Lee Bartlett - The No. 1 Best Seller: A Unique Insight into the Mind, Strategy and Processes of a Top Salesman

Introduction

T here are certain moments in life that always come to mind when you want to illustrate something very fundamental. Before I start this guide to how I became a top salesperson in one of the most competitive industries, let me go back to the day I met Timothy.

I was in the market for a new car. Having carried out extensive research, I decided on the model I wanted and found an ex-demo in stock at the main dealership with the exact specification I required. In many ways I had mentally and emotionally committed to buying it, so I wasted no time in booking a test drive. As the car was almost new, I was expecting simply to agree the details of the purchase soon after my arrival and take it home.

The showroom was plush and felt inviting as I walked in. I had parked directly outside the large glass-fronted doors but, as I approached the front desk, the woman whose primary function was to smile and greet customers did not look up for about ten seconds. Thats fine, if a little awkward, I thought. But fair enough, she must be finishing some paperwork. When she did eventually acknowledge me, I stepped forward to explain I had an appointment. It was then that I noticed she had been reading a womens gossip magazine under the counter. So, within half a minute of entering, I couldnt help but feel a little undervalued. Especially as this was a dealership where the cheapest car in the showroom was 35,000 and I had just pulled up in an immaculate Porsche 911. In terms of hot prospects, I must have been in the top 1%.

She sat me down on the other side of the showroom and explained that the salesperson would be with me shortly. Well, I could see the salesperson at his desk and made eye contact with him on occasion, but he didnt acknowledge my presence for some 20 minutes. I was wondering if there had been some sort of mix up, so I went back to the reception and asked if there was somebody else that could set me up with a test drive. She walked over to the salesman who, having finished shuffling some papers on his desk, finally decided that he was now ready for me. He stood up, looked straight at me, and immediately contrived the most disingenuous smile I have ever seen. As he walked towards me, I couldnt help but notice his cheap shoes, tatty suit and dirty hair. He was like a caricature out of a spoof teenage movie and I felt more uncomfortable with his every step. When he had covered the 20 feet between us, he offered me his limp and excessively clammy hand which, when I shook it, had no resistance at all in its clasp. I found his overall lack of effort offensive.

He introduced himself as Timothy, and I couldnt help feeling a little ashamed in having to consider him a fellow salesperson. However, I immediately put my feelings aside and hoped he was at least good at his job. He ought to be, given his title of Senior Sales Executive. I gifted him a salesmans dream with my opening gambit. Timothy, we spoke on the phone. I am here to test drive the car we discussed and take it home today. I presume you have worked out the trade-in deal for my Porsche. So, what have you come up with and how long will this process take? Three sentences, pre-closing the deal for him and laying out my simple expectations. All he had to do, in order to generate rapport with me, was to make it look as though he had cut some sort of reasonable deal and make the process quick and straightforward.

Timothy explained that the car wasnt ready to be test driven, but that it would be available the next day as he wanted to ensure it had undergone the standard, prerequisite checks. I told him he had already had 24 hours to sort this out and asked why he hadnt called me to rearrange the appointment. To ensure that my trip wasnt entirely wasted, I wanted to at least flesh out the