Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/515025
answer for him. I never expected he was actually going to want to know why his well pump motor failed when it did. Then just when I thought I was ready to lay down some of the infamous "Butts Bull" on him, he asked me one more question: "What would it cost me to upsize to a 5 hp?" Now I was really done and put away. I attempted what I thought was my best attempt at trying to answer his original question before I attempted a response to the last one. Only after I noticed a crack of a smile forming at his lips did I start to realize I had been had. He really didn't want to know why his motor failed when it did any more than he expected us to get to his well without having to drive across his finely manicured lawn or replace his well pump with a larger one. I quickly found out this guy was a friend of my dad and they had conspired to put me up to this lesson. But, what they never knew was it was a lesson to me. As we reinstalled the homeowner's well pump with a new motor, I began wondering what would have happened if this guy had been seri- ous. I had no ready answers for him; I must have looked like a fool. Although I think the gentleman would have given me a pass and simply chalked it up to inexperience, I had no business discussing important financial details with the customer as I hadn't yet gained that knowledge. By this time I had been involved with somewhere around a dozen pump pulls and 25-30 new installations, but I had not yet developed the knowledge by the book or otherwise to deal directly with a pump-buying customer. I simply didn't know my stuff yet. This was the point where I began to work on combining my everyday expe- rience in the normal service tasks of ca- pacitor and relay replacement in control boxes with studying price books and pump catalogs in my spare time. After all, I surmised if I was going to work in this business I had better start learning all there is to know. I did not deal directly with the cus- tomer after that experience for almost another year, but I watched others and learned. By the time I did start convers- ing and quoting prices and technical de- tails to customers I was only a year or so older, but significantly ahead in my knowledge base. I have never quit learn- ing since that date and believe that one experience in 1974 helped pave the way for me to continue learning new and exciting details about the water system world. Always know your business! Have a sense of humor. This piece of advice will certainly not apply or work with everyone or under every circumstance, but you might be surprised to know how many tense situations I've been able to diffuse over the years with a simple one-liner or wisecrack at the right time. Most people in the world like to laugh and also appreciate someone with a sense of humor. No doubt, you must learn when to use it and definitely you don't want to stray into crude humor or tasteless jokes. But an individual who understands you are in a scary position will usually respond well to a well- timed comment that makes light of the situation. This doesn't mean I would ever stand over a customer's well immediately after losing his well pump and say something like "Guess we'll be adding a fishing bill to your invoice, ha, ha." But it does recognize the fact I know I'm human and make mistakes, but I don't get crushed by those mistakes. It also helps lessen an otherwise stressful situa- tion. Yes, it requires time and experi- ence to know when and how to employ humor when dealing with people, but I have found it nonetheless to be quite a valuable trait. Be a leader, not a follower. This aspect of sales may be difficult for many to understand. It simply means customers often look to salespeople with confidence in what they sell, which often comes across in how they sell. I cannot relate just how many times over the years a client or customer has asked me this simple question: "What do you think?" These are the times people are look- ing for advice and help. In no way have I ever thought of these people as help- less, weak, or non-decisive; it simply means they respect your accumulated knowledge and experience and wish to use that to their advantage by asking your advice. After all, think about it, most of the people you deal with day to day are not water system or well spe- cialists, they are generally concerned with the aspects of their own world and expect to tap the talents of others when they need them. And, when it comes to the world of water systems—you are it, my man! Be honest and forthright. There are numerous personal charac- teristics individuals working in sales must exhibit, but the primary one of im- portance for me will always be honesty. With honesty you never have to worry about keeping stories straight because the truth never changes, but lies always do. Maintaining honesty in your profes- sional and personal relationships may not always guarantee you will get the job, the sale, or the woman or man, but you'll often get the one you truly need and want. Respect and be friendly to competitors. This is one aspect of the professional world that is often difficult to teach to new employees. After all, competitors are the enemy, aren't they? But wait just a minute; who are "they"? Aren't "they" mostly the same kind of people as you? Aren't "they" also working hard every day and sometimes at night to support their own families and employees? Aren't "they" also proud of their accom- plishments and customer relations? Typically, I have found there is much more damage done than advantages gained when you put down competitors to customers, because the customer often wants to know what it is you're hiding by deriding your competition. Another aspect of maintaining good will with your competitors is the assistance in both equipment and manpower they can provide should you find yourself in a rough spot. Take advantage of your experience and use it! It took me more than 20 years of pro- fessional experience before I realized how important it was to make it work for me. As I previously indicated, most people look up to those with vast years of experience in a single field. They ENGINEERING from page 38 waterwelljournal.com 40 June 2015 WWJ