Answers. Salespeople want answers. Here are a few of the answers to questions I get in the mail (fax, e-mail and snail). The purpose of this column is twofold: to give you a sampling of what people ask and to assure you that you’re not alone in experiencing the weirdness that everyday selling seems to breed.

“Hi, Jeffrey, I read your article about networking last week and wonder what I should say to someone I don’t know at an event. I walk up to someone I don’t know and say, ‘Hi, I’m Cindy with secretarial services,’ but then what? Cindy.”

Cindy, there are a hundred questions you can ask: “Need a private secretary?” “What does your desk look like?” “How many things are on your ‘to do’ list?” “How many things didn’t get done today?” “What’s your biggest project?”

The secret is to ask a question about them that makes them stop and think, and answer in terms of you.

“Dear Jeffrey, How should I set my goals in order to best achieve them? Jennifer.”

Jennifer, set goals about who you want to become, not what you want to own when you get there. Set personal goals (be the best at …; gain superior knowledge in …; take a course in …; read for 15 minutes a day about …) rather than material goals (big house, new car). If you set material goals, you may take shortcuts to get there, but there are no shortcuts to becoming the best. When you become “best” at anything, the big house and the new car just show up.

“Jeffrey, how can I make that message clear without infringing on a buyer’s time by making a standard cold call? Mary”

Mary, send prospects information (by letter, fax or e-mail) that helps them build their business, increase their productivity, prolong employee retention or boost their profits. If you do that, they will want to know what you do. Create a tie-in to you, and presto – an interested prospect who gets your message and is ready to listen.

“Jeffrey, I’ve found myself in a situation where I’m unsure how to proceed and I’d like your advice. I’m in the recruiting industry, and in the past year, we have found ourselves stuck in the gatekeeper rut and are not allowed to talk to managers to get feedback on our candidates. I currently have a client/gatekeeper that I’ve been working with for the past several months. My problem is she does not call me back, does not give me feedback on candidates and open positions, and I feel I am having a one-sided relationship with her. I know that if I could get to the managers, I could make the sale. Unfortunately, if I go around the gatekeeper, I risk losing the business altogether. What would you do in my situation? Cheri”

Cheri, it may be you. Ever have a man chase you who you knew was wasting his time, but kept on trying to win you over? He almost became pest-like. Find a way to make them chase you. Start thinking about a “value proposition” that creates response, your own e-zine, for example. Start thinking about how you can avoid gatekeepers completely. Realize that sometimes, other people are just jerks. Once you get a “hire,” get to the manager and eliminate the gatekeeper.

“Jeffrey, after six years of employment, I am being forced to sign a non-compete agreement. Is that legal? And how can I be an independent contractor working under a non-compete? Sherry,”

Sherry, it’s totally legal; it’s just not moral or ethical. Bosses who are so paranoid that they make employees sign a non-compete are afraid they will lose them to a competitor – or worse, they think you are in the process of job hopping. Most courts uphold non-competes if the restrictions are low. The higher the restrictions (the more it prevents you from doing work and earning money), the less likely the court will find in favor of the employer. However, prospective employers tend to stay because of the potential litigation resulting from a non-compete. If it were me, I would tell the employer to “stuff it,” but that is only what I would do. You may not be in a financial position to take that risk or you may love your job and want to stay.

President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, Jeffrey Gitomer gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. He can be reached at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com.