She Has Her Sales Hat On

By Rob MacDonald

Sales consultant Rob Macdonald, aka Robroy, shares a humorous personal story that reminds us to read a customer's cues to determine our sales approach. Read on…

"All men, no matter how doofy-looking, think they are studs. Conversely, all women, no matter how beautiful, think they are hideous…"

So, Robroy is early for a lunch date with his wife in a mall downtown. With about 15 minutes to kill, I wander into a men's hat store.

The salesperson is in her mid-20s. She lets me check out the hats without interruption. As soon as I start feeling the felt brim of an expensive gray fedora, she slides over. "Let's see how you look in it."

I stick it on my head. I tug the brim rakishly over my left eye, and look at her. Her response is remarkable. Her eyes widen. She draws a sharp breath, and covers her mouth with her fingers. The implication is that I look so good in the hat; it literally takes her breath away.

Now here's the thing. All men, no matter how doofy-looking, think they are studs. Conversely, all women, no matter how beautiful, think they are hideous. So it's not a new trick in transactional, retail sales to flatter a man's ego. He takes it as affirmation, not information.

But there's a catch. For a guy sincerely in love with the girl he is going to meet, this flirtatious approach doesn't fit. I want my salesperson to be part of the solution. Not part of the problem. Somehow she picks up on this. "Wait 'til she sees how dashing you are in that hat," she says with a disarming smile.

Now I have no other option but to admire her skill. Besides, I'm a guy. How can I disagree? Grinning, I say, "I'll take it."

P.S. My wife loved it!

About Rob Macdonald

Rob Macdonald is a partner at EntreQuest (www.entrequest.com), a Baltimore-based sales consulting firm that helps small-to-midsized companies increase revenue. Rob works strategically with business owners and leaders nationwide, helping them build, operate and grow their sales teams.

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