Effective Sales Techniques from the Shawarma Guy

I love shawarma.
I have become a shawarma aficionado, having done extensive “research” around downtown Toronto.
I recently went to a new shawarma restaurant, which I will definitely visit again.
Why?
The owner is a natural salesman. As soon as my wife and I arrived, he was engaged, interested and welcoming.
In minutes, we were having a conversation and building a customer-entrepreneur relationship.
Rather than treat me as yet another customer looking for nutritious fast-food, the owner made a concerted effort to change the dynamic. It didn’t take a lot of work but it made an impact.
It provided a snapshot of what makes for a good salesperson.

When you’re selling a product like shawarma in an ultra-competitive landscape, little things make a big difference.

Talking to customers, asking questions and being engaged lets good salespeople rise above the crowd.
It turns prospects into customers and customers into loyal customers.
In today’s digital world, online transactions are automated processes and anonymous.
Along the way, the art of the deal has disappeared. And you can make an argument that loyalty is evaporating as well.
When sales and leading nurturing hinges on vehicles such as drip marketing to break down defenses, the world has gone askew.

To be a star performer, salespeople need to sell.

They need to see customers as people with dreams, aspirations, and problems.
This lets salespeople be empathetic, sympathetic, opportunistic and successful.
And as Ryan Holmes says, selling needs to be social. To paraphrase, he says personalization and attention are more effective selling tools than “digital brute force, volume, and automation”.
As someone who sells marketing services, the shawarma owner delivered a much-needed reminder of the right approach to sales.
As marketers and salespeople, it is important not to forget that people buy from other people. The best sales model involves a personal touch, empathy and a focus on a customer’s best interests.
With this approach to sales, selling is not only easier but it is a powerful way to attract and develop loyal customers and advocates.
In many ways, the Web has made businesses lazy.
They assume customers will easily understand what they’re buying.
They think that features and prices matter the most.
And they assume that personalized lead nurturing isn’t necessary.
The truth is sales is grounded in relationship building and earning the business. Let’s not ever forget that.

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