A Salesman's Tricks of the Trade: if You Only Knew

Introduction Sales is first and foremost the art of persuasion. A salesperson persuades someone to part with his or her money in exchange for a product or service. This is done by convincing the customer that he wants the product or service more than he wants his own money. Often this is a formidable task because the goods and services offered by professional salespeople usually cost a lot of money. The good news for the salesperson is that the approach used can significantly improve the odds of success. Like any profession, a sales job becomes a lot easier once you learn the tricks of your trade. I believe that how well a salesperson learns the tricks of the trade can have a big effect on his success, income and career. The degree of success can also affect the salesperson's happiness, family life and sense of self-worth. I am convinced that learning these tricks can be financially rewarding and prudent for any salesperson's career. Perhaps Wesley Autrey, a New York construction worker, understood achievement best when he simply said; "Good things happen when you do good." This book is designed to help you do a good job at selling people things. It describes, explains, and provides examples of the best tricks of the trade I have used in the real world for over twenty-five-years in my sales career. Several (but not all) tricks of the trade require specific rhetorical techniques. In those cases, I will explain the recommended rhetorical procedure as well. When needed, I will explain what questions a salesperson should ask, when to ask these questions, and why we ask these particular questions. I will explain not only the tricks of the trade but I will explain when and why we use specific tricks. I will also do my best to explain how and why these tricks actually work. All the tricks will work for most products and services sales professional typically are asked to sell. They work for inside salespeople as well as outside sales representatives. I have years of experie