Referral Selling Star: hit the targetSmart sales pros are always “on.” The concise and precise message makes it easy.

On a recent flight to Atlanta on Delta Air Lines, a flight attendant announced a great deal on the VISA and American Express Delta Sky Miles credit card.

Mile-High Sales Club? You Bet

After the announcement, a flight attendant walked through the cabin and handed out applications. Before handing over the credit card application, she carefully explained the differences between the VISA and the AMEX Sky Miles cards. (It was obvious from the differences, that AMEX was the more favorable choice.) I don’t know how many applications she received, but I was fascinated by her explanation and even more fascinated that now flight attendants are selling.

Was anything in it for her? I have no idea—probably just part of her job. She seemed very comfortable and obviously received excellent training on positioning the two options. This is a simple, transactional sale, but I took away a couple of important lessons:

  • An intercom special-offer announcement wasn’t enough of an invitation for passengers to take action
  • Simple choices make the difference (would you like red or green?)
  • Benefits don’t need to be huge, just meaningful to the audience
  • Identify the person on your team who best communicates with your sales prospects

Read more: How to Attract Sales Prospects in a Tech-Focused World.

My biggest take-away: We are always selling. Are you?

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