When I started selling eyeglasses, I didnât need them.Â
I had perfect vision.Â
So, I didnât fully understand the fear and frustration of not being able to see clearly without glasses. (If I had truly
understood, I probably wouldâve sold 10X more pairs than I actually did! đ)
Fast forward to nowâhello, Karma!âand I wear prescription glasses to work or read.Â
In fact, Iâm so obsessed that when we went on a trip to
Spain, I brought not one, but two pairs. I couldnât take the risk of losing or breaking them.
Looking back, I realize especially when I was new, I thought selling extra pairs to people just meant bringing in more revenue.Â
What I didnât grasp was what âmoreâ really meant for the customer: peace of mind, security, and the comfort of knowing theyâd be able to see the world clearly.
Over time I also started hearing the same questions, challenges, and concerns.Â
Each interaction was like collecting a little piece of data, helping me recommend the right products for them.Â
Some customers even asked, âDo you wear glasses?â and were surprised when I said, âNo.â But I got good enough at understanding their needs that it didnât matter.
Itâs a reality that many salespeople donât use the products or services theyâre selling.Â
So, what can you do? đ§
- Build empathy: Put yourself in their shoes, and when you canât, ask them to explain their experience.
- Learn from every interaction: Each conversation and sale is another opportunity to serve your customers better.
- Sell from their perspective, not yours: Itâs not about what you think they need; itâs about what theyâre actually looking for.
If I had sold from my customersâ perspective back then, I wouldnât have just been selling eyeglassesâI would have been selling peace of mind. That requires the courage to Go for No! And that makes all the
difference.