Combat Training
Customer Contact
Dealing face-to-face with customers can feel like “mental combat” at times. Not everyone is cut out for it. While customers are not always nice, salespeople must be.
“We found that we could hire nice people and teach them how to sell. We had problems hiring salespeople and teaching them how to be nice.”
-The Nordstrom Way
“Leave Me Alone”
Customers do not always welcome a salesperson’s approach, even when it is a friendly one. Customers have all encountered pushy salespeople, and think you just might be one of them. Customers can be pretty “closed up”.
“How about…?”
Getting close to a customer is a lot like flirting with a love interest. One person may want more out of the deal (at the moment) than the other, but both have an interest, or they wouldn’t be there. You want the sale and the customer needs your help. Timing can be everything.
Togetherness
Your goal is to build a bond with the customer and break down those barriers early on.
The tricky thing is doing it without appearing phony. The best way to come across as “real”, is to be “real”. The customer is in your store. Talking about the weather or anything outside of the store can be seen as insincere. Sincerity sells!
“Come On In”
Your customers take a big step when they make the decision to enter your store. Their purpose is not to tell you how they are doing today, so don’t start off by asking that question. Doing so (unless you know one another) is phony. They don’t think you care how they are doing today, and you probably don’t. Be Real!
“Relax and Look Around”
You probably have a lot of things for your customers to look at, and if you ask, “May I help you?” the answer will most likely be, “No thanks, I’m just looking”. Bad Question!
Always ask a safe, but meaningful question to get started. When you ask a question that assumes a purchase before the customer has seen what you have to offer, like; “Is there something in particular you are looking for?” you set yourself up for an answer you don’t want to hear.
Launch the Discovery
Most customers are on a discovery mission. You can get in synch with your customer’s mission, launch their discovery and seize control all at the same time by asking the right question. Ask, “Is this your first time in our store”, or in the case of a repeat customer, “How long has it been since you have been in our store”. These are both non threatening, safe to answer questions that set you up to talk about the store and fulfill your customer’s mission.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Ron, you make the process so easy, it would be great if every store did this…shopping would be so much more fun!
February 19th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Arla has it right here, BUT it’s never going to happen. Too many retailers just don’t “get it”. They think custmers can do without salespeople, and too many salespeople seem to think they can do without customers. Duh!
February 20th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Shopping would be a lot more fun and productive if everyone was trained under Ron’s system.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
When we shop, we are usually on a mission to find something we need, or to find something that we can fall in love with and take home. Most of the time we need someone to be our tool, help us find our size, get us in a dressing room, and listen to us as we work at buying something. We want a salesperson to be our personal assistant and like a friend helping us with their knowledge and expertise. They need to help us by being useful and honest. Know the merchandise better than we do, facilitate the sale and get us on our way. We have many things to accomplish on a daily basis and time is a wastin’. Also, humor is a nice touch. It is great when they laugh with us.
April 27th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Dittos to everything said, what a wonderful part of your program Ron. One thing keeps me on track, and that is to constantly think what it is that i have that can help this customer the most, keeping the customers well being at heart at all times. that way youre automatically nice, and automatically you are sending out the proper energy to people. Folks can read you subconsciouslly and consciously, so be real, think what is best for this person, and sure, it is ok to think it would be nice if i can fulfill that desire and make a sale at the same time. Its ok to sell to people! A lot of salespeople kind of think they are putting one over on folks, but if you are focused on your customers well being, then you want the sale and so does your customer. it is magic!