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Q:

When we speak about the necessity to keep the mouth closed, what should a salesman do when he comes to his customers? How much should he talk?

A:

And the answer is he should talk whatever is necessary.
Now many times if a salesman comes in, let’s say, to a grocery store and wants to sell a certain item to the grocer, he tells him the advantages of his merchandise. And then the grocer wants to talk too.  He wants to talk too.  Sometimes the grocer talks all the time and tells his experiences, his troubles and so on.  If the salesman listens well, he’ll get an order from him.
So you talk what is necessary.  There’s no question about it, you should.  But don’t try to monopolize the conversation.
I remember a case where the salesman used to come to a grocery store and listen to the grocery man for a half hour.  Business was slow.  The grocery man would speak and speak and speak. And he liked that salesman very much. He made a lot of orders from that salesman.
TAPE # E-62 (May 1996)

Rav Avigdor Miller on the Smart Salesman

print

Q:

When we speak about the necessity to keep the mouth closed, what should a salesman do when he comes to his customers? How much should he talk?

A:

And the answer is he should talk whatever is necessary.
Now many times if a salesman comes in, let’s say, to a grocery store and wants to sell a certain item to the grocer, he tells him the advantages of his merchandise. And then the grocer wants to talk too.  He wants to talk too.  Sometimes the grocer talks all the time and tells his experiences, his troubles and so on.  If the salesman listens well, he’ll get an order from him.
So you talk what is necessary.  There’s no question about it, you should.  But don’t try to monopolize the conversation.
I remember a case where the salesman used to come to a grocery store and listen to the grocery man for a half hour.  Business was slow.  The grocery man would speak and speak and speak. And he liked that salesman very much. He made a lot of orders from that salesman.
TAPE # E-62 (May 1996)

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