Winning By A Nose in Sales

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Winning by a Nose


“ All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming. “ - Helen Keller


Have you ever noticed within a horse race that many times the champion might win by only a nose ? These are all qualified potential winners, and all are pushing the envelope to cross the finish line ; but only one get’s the prize. Likewise, in sales, I believe it is the small things that we do on a consistent basis that determine whether we win or lose. The first thing we must overcome is our own fear of rejection. We have to grapple with our feelings of inadequacy or “ not bringing it “. We can even stare down the fear of the “ what if’s” and our fear of losing the sale. We have to overcome the customer’s fears of not getting enough value for their investment. We overcome their apprehensions or questions regarding the viability of our product or service. We overcome their doubts that our company can perform in a timely fashion and do what we promised we would do. And we have to overcome the customer’s fear of rejection - that we will make the sale, pull up anchor, and head for the open seas , never to be seen again.


All of these things we must overcome by doing the little things we do every day, like : Keeping our word to do what we promised, showing up on time, troubleshooting problems, answering all questions , and following up when the sale is complete. If we do these things, executing them with a positive attitude of excellence ; then we are the ones who win by a nose !


I needed to purchase a vehicle last year, and had narrowed my choices down to a Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander. My wife and I visited both car lots and test drove both vehicles. We landed on the Honda, and I will tell you why. The differences were minor, but the sales agent was the deciding factor. The Honda sales rep was a veteran representative who truly listened to what we needed and customized his approach to us. “ You don't want the fabric seats in this Pilot Mr. Hayes ? No problem, we can arrange aftermarket leather to be installed. “ They did and it was awesome. Not criticizing the Toyota rep, as he was a smart , likeable gentleman ; but right out of the gate, with my hand still warm from the introduction, he lifted the hood of the SUV and embarked on a long tirade about the features and benefits of the engine. I did not care. How does it drive ? That is what I wanted to know. Could I get my 6’4” frame into the vehicle easily, and would it be comfortable for my typical 300-900 miles per week of sales calls ? The Toyota rep, albeit intelligent, did not really listen to me. He was more concerned about showing me how much he knew, then he was about hearing what the customer wanted.  How many times have I done this with potential clients ? The Honda rep did listen, and got the sale. Both SUV’s were good vehicles, but the sales rep who listened got the business.


Can you apply that truth to your business ? Are we  going to close every single opportunity ? Not always, but we can try, right ? If we seek to overcome all objections and really listen to what our clients want, we can be that horse that wins by a nose. Stay in the race, keep overcoming, and we’ll see you in the Winners Circle !






“ One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity. “ - Albert Schweitzer