Most of us likely understand that, as salespeople, we should be knowledgeable about the products or services we sell. Ideally, we should be experts who help our customers make well-informed decisions by providing new insights. However, in many cases, it can be difficult to know more than the buyers themselves. Take car purchases as an example: today, customers often have as much, if not more, information about the car and its price than the car salespeople themselves. In such competitive markets, "likability" can be the decisive factor.
Likability can emerge in various ways, but we tend to like people who reflect ourselves—those who, for example, share similar opinions, personality traits, backgrounds, or lifestyles. In fact, we are more likely to say yes to someone we like, often without much reflection. And it’s frequently not about competence but rather about the personal connection and trust built between people. Joe Girard, who once held the world record as the top car salesperson by selling more than five cars a day for 12 consecutive years, demonstrated remarkable success as a people-oriented individual who genuinely showed he cared about his customers. He created a more personal customer experience, even by sending postcards with the message "I like you" to his clients. His formula for success was: "Find a salesperson you like, plus the right price—and you have a deal."
But even though Girard was a master of car sales, it turned out that he wouldn’t remain unbeatable. Ali Reda, who broke the record, managed to sell more cars annually than Girard’s best year. Reda acknowledged that he used Girard’s formula for success—but added an additional dimension: he fostered an ethnic “we” feeling, a sense of community based on shared heritage. (Influence, Cialdini)
𝗩𝗮𝗱 𝗸𝗮𝗻 𝘃𝗶 𝗹ä𝗿𝗮 𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝘃 𝗱𝗲t 𝗵ä𝗿 vid 𝗳ö𝗿𝘀ä𝗹𝗷𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴?
We often try to provide customers with new insights, which is of course important. But sometimes, we need to think more about how we build that extra trust. How we become "we" with the customers. And although the examples above are from the USA in 2017 and earlier, I believe these buying patterns are just as relevant in Sweden today. Not long ago, I asked friends in my circle where they had bought their car.
What can we learn from this in the recruitment of salespeople?𝗹𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗲?
It is often easier than we think to recruit people who are similar to ourselves, as it almost comes naturally to want to build a group of people who resemble us. But perhaps these are not the best salespeople for the customers?
"Liking can play a bigger role in business than we think!
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