Last week I attended a dinner for financial advisors. As the first drinks were being served and the conversation was starting to rev up, I asked the advisors on either side of me the standard questions about where they worked and how long they had been in the business.
As common courtesy dictated, they asked the same questions of me and I explained my last role, before becoming a corporate expatriate, as the leader of a product distributor.
As soon as they heard the name of my former firm they both said, almost in unison, “Then you know Troy!”
Without additional prodding the rep on my left beamed and offered, “Troy is the best to ever call on me. He and I met when I was brand new, and he was the only one that took the time to explain not only what the product was, but also how to sell it.”
The rep on my right added, “He helped me with the positioning of the product, where it best fit, and even how to drop a ticket on our order entry system.”
Then in two-part harmony they said, “Troy’s great!”
Like Troy, many of my best clients started as virgins.
They had no experience with my product and I had the great good fortune to be ‘the guy.’
And you can be the guy (or gal) too.
The guy that showed them the whole process, soup to nuts. Sometimes that meant starting all the way at the beginning with the most basic education – such as, “What’s a mutual fund?”
The guy that helped them craft the pitch. Showing them how to use the brochure, or yellow pad, and giving them the right words to say.
The guy that worked with them on the close.
Your reward?
Like the reps fondly referring to Troy many years later, you’ll have clients that fondly recall their times with you and that speak in only the most glowing of terms about you.
Too frequently sales professionals don’t take the time necessary to teach new producers how to sell. They often assume that the feature and benefit discussion will allow the producer to put all the presentation pieces together.
Sometimes it’s worse – they are only tracking elephants.
Elephants, though allegedly legendary for their memory, aren’t necessarily going to remember you after that big trade.
While part-time elephant hunting can occasionally result in a big ‘kill,’ your more rewarding time is better spent with virgins.
One thought on “Virgins Wanted”
Mr. Shore,
Been a very long time. See that you are still during what you do best, educating the sales force. Just wanted to say hello to you. Thought about you a lot over the years. You made an everlasting impression on me and I’m sure it’s same with your coaching and training today. Glad to see things are going good with you.
Take Care.
Julius Bolden
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