A few weeks ago while out having dinner with friends, I encountered a very good waiter. He was a good server in that he promptly brought us our drinks, refilled our water glasses in a timely manner (a pet peeve of mine), he was friendly, and he was knowledgeable about the restaurant’s menu – all the usual things you expect when dining out. The thing that really made him stand out to me was when he presented the daily specials. He talked about the pork special like it was something special. He went into great detail about the chef’s preparation (he’d been slow cooking it for days), and described how well the side dishes (red cabbage) accompanied the flavor. He even went on to say that he has tried his fair share of pork dishes, and he’s never tasted anything like it. After hearing him describe it, I hardly looked at the menu. The waiter sold me on the pork special.

“Sales – when done right – is more than a job. It is an art.” – Ben Stein

Ben Stein, the lawyer, writer, actor and economist, recently wrote a great article for The New York Times about the sales profession, and the respect he has for it. His first job was selling shoes for Shoe Giant. He recounts special memories of people who have sold brilliantly, including car and insurance salesmen, and says that each of us (doctors, lawyers, waiters, etc.) sell something every day. We sell ourselves, our beliefs, our services, our products, our daily specials.

Stein goes on to describe sales as, “It is learning the product you are selling, learning it so well that you can describe it while doing a pirouette of smiles for the customer and talking about the latest football scores. It is knowing human nature so well that you can align the attributes of your product or service cleanly with the needs and wants of your customers.” Sales is a balancing act, and an art form.

Have you encountered an excellent salesman? How do you sell yourself? Share your comments below.