I recently had a rare encounter with the perfect salesperson.

As part of my day job, I evaluated vendors that offered a similar, call center related service. I did most of my research online and identified close to 20 possibilities.

I attempted to contact every one and was amazed at how many companies, offering phone related services, did not even answer the phone and sent me to voicemail.. not a good sign!  I did, however, narrow my search to a few of the best vendors.

The final group of vendors all offered a similar mix of services and very similar pricing, but the sales people I dealt with, were all very different. I met…..

• The average salesperson: Provided the basic information, was friendly enough, but did not leave a major impression.
• The family business salesperson: “We don’t have titles here.. we all help new and existing clients”.  Very knowledgeable, with zero sales pressure. And, zero follow-up.
• The salesy salesperson: Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, yet emitted a slight sprinkle of BS.
• The perfect salesperson (PS) : Upbeat, friendly, exceedingly knowledgeable, yet applied no sales pressure during any of our conversations.

Following the first conversation, PS (the perfect salesperson) continued to make a strong impression. If I had follow up questions, PS answered them swiftly and accurately. PS always answered the phone when I called (no voicemail) and was diligent about responding to email. As time went one, PS sent follow up emails with more information and left me voicemail messages- to stay front of mind.

Other things that stood out about the Perfect Salesperson were…

• Tone of voice: Always upbeat and enthusiastic, without sounding salesy. There was also something about the tone, that made you trust what PS was saying.
• Expert level knowledge: PS could answer every question with accurate and detailed answers. If PS did not have an answer, she researched it and got back to me in record time.  PS also shared that she had started at the vendor as one of their front line phone agents and had worked her way up to the sales and new business development area.
• The approach: Conversational and “real”, with a touch of sense of urgency.
• Her email signature included her photo, which made it easier to “connect”, considering she was working virtually, from another state miles away.
• Her company was one of the first to respond to the official RFP.

The perfect salesperson made such a great impression that I sent a note to her boss during the process and shared my positive feedback.

Since this experience, I have dealt with so many bad salespeople, that I can’t stop thinking about this great one. Why is it that so many companies, can’t get it right????

Comments welcome.