What We Can Learn from "Sales Gods"

For the past week, I've been highlighting the "Gods of Sales" - people who (IMHO) represent the best of the best in the world of selling. I thought this might be a good time for me to add some of my own observations about these people, based upon the experience of interviewing ...them. Here's what struck me:

1. They make other people feel important. While it wasn't always easy to get time on their calendar, once I was actually speaking with them, each made me feel as if I were the most important person in the world. And that's quite a trick, when you consider that I'm not even a customer.
2. They are all unbelievably upbeat. Talk about positive. In all five cases, the experience of having a conversation with them left me with an "aura" of good feeling that lasted for the rest of the day. I'm not kidding. It was an almost drug-like high.
3. They obviously love their customers. Not just like them. Love them. Think of them as friend and family. Cared if they were happy. Cared about their lives. Cared about how the product or service fit into their customer's life goals. Really.
4. They all have fabulous product knowledge. They know what they are selling up, down and sideways. They know everything there is to know about their products. And they aren't afraid to point out what their product won't do. No exaggeration or lying here.
5. They KNOW they are changing the world. Even Bruce Brakenhoff, who sold gigantic yachts, expressed a strong conviction that he was making the world a better place. All of these "sales gods" felt they were in the business of making people happy.

• Sales God #1: Dave Clark
  
• Sales God #2: Erica Feidner
• Sales God #3: Lashanda Tart
• Sales God #4: Jeff Roberti
• Sales God #5: Bruce Brakenhoff
• Gods of Sales: The Runners-Up!