Enkele jaren geleden heeft Harvey Mackay de ABCs of Selling geschreven. Ik werd er gisteren op geattendeerd door zijn publicatie van de ABCs of Team Building: "If I said it once, I’ve said it a million times, there is no I in TEAM."

Als verkopen je vak is, ken je Harvey Mackay natuurlijk van zijn bestsellers Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate and Outnegotiate Your Competition en Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty: The Only Networking Book You'll Ever Need.

Onderstaand Mackay's ABCs of Selling:

Availability for your customers is essential, so they can reach you with questions, concerns or reorders.
Believe in yourself and your company, or find something else to sell.
Customers aren't always right, but to keep them, find a way to make them right.
Deliver more than you promise.
Education is for life; never stop learning.
Follow up and follow through. Never leave a customer hanging.
Goals give you a reason to go to work every day.
Humanize your selling strategy; learn everything you can about your customers.
I is the least important letter in selling.
Join trade organizations and community groups that will help you both professionally and personally.
Know your competitors and their products as well as you know your own.
Listen to your customers or they'll talk to someone else.
Maybe is a customer's worst answer. "No" is better than maybe. Find out what you can do to turn it into a "yes."
Networking is among the most important skills a salesperson can develop.
Opportunities are everywhere. Keep your antenna up.
Price is not the only reason customers buy your product, but it is a good reason.
Quality never can be sacrificed if you want to keep your customers satisfied.
Relationships are precious: They take time to develop and are worth every minute you invest in them.
Service is spelled "serve us" in companies that want to stay in business a long time.
Trust is central to doing business with anyone. Without it, you have another word that begins with T: trouble.
Unlimited potential is possible no matter what you sell. You are the only one who can limit your potential.
Volunteer: You'll probably get more than you give, and there is no shortage of organizations that need your help.
Winning doesn't necessarily mean beating everyone else. A win-win situation is best.
X-ray and CAT scan your customers so that you know everything about them.
You is a word your customers need to hear often, as in "What can I do for you?"
Zeal is a critical element in your presentations, service and life in general. Let your enthusiasm shine through.