Knocking the competition just doesn’t work. Yet when telling a potential customer all the benefits of their products, many salespeople cannot resist highlighting the competition’s weaknesses. So I remind our sales staff of the “ugly baby” story.

If you are walking in the park and see a woman with a baby carriage, your comments on what is in the carriage should be tactful. If the baby inside is ugly, the mother can tell you her baby is ugly, but you certainly cannot.

Calling attention to the poor quality of a product a potential customer has purchased is dangerous. Telling someone, “You made a big mistake” is close to saying, “…you dummy.” Any negative comments made during a sales presentation could be remembered and confused with your product. If your customer wants to comment on the weaknesses of your competitor’s product, keep from agreeing and stress the strong features of what you are trying to sell.

Somewhere during my sales career the Ugly Baby story was passed on to me. Keeping positive has always helped me promote the product I am trying to sell in the best possible way.

Jim Moorehead

Sales Manager

Crest Truck Equipment Co. Inc.

Bowmansville, PA