It has been quite the whirlwind of a week with so much good stuff happening it's hard to keep track of. Next week, I will be making a major announcement, the biggest one for me in years.
Today's Sales Magic newsletter is going to be a lot of fun with information you can immediately use in your business to increase your sales but first…
Drum roll, please…
The grand prize winner of last week's contest, who is going to receive a complimentary 30 minute private telephone consultation with me, is…Hila Ariel! I loved her double insights. She not only gleaned marketing lessons from the content of the newsletter but also marketing lessons based on how I used the newsletter as a marketing tool for myself. Congratulations, Hila. We'll be in touch with you to set up your consulting time!
Onward ho…
I'm going to tell you a story about my favorite bartender, Maria. She works at Sage an upscale bar/restaurant literally three minutes from where I live. I go there about once a week for dinner. The food is good, not spectacular, so the reason I keep going back is Maria. (Pictured below.)
Now the cynical folks amongst us would say, "Um, yes Dave, I can see why you go to the bar to see Maria!" But despite what you're thinking it's 
NOT just because she's an attractive woman.
As a funny aside, Maria made it clear to me the first day I met her that she does not date men in their 40's, with children, or who have tattoos. Other than the tattoos, that puts me out of the running although I periodically try to convince Maria of the error of her ways. 🙂
Okay, in all seriousness, she is OUTSTANDING at her job and a great salesperson. One of the things I'm always looking for is people who are great at what they do. I observe them so I can learn from them and apply what I learn to my business and my life. So what can you learn from Maria the bartender?
One of her greatest talents is getting people to open up to her. She has the amazing ability to make her customers feel at ease and tell her very personal information. You might be thinking, "All bartenders do that." While on some level this is true, Maria's customers really open up to her.
Next is her ability to listen. No matter how many people there are at the bar, Maria somehow gives her time and attention to everyone. She makes all of her customers feel special by really listening to them.
What impressed me the most the first few times I saw her work, was how much detailed information she remembers about each customer. It is incredible. If you mentioned you were going on a trip, next time she saw you, she would ask how your trip was and remember where you were going. She recalls information about her customer's pets, jobs, children and lives and asks you about all of it. I'm not sure if she takes notes or just has a great memory but you certainly feel special and important when she talks to you.
She is always smiling, regardless of how tired she is, and exudes positive energy, even when she is not feeling positive and because of this, Maria transfers that positivity to her customers, making them feel good. (Remember, selling is a transference of emotion.)
She has a servants attitude mixed with a heaping dose of confidence, control and authority. This is a major league sales lesson. Regardless of what you're selling or what your profession is, it is vitally important that you maintain your positioning of being an in charge, sales consultant who is out to serve your clients in the best way possible but is not be a slave to them. Please read that again because the point is subtle and yet profound.
Again, regardless of what you do, you must position yourself as the expert, the pro from Dover, the confident sales consultant. Maria does that beautifully.
So there you have it…a slew of lessons from Maria the bartender that will increase your sales. Let me ask you this: If you applied all the lessons in this newsletter, how much money would it cost you? Hmm, according to my calculations the answer is zero. Again, that is why learning how to sell is the single most important skill you can master. You can almost instantly put more money in your pocket without spending another penny on marketing. Pretty cool, eh?
Kick butt, make mucho "DEE-nero!"
Dave Dee
P.S. As always, please post your comments, questions and insights about this week's newsletter. I really do read all of them!
PPS. Since my "Foo Fighters" video was well received in last week's newsletter, I thought I'd grace this week's newsletter with a video from another one of my favorite artists, Melissa Etheridge. If this video doesn't move and inspire you, check your pulse. Crank up your speakers, take three minutes and watch and feel this amazing song. (Feel free to comment on it as well.)