This second-generation “Smooth Seller” is a social animal — social-media animal, that is
[h3]Daniel Gordon[/h3]
[h5]President, Samuel Gordon Jewelers Oklahoma City, OK[/h5]
[componentheading]PROFILE[/componentheading]
2009 personal sales: More than $1,000,000
[dropcap cap=D]aniel Gordon learned a lot about what he didn’t want to do while working in various jobs. “I was a horrible waiter. I got fired seven times,” he says. “I didn’t finish college. I was kind of lost and I didn’t know what I was going to do.” Finally, on his 23rd birthday, his grandmother gave him a gift-wrapped box she said contained cologne. Much to his relief, the box was full of his first Samuel Gordon business cards. — Eileen McClelland[/dropcap]
[componentheading]INTERVIEW[/componentheading]
BIG LESSON: My first year I worked the repair counter. In about my ninth month, a man came in who had come in quite a bit for repairs, and he said, “I want to look at a diamond, but I want you to help me, not a salesperson.” We sat for 3-1/2 or four hours. When I made the sale I was shaking, and he asked if I had ever done this before. I honestly answered, “No, I haven’t,” and we laughed about it. It was a $30,000 sale.
TWEET: I use social media for almost everything -— to connect with new people, to cultivate business-to-business relationships. Business comes at us, I don’t go out there and pursue it.
CHANGES: My sales style has changed over the years due to how the world has changed. At first, we always went over the four Cs. When we started hearing more about the Internet, we had to determine what they knew. Then when everything blew up on the Web, I’d have to assume that the customer knew about the four Cs. Now we know they know. You must change and learn to handle changes in the culture.
DIAL-UP: We rely on the Internet to make relationships but we communicate lots by phone.
IMPACT: Handwritten thank-yous are very important and really overlooked. It’s more impactful than ever with all the Web stuff.
CAM: I was video-chatting with a customer the other day and made a sale because he could see the item. People are very busy.
[span class=note]This story is from the January 2010 edition of INSTORE[/span]