Elementary my dear sales rep.

I love to watch the old Sherlock Holmes movies on TV. My favorite part is when Holmes demonstrates his incredible powers of observation. He notices tiny things that everyone else misses and then uses these clues to construct a detailed narrative and solve the crime. Sales people should work to develop their own powers of observation. Take note of the layout of a prospect's place of business. Look at their signage and what items are most prominently displayed. The decor of the store (For example is it elegant or purely practical) will tell you a lot about the personality of the owner. Use this information to start the conversation and formulate good questions. Business people are proud of their operations and like to talk about them. Starting out by saying "I noticed that you stock a lot of" or "Your store doesn't look like the average..." This will start the prospect talking about the business and get the call off on a very positive note. By the way, the deerstalker hat and the magnifying glass are optional.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch