Unless you work at McDonald’s, chances are the answer is, “No.”
The 20% 20% 60% Rule of Retail say’s, “20% of the people who come into your store WILL buy something regardless of what you say or do. 20% will NOT buy anything regardless of what you say or do. 60% WILL buy or NOT buy depending TOTALLY upon what you say and do.” When you reach that 60 you get 80.
Obviously the percentages will vary slightly depending upon your product. The “WILL BUY” percentage will be a higher in a convenience store than in a high end jewelry store, art gallery or furniture store, but the principle is the same.
The person that is face-to-face with the customer plays a bigger role in the buying decision than anyone else in the chain of events leading up to the customer entering the store.
It’s sad to see a great location with great fixtures; fabulous marketing and great merchandise at fair prices fail due to poor service. It happens every day!
Anyone can sell to the first 20%, and no one can sell to the second 20%. To capture more of that 60% be sure that customers are greeted in a sincere manner, given the information that they need to make intelligent buying decisions, and aided in making those decisions.

“They say that Maui…”
I have always loved the words to that song. Personally it’s hard for me to say which island is the best, for they each have their own intrinsic beauty. I love the wide open spaces on the Big Island, the variety of Oahu, the mystery of Molokai, the fun of Maui, and I have often said, “I could spend the rest of my life as a rock if you planted me in Hanalei Bay on Kauai.”
I continue to see evidence of success is on Maui; but not for everyone. Here are some examples:

Full flight to West Maui
I snapped this photo on my Island Air flight to West Maui.

93% Booked
I asked the rental car shuttle bus driver about business. He said, “Were real busy; 28 of 30 cars are going out every day.”

Check In Line
Generally I hate lines, but I was pleased to see them lining up to check in at the high end Westin Maui hotel. In case you do not know how high, I got a special Kamaaina rate; $255 plus “resort fees.” I asked the front desk clerk how many rooms there are in the hotel and what visitors are paying. He said, “780 rooms at about $400 a night, some much higher.” I did some quick arithmatic, at 80% that’s about $250,000 bucks a night. The  evidence that people are spending money is pretty clear.

Lahaina Town
I checked in, caught up on my e-mail and headed into Lahaina Town at about 4 PM. That’s a pretty dead time as a lot of people are in their rooms resting up or dressing up for a night on the town. In spite of that, I saw plenty of “evidence” of people on the sidewalks.

Red Lights
I also looked into the stores and galleries, and as always it was feast or famine. In Retail Selling Made Easy I talk about “Red Light - Green Light” referring to the physical positioning of salespeople, and whether they are attracting customers or not. Unfortunately I saw more red lights than I to see:

For some, working to attract business was just too much!

Green Lights
In those cases where people were staying busy the green lights were drawing people into their businesses. People stop outside to decide if to go inside. What they see in there makes the decision. To be busy; get busy!

Almost Dinner Time
It was now getting close to dinner time so I peeked into a few Lahaina bars to see how they were doing. I was pleased to see a lot of people having a good time eating and drinking before dinner.

There was a waiting line already at Bubba Gumps on Front Street.

Show Time
I decided to head back to Kaanapali before dark to see how things looked at Whalers Village. As I was passing by Lahaina Cannery Mall I saw a lot of people gathering across the street, so I parked to check it out.

Old Lahaina Luau
People were lining up in large numbers to see the Old Lahaina Luau. I asked someone at the reservation desk how many people they have tonight, and she said, “280 so far, but there will be more walk-ins.” I aked the price and she said, “$93 per person.” Again I did the arithmatic; $26,040!

Hyatt Luau
On my way to Whalers Village I dropped by the Maui Hyatt Regency to see if they have a luau happening as well. They did; 480 people at $99 each. Added up that’s another $47,520! Are you keeping track? Are you feeling good about the opportunity yet? If not, there’s more.

Leilani’s on the Beach
As I arrived at Whalers Village I peered into Leilani’s on the Beach and saw a packed house having dinner. I looked across the sidewalk at Hula Grill and saw another packed house.

The Sunset
I looked around the other way and saw more people snapping memerable photos of the West Maui Sunset.

And as I headed into Whalers Village I was confronted by even more people on their way to the restaurants.
I really hope that these photos and stories will serve to boost your confidence in our Hawaiian opportunity. No doubt that there are still some people on the mainland who are depressed over this so called poor economy, but I must say they are not the ones making the trip to Maui. The people traveling to Hawaii are not the affected by high airfares and or gas prices. Those people are staying home. We are blessed to have a clientelle that is still coming to Hawaii and spending a lot of money to have a good time. Do NOT let anyone bring you down by talking about what is NOT here. Stay focused on what IS here. Help these visitors enjoy their vacation and they will reward you with their business.
Remember this Proverb:
“When the wind doesn’t blow; row!”
I hope you like my positive spin on things; it’s for you.
Happy New Year. Let’s make 2012 the best ever!!!

Talk Less; Listen More
The two hardest things to teach salespeople are to speak up and to shut up. The bad ones don’t speak up and the good ones (too many times) don’t shut up. When good salespeople learn the art and timing of shutting up they become great salespeople. Selling comes down to a verbal exchange between two people. The single most important exchange of information takes place between the salesperson and the customer. This is where the decisions are made that have the greatest impact on your income and company’s cash flow. It’s pretty simple actually; it all comes down to talking and listening. Too many times the salesperson thinks that the talking part is most important. It makes no difference how smooth your delivery is if the customer isn’t listening.

Fast Talker
A fast talking salesperson out to get your money is an instant turn-off. If you are talking at a faster rate than your customers are listening, they may fail to hear some very important information. Salespeople, intent on making the sale sometimes start thinking about their responses before the customer finishes talking. Give the customer a chance to talk. Missing one key point from your customer could easily cost you a sale. You will enjoy more selling success by concentrating more on what your customer is saying than what you want to say back. Listening when you want to talk can be difficult if it is not your habit. Developing good listening skills is like establishing any other habit. Practice; but you need to be certain that you are practicing the right way, not the wrong way. Practice this at home and in your social activities so that when you find yourself with a customer it will come more natural. Keep your ego in your back pocket and listen to your customer. Your time will come, and when it does, your presentation will more likely be on target than if you jump in assuming that you know what the customer is about to say.

Body Language
Remember also that non verbal communication is revealing as well. Watch as you listen to pick up on small body language messages that can keep you in synch with your customer’s thinking. And always remember that selling is for the customer more than you. Your customers are most likely to have what they buy from you much longer than you will have the money they give you.

WIIFM?
Whenever asked to do something, most people filter the request through “WIIFM” which stands for “What’s in it For Me?” Unless there’s good answer to that question it many times will not be done. This is true both in parenting as in managing salespeople.

Do it For the Customer
Too often salespeople that want to sell more are thinking more of themselves than their customers. The customer will benefit more from the sale than anyone else. When a sale is made, there are a lot of people who benefit; the salesperson, the store or company, the vendor, the landlord, plus the state and country. All of these benefits are monetary. What the customer gets out of the deal will last longer than the money will last for any of the others.

“Mine, No Mine!”
One of the worst things that can happen in sales is salespeople arguing over whose sale it is. Whenever I am asked to referee one of those arguments, I ask, “Who did the customer give the money to?” When you get good service in a restaurant you don’t drop your tip on any old table on your way out.

Teamwork Works!
Those that work together get more done. Here’s a good rule to keep in mind; “The commission on any one sale is never more important than your relationship with your co-worker.” If you make this and the “Customer First” a part of your being, you will succeed more than the selfish people who get it turned backwards.

4.6 Million Visitors a Minute

“Cyber Monday” is a new phenomenon going hand in hand with Black Friday. Last year at this time more than 300 retailing Web sites tracked by Internet monitoring firm Akamai were drawing 4.6 million visitors per minute. Major retailers said that Internet traffic was up more than 80 percent compared to a normal Monday.

Why Monday?

The irony here is that Monday is when a lot of people return to “work” after a four-day Thanksgiving food fest. One might think that a lot of work might be waiting to be done on that Monday, and it is an appalling thought that so many people “shop” while supposedly working. It was estimated that 72 million people would shop sometime during that day.

“Web Surfing” during work hours has become far too commonplace. Have you ever noticed that most workplace computers cannot be seen by passers by? I say, “Turn things around” so that managers can see what their employees are doing on line while “working”, or would that be “micro-managing?”

“Oh Boy; Oh Boy” 

Nobody likes rejection, and nobody gets more of it than a person selling in a jewelry store. Buying jewelry is an emotional decision, and a willing customer can cool off in a heartbeat. You are showing a fine piece and your customer’s head is bobbing up and down like a doll in the back window of the car. She puts it on, looks in the mirror and obviously loves it. You know she is going to buy it. You and she are both smiling approvingly. You are thinking, “Oh boy, oh boy.” Then suddenly she takes it off, her smile goes away and she says, “I need to think about it; I will be back.” Your “Oh boy” feeling fades away as she is ready to walk away. What do you do now? Most people will either bear down and push for the sale, or bail out and hope that she will come back.

“BEARING DOWN”

The “bear down” salesperson says something like, “You know you love it, that’s a great price, you should get it now.” Some even suddenly drop the price thinking that will close the sale.

“BAILING OUT”

The “bail out” salesperson says something like, “Okay, here’s my card, please ask for me when you come back.” She smiles, agrees and heads for the door. You frown and feel depressed. One of these two scenarios plays out every day in jewelry stores across the country. There must be a better way, and there is.

“THE DETECTIVE”

The wise salesperson stops selling at this point and becomes a concerned “detective” looking for the real reason she is not buying it. This salesperson says something like, “Okay, maybe it’s just not the right piece, and if that’s the case, you shouldn’t get it. Let’s take another minute before you leave, and tell me, what is it about this piece that just MIGHT NOT be right?” He or she now simply shuts up and continues looking at the piece. It’s the customer’s turn to talk and you will be surprised how many “confessions” you will get. You will hear things like, “Well to tell you the truth, it’s more than I was planning to spend.” Or, “It just doesn’t look right on me.” or “It’s actually too big.” Or “Too small.”

