Real, Objective Advice

A restaurant is where...

... friends toast to each other on their successes

... a guy proposes to a girl

... someone celebrates his or her birthday

... a deal is closed

If you are someone who works as a part time sales person, you know when you have kindred working souls nearby. This was the case this lunchtime, when I saw three people, one being the sales agent, the other two being intent listeners.

My seat was about 10 feet apart from their table and I could barely make out their conversation. But when you see a piece of bond paper, and one person discussing with so many hand gestures, you instantly realize that this person is an insurance agent. And yes he was as I got to see the logo on the paper of a company I am familiar with.

I didn't know what they were discussing but clearly you see an all too familiar scene -

A prospect seesawing between speculation and trust

A friend of the prospect coaxing him/her to take up the offer OR another agent who has an angelic face who tries to calm the prospect's nerves

A firebrand sales person ready to make his final sales tour de force

I've been in similar situations, years before I was that prospect, currently I am the sales person. I loathe the practices of some people in the sales industry, and this includes the people from the real estate world, the cosmetics world, the medical world, and even the pseudo medical world.

Sales people usually have minimal to nil salary and therefore source their income from commissions. In short, if you are a cynical person, a sales person is after your money. I come from the same field, and when I am faced with someone trying to pitch some sales talk with me, I know immediately if this person is giving a service or just wants my money.

For the layman, here are some quick tips to identify if a person is out to create a relationship with you, or sees you as a way to make a quick buck.

1. The person begins by identifying and understanding your situation and needs first.

2. The person is transparent about the costs, the pros and cons and why he / she is offering you a certain solution in answer to your need.

3. This person will say that they have one of the best products in the market, but he will seldom (if at all) claim it as the best.

4. This person will not rush a sale on you. He/she will do follow ups but will not be relentless.

5. This person will thank you.

The last, and of course not least important is

6. The person will still be there to assist you even after the sale. In short, he will not make a disappearing act.

No. 6 is a tricky part of the equation because you will never know until after the sale is consummated. Your best bet for good service is when this sales person was referred to you by a good friend. There's no reason to doubt that your friend will give you anything less.

These are all based on personal experiences. The list will expand as I go down the road of more experience.

So remember, every time money vacates your bank, wallet or pocket, you should expect something in return - a quality product or a quality service. And that return to you is what you may term as ROI, return on investment... and (your personal) interest.