The Best Salesperson I Ever Met

My wife and I recently returned from spending two wonderful weeks in Greece. For those of you that don't know me, I am Greek. My wife is not Greek, but I am very fortunate that my wife loves Greece as much as I do. It’s a wonderful country, and I highly suggest you put it on your bucket list. 

While many will tell you about how great the Greek islands are, and they are fantastic, my wife and I positively adore Athens. Do not forget Athens. It’s an excellent city with a cool vibe. The Hilton Hotel has a Sky Bar on its roof overlooking the Acropolis with the phenomenal lighted Parthenon in full view. At the foot of the Acropolis is an area called The Plaka; cafes, shopping, and tavernas sit on beautiful paths of cobblestone. Near the Acropolis Museum (a must see), many restaurants line the streets. 

This is where I met the best salesperson I ever met.

Coincidentally (and very common for Greeks), his name is George. George owns a restaurant called God's Restaurant (how can it not be good?). You can eat indoors or outdoors. You pass about seven restaurants on the same street to get to George's place. Every day the restaurant is open, he stands out front on the sidewalk with a small towel around his neck. His job? To get you to eat in his restaurant. He gets one shot as you walk by. And he knows how to sell. He stops you as you walk by, he asks that you look at his menu as he engages you in a small conversation. He’s quick to tell you his family has owned the restaurant for many years and how important and special it would be to feed you. 

He isn’t pushy, he’s smooth. He isn’t over the top. He is kind. 

I told him that we had already eaten lunch and that I would be back tomorrow to eat. "I hope so," he said. "I have a good memory and will look forward to seeing you tomorrow," as he shook my hand. 

We returned the next day, and he was extremely grateful that we kept our word. The food was OK, not great, but we had a great seat to watch him work. The man can flat out sell. Every person who eats at his restaurant eats there because he’s selling his place to you right on the sidewalk. He knows where to seat people and when to show them a menu, and he stands all day doing this. And loving it. At one point, some Athens police were in a car on the sidewalk issuing a ticket to a motorcycle. George brought them 2 bottles of water and put the bottles in their vehicle. 

Many European countries have these "frontmen" at restaurants, and they are all great salespeople. I passed one guy who tried to get us to eat in his restaurant, and I said “we ate already.” He replied, “we all make mistakes." What a great response. 

I admire what they do. They make it fun. They're passionate. They're characters. And they think on their feet, at a high level. That, my friends, is all you need to succeed in sales.