The Kind Of People I Meet During A Sale

One of the best things about being a sales person and selling products is the variety of people you meet. From easy going and generous to the most fussy and reluctant. Happy children wanting the laddus to old people volunteering to help; it has been a very different experience.

In the last 3 months i have had the privilege to be on the other side of the table and witness the array of people that come along. Here is the list of the most common types of people that i have come across.

• The Wanderers– These are the kind of people who will want to know everything about the product, your company, the staff, what you ate for breakfast etc but would never buy anything from you. The amount and detailing in their questions would make you think that they will give you a sale. But alas, they only give you an ache.
• Discount Dude’s– Every statement or question of theirs ends or sometimes even starts with asking for a discount. These are the people who very sweetly ask at the end of their purchase ‘No special discount for me, so much i purchased? ‘ or ‘I was the first buyer yet no discount?’
• Price Please– They are my favourite kind of people. Even after the price written in bold letters on the packet and on a placard they still wish to ask. l love how they have faith in me thinking that the price may reduce once I say it.
• The Quiz Masters- Who makes these products? Does it have sugar? Is it too bitter? How much does it weigh? Which kind of sesame was used in it? Will my children eat it? Tasty? Healthy? and the list goes on.
• Duty Calls- The husbands come to the stall, ask questions only to realise that they have no clue about the products nor the authority to buy without asking.  So after explaining the details to them you get on a call with their wives … Awwwww
• The Recipe Gurus– There are two categories here. One who will ask the sales person for at least 3 recipes from the products at display and the other who will tell not only the sales person but also the rest of the crowd. Luckily this is the type that usually helps in increasing our sale.
• The Collectors- A salesperson’s delight, they are the ones i hope to see during each sale. These kinds of people buy each and every product on the shelf and listen to our recommendations and buy what we sell.  Life’s good with them 🙂
• The Looooong Pause- Long pause, no response, no sale. Its as simple as that. Most of the times i have tried to blabber the benefits of the products while they gaze, think and nod, but it never really works. Now I have successfully started to identify these people and learnt how to speak the bare minimum.
• The Kind Souls- Sometimes in a hurry we end up returning more money than required or sometimes even extra products. Many a time people have come back even from their homes and returned what was not theirs. Such feel good moments surely make my day.
• Bizaare Brigade- A lady after buying a packet of laddus asked me how to eat them. She was confused whether she could eat one entirely or could only have a small bite. I was first shocked yet confused but i was happy that now she will get to experience magic!
• The Sample Piece- I am guilty of being one of them myself. The only thing that can draw my attention to a stall are food samples. My eyes would light up tasting it. Since now i am on the other side of the table my eyes light up not with happiness but with a fear of the person finishing the sample. During the last three months I have met more and more people like me and surely my tribe is on a rampage.

Every weekend sale is a different kind of experience. I have come to know so much more about the products while selling than i ever would have by reading or hearing from the makers. The questions, feedback, criticism, anecdotes – all of it makes you want to come back again with better products and better quality.