What do I want to buy? A new wheelchair.
I have a spinal cord injury and am paralysed. The main piece of equipment I need for my disability is a wheelchair. Without this, I am immobile. Left sitting on the floor or in a chair or similar. Unable to move. When it is my turn to buy a new wheelchair, who’s the best person to go and see? A salesman, yes! Or salesperson.
Although salespersons come in all shapes and sizes and all manners or representations in life, I like to be sold a product by someone who knows their stuff. Someone who knows the product that will best suit my needs. Who will not sell me something with all the whistles and bells that might give it an aesthetic look and that they tell me will benefit me but will just bump the cost up to make their profit margins bigger.
You can know a product, what it is made from, how it is made, how it works, and so on. But how do you genuinely know a product? How do you truly understand how it works and what it feels like and get an accurate appreciation of the end product? The only way to get an actual inclination of a product is if you use it.
When I buy a wheelchair, I like to sit opposite the person measuring me up. Have a direct line of sight to them without needing to uncomfortably tilt my head up. Although I have dealt with non-disabled salespersons when shopping from a wheelchair, from experience, I prefer an end user as the primary contact for the deal. I am aware this may not be the case for everyone. A diverse range of people suitable to trade with is the best solution to cater to everyone’s needs.
But what if the product for sale is not related to disability? Should there be a salesperson with extra needs trying to sell it? The long-term answer is yes; why not! It should not matter if you have extra challenges that make life a little tougher. Life throws challenges at everyone, and being able to deal with them makes life the norm.
Personally, I think it shouldn’t matter whether you have any form of disability. If your career choice is sales, then you should be free to choose what product you sell. However, you need to know the product well.
Do you agree with Stuart? Let us know your thoughts and experiences on sales representation in the comments.
