decided to follow me. As long as you are with me, you encourage me to do my best to make our business better. ”
I thought that a leader who is smart, does everything, and was perfect would not be a good president. Even though these who have some deficits, as long as they work hard, they may attract staffs.
Further queries or doubts, please email to ytomizuka@abrilsjp.com
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