Sales Truths: Sell The Sizzle, Not The Steak

Published

16 years ago

July 2, 2008

Dave Richardson

TRUTH #5

WHY IT’S TRUE: Ever been to one of those restaurants where they cook the meal at your table? Watching the guy cook my steak, smelling the aroma, and hearing the sizzle made my mouth water in anticipation. Too often, we try to sell the customer the diamond, ruby, or string of pearls before she’s had a chance to hear about the brilliance of the diamond, the romantic story about the ruby, or the opportunity to verbalize how she feels about the pearls around her neck.

PLAN OF ACTION: Invest valuable time in “romancing” the piece. Involve her by asking questions like, “How do you like the way it looks?” or “How do you like the feel?” Ask opinion-based questions to which you know you will receive an positive answer as you sell the sizzle. Like the chef, who asked me, as he was cooking the steak, “How does you like the aroma?” Mmm…

She Wanted to Spend More Time with Her Kids. She Called Wilkerson.

Your children are precious. More precious than gold? Absolutely! Just ask Lesley Ann Davis, owner of Lesley Ann Jewels, an independent jewelry store that — until the end of 2023 — had quite a following in Houston, Texas. To spend more time with her four sons, all in high school, she decided to close her store. Luckily, she was familiar with Wilkerson and called them as soon as she knew she wanted to move on to bigger, better and more family-focused things. Was she happy with her decision? Yes, she was. Says Davis, “Any owner looking to make that life change, looking to retire, looking to close, looking for a pause in their career, I would recommend Wilkerson. Hands down!”