Sales and Service

Thirty years ago I read a book that changed my life. It was written by a wise man (Piero Ferrucci).

Last night I finished reading a new book by the same man. I figured if he was wise thirty years ago, his current thinking must be just extraordinary.

The new book is about kindness.

Some paragraphs in this book made me raise my eyebrows. I was awestruck by his depth of insight and the nuances he was able to put his finger on.

In one chapter, entitled "Service", he talked about good salespeople. He said they are "warm" and make the customer "feel at ease."

He DIDN'T just say they "build rapport", or "establish commonality". It wasn't about technique.

He was talking about authenticity, and genuine caring. He wasn't suggesting it be feigned for the sake of hidden motive. The suggestion was that one can cultivate such an orientation.