If you had the chance to watch Columbo at any point over the past 35 years, you’d see the parallel to being a seller who asks interesting and powerful questions.
Columbo often came back into a room after talking with a potential suspect to ask "Just one more thing......” - and the answers he got to these last questions usually solved his case or sent him in a different direction.
He was always polite and he was very smart, although quite self-deprecating and appeared to have little style with the raincoat always being worn – even on a cruise. He never got angry or loud - although you could tell that there were people who really frustrated him.
You can see Columbo episodes now on TV.com here. In fact, you can see just the endings to 7 of the episodes here - great for anyone who wants a dose of Columbo. Believe me, if you have never watched before and just click on to one show, the first minutes might seem so old, and dumb - but watch on. See a couple of episodes to really tell what I am talking about. Am I wrong, or is this guy one of the best puzzle solvers ever? Isn't solving puzzles what selling is all about?
If you watch a few episodes of Columbo you’ll see some lessons for sellers:
What other movies, video, or TV episodes are good for sales professionals to see? What helped you learn about the finer points of communication?
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