Good Morning. We’re 3 days away from the Super Bowl, which means we’re only 4 days away from Super Sick Monday. An estimated 16M employees are expected to call out of work on Monday after the big game. Will you be catching the ‘Super Bowl Flu’? 🤮 

In today’s Follow Up:

• The piano ‘matchmaker’ sales method 🎹 

• Negotiation 101 🤝 

• A sales presentation tip 📊 

• Sales around the internet 📰 

• Sales jobs, LinkedIn & a sales meme 😂 

Sponsor The Follow Up 

Sales Lessons from “The Piano Matchmaker”

Erica Feider is known as “The Lady Who Sold $41 Million in Steinways.”

Yes, you read that right — $41 million worth of pianos. She was Steinway Piano’s top sales rep, holding the title for eight consecutive years.

Inc.com even mentioned her as one of the top 10 greatest salespeople of all time. She’s mastered the art and developed her own sales methodology. 

But she wasn’t always a great sales rep. She was once ‘just’ a musician and college student studying marketing. She spent 13 years becoming a master sales rep and has shared some of her sales secrets along the way.

So as your sales bestie, we had the intern dig up the top 3 sales lessons you can learn (and use) from Erica.

Let’s dive in. 👇️ 

1. Matchmaking > Sales ❤️ 

It might sound cliche, but getting the sale is never Erica’s #1 priority. 

Instead, she puts all of her focus on ‘matchmaking’ the right piano with the right customer.

In an interview, Erica said that she’d “rather send them home without a piano, than with the wrong one.” … and then call them back once she finds the right fit.

When you’re honest about what your product can (and can’t) do, you’ll earn your prospects’ trust much faster.

Remember, people like to buy from experts, not ‘salespeople’.

2. Be a Product Expert 🎹

Erica sells from a range of 400 pianos.

That’s an overwhelming amount of styles, colors, and price points.

Most people have no idea where to start, but they enjoy buying from Erica because she’s an expert in all 400.

And by becoming an expert on the pianos, she’s also become an expert on her customers. Erica says that within minutes of meeting new clients, she can already tell which piano is the right fit for them, and which piano they’ll end up buying.

No matter what you sell, you can become the product + customer expert. 

Become obsessed with the problems your customers are facing and what the perfect solution looks like (even if it’s not your product).

3. Adaptability Is Key 🔑

Every situation is different.

Every customer, every piano, and every day. 

Being adaptable and ready to perform in any scenario is the key to success in sales. In a podcast interview, Erica was asked what the most important skill is to become a top salesperson:

It’s not enough to memorize a script and rehearse your rebuttals to objections.

Great sellers can roll with the punches and think on their feet.

And to truly think on your feet, you need to be confident in what you’re selling.

Negotiation strategies and tactics

If you can successfully overcome a flustered brain to maintain composure in any given high-pressure situation, feel free to skip this section today. For once… you have our blessing. 

The rest of y’all: We’re talking about bargaining — because whether you crave a raise, a promotion, or a 30-minute recess after lunch, knowing how to negotiate comes in clutch. 

Take our guide on brokering like a boss. This is our final offer.

Checking in on LinkedIn 👀 

The secret formula… 🧪 

Sales Meme of the Day

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