By Stan Albert
I’ve often written about what makes a great salesperson.
Recently during a trip to Jerusalem, I met up with my wife Audrey, who had completed two weeks of volunteering at a medical facility north of Tel Aviv. Our self touring took us to the Wailing Wall in Old Jerusalem. After doing the tourist thing, we wound our way back through the myriad of shops around the narrow cobbled streets, leading out to the main streets connecting to taxis and transit to Old Jaffe Gate.
We found ourselves walking through the Armenian sector, which is filled with shops offering Ahava lotion, carpets, trinkets, religious items and jewely of all types.
Every shop owner beckoned us to visit his shop and have a mint tea while we shopped. Towards the end of the winding and crowded street filled with fellow tourists, workers, students and the ever present JOF soldiers and security people, we encountered, in my opinion, the best salesperson I’ve ever met!
“Sir, pardon me, could you tell me how to spell phenomenal?” asked a 20-year-old Armenian. I obliged him by spelling it out on his paper. (He thought it began with an f). With a warm smile and handshake, he thanked us profusely. He needed to know this to complete an article he was writing for his business course at college. I explained the meaning of the word and he acknowledged that he had already researched it, but was confused by our English spelling.
He asked if we’d come into his jewelry laden shop.
“Please Madam,” he beckoned to my wife. “Look at this new shipment of beautiful stone necklaces I received this morning.”
“I’m not buying anything else,” my wife responded.
“But if you were to buy one of these three lovely pieces, which one would you buy?” (He had quietly placed three gorgeous pieces on the brightly lit showcase.)
“I have enough jewelry, but thank you for showing me these, they’re quite nice, but no thanks just the same,” retorted my spouse.
The young salesperson, whose name was Hamed, dug in. “Okay. But if you were interested, which one would you pick for yourself?”
I thought to myself, “Smooth move,” as I watched my wife’s stubbornness start to melt away.
After he offered a beautiful necklace at the equivalent of $100 CDN, he and Audrey started haggling back and forth. I had to exit the small shop because I was openly laughing about the transaction that I knew would take place.
“Well,” said Audrey, “I’d take the middle one.”
“And what would you pay for that one?” asked Hamed.
“About 30 dollars,” replied my wife.
“Wonderful, that will help me with my tuition,” said Hamed.
As we walked up to the Jaffe Gate exit with Audrey’s newest acquisitions, I asked her what she settled on. “I picked the middle one of course, but he had me when he said he needed the cash for his next semester’s tuition!”
I thought about this for some time on the long flight back a week later, and decided that Hamed understood what phenomenal meant. Extraordinary, outstanding service, exceptional, unusual are some synonyms that come to mind.
Each of us can be phenomenal, extraordinary and unusual, as our young salesperson, Hamed, showed. I believe that each and every one of us has the capacity to offer outstanding services to our clients – whether we are support staff, management or agents servicing our clients.
What outstanding services or acts have you done in your careers?
Do you think that Hamed will make a great entrepreneur?
Stan Albert, broker/manager, ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. can be reached for consultation at stanalb@rogers.com. Stan is now celebrating 40 years as an active real estate professional.
Stan Albert, ABR, ASA is a consultant with Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. He can be reached for consultation by email. Stan is now celebrating his 45th year as an active real estate professional.
