C2 Unlimited | Sales, Leadership & Service Training

'Imagine if you treated every customer like you would treat your own grandmother.'

The Core Principle

Trust. Respect. Honesty. Doing what is right.

Watch: The Grandmother Philosophy™

The Origin Story

I was working as a sales rep for a flooring distributor and awoke to the usual sound of a 6:30 am wake up call. By 8:00 am I was headed to my first appointment of the day.

Of all the sales calls, sales meetings, and sales trainings I had ever attended, today would prove to be the most important sales lesson of them all, and a turning point in my career. Little did I know, everything in my life would change before returning to my hotel room later that evening.

After spending a few minutes saying hello to a half dozen salespeople, I sat down with the general manager and owner for my appointment. The first item on my agenda was to ask John to answer a question that I had been curious about since our last meeting. John's store, in a market with a population of 90,000 people, had consistently been in the top 5 in the country, and I wanted to know why? What were they doing differently? What was their secret?

John's response was one that I will never forget. He thought that if he told me I would laugh, but after promising not to, he told me he felt the reason his store had been so successful was because he had always told his salespeople to treat their customers like they would treat their own Grandma.

I immediately looked at John and said, “What a great idea for a book!” His response was, “Yeah! But who would write it?”

As soon as I walked out of his store, I thought to myself, why not me? When I arrived back to my hotel that evening, I made the first outline of what I had decided to call the Grandmother Philosophy™.

The Philosophy in Practice

Show Only the Best

You would make sure and only show her products that you would feel comfortable with her buying, and you would never sell her a product that you would not put into your own home.

Fair & Honest Pricing

You would give her a fair price, and you wouldn't try to cheat her or take advantage of her. Because she is your Grandmother, she expects you to make a profit.

Quality Service

You would put your best delivery crew on the job, and you would make sure they were on time and professional. You would give her the best service you possibly could.

Follow Through

You would call her the day after delivery and verify that everything was to her satisfaction. If she had a problem, you would take care of it immediately.

The GRANDMOTHER Acronym

GGreet every customer immediately
RRead body language
AAttitude is Everything
NNever Prejudge
DDo unto others as you would want done unto you
MMake an impression that will last a lifetime
OOwn your Products
TThink like a Salesperson
HHonesty, Honesty, Honesty
EEveryone is a potential customer
RRemember to “Treat Every Customer Like You Would Treat Your Own Grandmother.”

Why It Works

Builds Trust

Customers feel valued and respected

Creates Loyalty

They come back and refer others

Drives Results

Genuine care leads to more sales

The Book

Selling to Your Grandmother™

The Grandmother Philosophy™ originated from Chris Coltran's book. This foundational work explores how treating every customer like family transforms sales results and builds lasting relationships.

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The Grandmother Philosophy™