There’s usually a reason and when you uncover the truth, chances are you can do something to resolve it and make the sale, if not that piece then another one. The truth will set you free; lies paralyze. If the truth is that she really does need to think about it, help her do it while she is in the store. Say, “Do you think it MIGHT BE the right piece?” If the answer is, “Yes” or “Maybe,” say, “Let’s be sure.” and then go back over the features and benefits of the piece looking for what MIGHT BE holding her back. If you cannot find a good reason to NOT buy it, then “SELL IT!” Say, “It looks like we have found the right piece, is there anything we didn’t think about?” If there isn’t, then say, “Let’s do it now.” This is where salespeople are separated from clerks and order takers. The key is doing it for the customer, not for you. When that’s where your heart is, you and the customer both win.

Ron Martin
Success Dynamics, Inc.

Establishing Communication
In Retail Selling Made Easy I suggest to greet the customer quickly and then to ask, “Is this your first time in the store?” I have recently added a question in front of that one that people love. Ask, “Do you live in the area?” This immediately infers that people living in your area shop in your store, thus the trust sale starts right away.
Whenever I enter a store I pay close attention to the all important words used by the salesperson to “get started.” Too many times those words go nowhere. A few that I hear, and don’t recommend are:

“Are you finding everything okay?”
“May I help you?”
“Is there something in particular that you are looking for?
“Let me know if you have any questions.”
“Feel free to look around.”

Keep It Positive!
The words “No problem” represent a double negative. Instead say, “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome.”
“I can’t do that” or “We don’t carry those” or “I don’t know” are all “no - no’s.”
Instead say, “What I can do is…” or, “What we do have is…” or, “I’ll find out.”

Using or Abusing the Telephone
I hope that your store has a “live” person answering the telephone, but if not, be sure that the message does not put the customer into “Electronic Prison” asking him or her to jump through hoops to get a question answered or to reach someone. Automated answering systems are rapidly finding thier way to the top of many people’s top 10 irritation lists. Never answer with, “Hold on please.” If at some point you need to put a customer on hold, ask for permission to do so, and say how long it will be.
Little things (words) make a BIG difference when selling.

How Important is Selling in Retail?
How well do you know your job? Unfortunately the answer for many in the retail sector is, “Not well enough.” The sad thing is that they don’t know it. Many people believe that customers know what they want, will ask questions if they have them, and seek help if they need it. All of these assumptions are wrong. Selling in a retail store is a trade that must be learned.

Money Down The Drain
You cannot count the money that runs out of the faucet and down the drain when customers fail to get the information they need to make intelligent buying decisions. It is not enough to ask, “May I help you?” Your job is helping customers and you do not need to ask for permission to do your job.

If you work in a retail store and find yourself struggling, get yourself a copy of RETAIL SELLING MADE  EASY today.

Why the Rooster?
Many people do not know that the sound the rooster makes in the morning (cock-a-doodle-doo) is called his “Report”. The rooster “reports” early; sometimes too early.

Our Morning Report also arrives early. We say, “Send us your numbers at closing time, and you will have your Morning Report BEFORE the rooster crows in the morning.”

The Lion King musical had a great Morning Report tune in the play. You can see and hear it HERE:

Businesses are famous for reporting monthly numbers after it’s too late to do anything about them.
When you get the Morning Report you will be able to see trends in plenty of time to impact them, well before the month ends. CLICK HERE to see examples of how it works.

Do You See An Opportunity Here?
Unhappy customers can be bad news for any company, yet properly dealt with can become a huge benefit. It only takes one poorly handled one to ruin your day, and perhaps even your reputation. One handled well can do just the opposite.

The first rule is, “Don’t take it personal”. The customer may not be right, BUT, the customer is ALWAYS right; RIGHT? It could just be a “mood thing” on the part of the customer. Never let YOUR MOOD add to the problem. Some customers have unrealistic expectations, while others may have a legitimate complaint. The important thing is for YOU to make things better.

Here are some things that YOU can do to make unhappy customers your ally rather than your enemy.

1. Listen, and do not interrupt customers while they are venting. They need to tell their story and feel that they have been heard.

2. Say, “Thank you.” You do not have to agree to be thankful. You can say, “Thank you for calling this to my attention.”

3. Apologize: Again, you do not have to agree. You can say, “I’m sorry that you feel this way.” Do not attempt to lecture the customer, make excuses, or try to justify what has happened. Doing so will just make it worse.

4. Seek a Solution: Ask your customer, “What do you think we should do about this?” Oftentimes the customer’s solution is easier than what you might have in mind. Sometimes the venting and apology is enough.

5. Agree: Look for a solution that will satisfy the customer. The cost of the solution is most likely less costly than a tarnished reputation would be.

6. Do It Now: Show a sense of urgency. Your willingness to fix the problem quickly will do more FOR YOU than the problem DID TO the customer.

7. Follow-up: Make sure that what you agreed to do was done, and done right. A lack of follow through can undo all of the good you just created.

Remember; STUFF HAPPENS. It’s how you handle the STUFF that is more important than the STUFF.