Selling tips from America’s greatest salesman – Elmer Wheeler

In this article, we see about some of the proven selling techniques developed and adopted by Elmer Wheeler and how it has been applied in selling various goods. The techniques mentioned here are referred from Elmer Wheeler’s book titled ‘Tested sentences that sell’. Mr. Wheeler’s purpose in this book to help the salesman by showing him how to add powerful sales words and techniques so that he will always have complete command over any selling situation. The insights he shares and describes are the result of his 10 year study of and thinking about what successful salesmen, of all kinds are saying and doing to make more sales. The rules shared here are based on ‘5 Wheelerpoints’; it is explained to you in relation to whatever you are selling.


5 Wheelerpoints are


  1. Don’t sell the steak – sell the sizzle.
  2. Don’t write – Telegraph
  3. Say it with Flowers
  4. Don’t ask if – ask which!
  5. Watch your bark!


Don’t sell the steak – sell the sizzle


The ‘sizzle’ is the biggest selling point in your proposition. The main reasons why your potential customers will want to buy your product. The sizzling of the steak starts the sale more than the cow ever did, though cow is very necessary.


For example, the insurance man sells protection, not cost per week. The vacuum cleaner salesman sells ‘less backache’ not price. He sells comfort not the motor.


While selling the sizzles, use ‘You-ability’ i.e. the ability to get on to the other side of the fence and see your product through the eyes of the customer. You-ability is the ability to say ‘You’ and not ‘I’ in the order that the customer considers important.


TIP: Sell the big reasons called ‘sizzles’ with the You-ability in mind.


Don’t write – Telegraph


Get your potential customers immediate and favorable attention with fewest possible words. Mr. Wheeler says if you don’t make your first message ‘click’, the prospect will leave you mentally, if not physically. Because, people form ‘snap judgments’. They make-up their opinions about you in the first ten seconds.  So, use the 10 seconds telegram to attract your prospects. In the case of vacuum cleaners, follow the below phrases.


  1. The grit removers take out your dirt you never you had
  2. You may forget to clean the bag, but the time-to-empty signal won’t forget to remind you


TIP: First 10 words are more important than the next ten thousand.


Say it with flowers


Say it with flowers means prove your statement with the physical object or with your product.  The flowers in the right hand as he proposes, tell her more than the mere words from his lips.


  1. In the case of vacuum cleaner, run the cleaner under table, point a dirt finder, turn switch on and off to dramatize the light and say ‘it sees where to clean – and it’s clean where it’s been’.
  2. Push the cleaner away from you, maintaining your hold on the cord. Then pull it back to you, saying ‘it has ball bearing action – a child can move it’.
TIP: Use ‘Showmanship’.


Don’t ask if… ask which


It means frame your words (especially at close) so that you give the prospect a choice between something and something; never something and nothing.


Do not be a ‘how about it’ salesman or ‘would you be interested in’ or ‘could you afford the better priced one?’ salesman. Because these questions won’t get the reply you want. Eliminate these from your vocabulary. Being a question mark instead of an exclamation mark salesman is an important difference between a winner and a loser in salesmanship.  Perhaps, these are the winning statements.


  1. Which of these do you prefer?
  2. How do you prefer paying, weekly or monthly?
  3. Where do you plan on using it, here or over there?
TIP: Ask the right questions that get you the answers you want.


Watch your bark!


The last point in 5 Wheelerpoints is ‘Watch your bark’. That is, your voice is the carrier of your message. How much your sales words will succeed or fail depends on the delivery of your message.


The finest sizzle that you telegraph in 10 words in 10 seconds, with a huge bouquet of flowers and lot of which, where and how flops if the voice is flat.


Smile when you say these


  1. This will shorten your cleaning time by hours.
  2. You have only one back – one life to live.


TIP: If you fail to smile, you are signalling the prospect to beware. But don’t be ever insincere.
 
The above mentioned 5 Wheelerpoints are applied in some products or advertisements which use and see in our day to day life.  You may observe these in telebuy shopping.


  1. Orbitrek elite
  2. Ervamatin
  3. Tablemate
  4. Super ladder
  5. Ceramicore ladder
  6. Sewing genie – portable.  
  7. Smart mob
  8. Roti queen
  9. No no oil dosa
  10. Super dicer pro.

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