Surprising Sales Success

Telme Wadisay was a surprisingly good salesperson.We worked different shifts at a call center several years ago so I never really knew him. What I did know was that his name was consistently near the top of our company's sales production reports.His sales success was surprising to me because, as a recent immigrant from Africa, he had an accent so thick that few of us could understand what he was saying. You'd think this would be a significant problem, especially for phone sales, where your voice is the only tool you have.One day, I finally had an opportunity to be within earshot while he was on a call. What I heard was memorable.He was energetic, friendly and assertive. He sounded confidet that his prospect would be very pleased with his offer. His prospects may not have understood more than a few words of every sentence he spoke, but he had the good sense to end nearly every sentence with a very simple, understandable close: "O.K.?"I would not be surprised if his prospects were totally befuddled as they listened to him. They were probably too embarrassed to admit that they had no idea what he was talking about. What they could understand was the simple, non-threatening question: "OK?"He sounded nice. Friendly. You didn't want to hurt his feelings. Each time he would ask "OK?", his prospect would respond with "OK." Granting him permission to continue over and over until the final agreement to accept the offer.A student of sales techniques would identify several classical theories all rolled into one presentation:* Assume the prospect will buy. * Get the prospect to say yes repeatedly. * Ask for the sale. * Always be closing.An incomprehensible offer is not going to work in most situations, of course, but I will never forget how these classical, time tested sales techniques were used so successfully in such an unusual way.Telme Wadisay is not his real name. I wish I could give him proper credit but I can't remember his actual name and I never could pronounce it. His delivery always made me think of the old Ray Charles song:"Tell Me, What I Say".The lesson his example taught me, though, is one I will never forget. I'd suggest you remember it as well.OK?

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