The sales Experience- Short bursts of Amazing part 2

So any sales person can point, any sales person can read a brochure, any sales clerk can price a unit

Our job here is NOT to be just any Sales person !!

An Amazing Sales eperience has three main ingredients regardless of the product you are selling


1.DISCOVERY

  What are they looking for? Why do they want / need it,
The key to making this experience world class for our customer lies in our ability to listen
Wait... take a moment... LET THAT SINK IN
I'll say it again
 The key to making this experience world class for our customer lies in our ability to listen

- Ask the questions that get you the information you need to know

  Don't waste time trying to be clever in this step, just ask honest questions.
                                    - What are you trying to accomplish
                                    - What is your preference in product
                                    - How will you be using it
                                    - What type of budget have you set for this purchase
                                    - What obstacles stand in the way of our filling this need

2. DEMONSTRATION
   
    Notice I did not use the word presentation .
That's because a presentation involves more talking and less doing
 Our role here is to demonstrate our product's ability to meet the needs of our customer , both with ease of use, and technical accomplishment.
  We will have to have some savvy here.
 Any sales clerk can "pass the buck" to their service and delivery staff, and most do.
 They use clever sayings like " We have folks that will go over all of this with you." and  "I just sell them, someone else will explain it all for you ."

Remember what we are trying to accomplish here, WE are looking to be AMAZING
  - Know your product
                  This comes from having spent time with the product, understanding how it works, and why it benefits the consumer
  - Be able to answer common questions without "passing the buck"
  - Be interactive, don't just show the features, let the Consumer operate the functions whenever possible.
  - Personalize the demonstration - That's why we listened,
        Our customer doesn't care how someone else will use it- lets demonstrate how they will use it

OWNERSHIP

 As a sales person, you need to understand that a customer begins to take ownership of a product long before any money changes hands.
  When our customer can "see " themselves owning a product, they begin to take ownership of it.
Without this step no purchase will be made.
  - Don't clutter this moment with stupidity and insincerity
                    Don't insult the buyer with phony claims of "one time incentives"
                    Don't rush them to purchase by telling them our product will be something it is not
                    Avoid making promises you are not 100% sure you can fulfill
They can get these actions anywhere, and they can smell average a mile away,  Our job is to be Amazing
  In short, Let the Customer buy the unit because it is what they want, It does what they need, and we have done an amazing job of demonstrating these facts.


Sell like your living depends on it
Donnie
                
                                 

Nothing replaces human contact

  If you want to get a hold of me I can be reached by email,text message, Instant message, facebook message,skype, twitter, myspace message, Snail mail, land line , Cell Phone, or homing Pigeon

Seems familiar doesn't it.

  Technology has added so many tools to the selling process that I think we sometimes under value good old fashioned face to face contact.

  As a sales person this method should rank an Overwhelming first place, in your preferences of contact.


- IT BUILDS RAPPORT
  
    Face to face conversation gives the customer a "sense" of who you are. They hear the sincerity in your voice, they see the concern in your eyes.  They decide if you are a person that they can connect with, and  they act on these feelings.

- IT FOSTERS TRUST

    For those of you relying heavy on email for your initial contact, let me remind you that the Nigerian schemers and the Phishers, and the Spammers are playing in that same arena.  As consumers we have become accustomed to being suspicious of email offers.  There are many reasons to meet a prospect face to face , but most importantly it fosters trust.
  A firm handshake, eye contact, a warm smile and some focused time.  These are the initial building blocks to a trust centered business relationship.  What replaces a handshake?

  Last week I contacted the largest car dealership in our area via email to set an appointment to test drive a new Ford Edge.  I received the auto response, "A salesperson will be in touch". 
 Within an hour I received an email from a Salesperson, he confirmed the Car was in stock, and asked when we might meet.  I called him on the phone and told him I would be there in an hour.

  When I arrived at the dealership the salesperson was working with a young couple, and I figured they were very early in the process. ( still picking out a car to drive) 
  I told the Receptionist that I would return in 2 hours , and please let the sales person know that I understood he was busy. 
  I called the salesperson  prior to my return and confirmed my arrival.   Upon my return  I was informed my sales person, was again unavailable ,
  I may very well have liked this sales person, had I met him. 
   There is a better than good chance I would have shown more understanding if I were invested in him, or felt he was invested in me.
  Certainly by working at a dealership myself, I understand that things happen. But I had no reason to commit further in this process. 

So whats my point ?

  Had the sales person put value on human contact, when I confirmed my appointment, he would have set aside the time to meet with me. 
 Even if he was busy unexpectedly, A  few short moments to shake my hand, and inform me of this,  would have strengthened our rapport tremendously.
  I did however receive an email from the dealership thanking me for coming in.


Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

Selling like it matters

These days I am more and more shocked by the level of apathy in the retail selling profession

A few examples :

* A quick trip to the Mattress store finds the sales man on duty, busy playing the latest game on his "smart" phone
* A stop by the electronics store, and the Sales person has to consult the manual to answer a question on the remote control settings
* A sales person ,Reading a novel,filing their nails,smoking out by the door,Flirting with a receptionist,watching the game, wearing his MP3 player,

Or any other activity that suggests at best he is not ready to help, and at worst he doesn't care !!

Let me be clear, I am a Sales Professional in a retail setting, and I am PROUD of what I do for a living.  I want to do it well, and I am not settling for a mediocre living generated by mediocre talent and laziness. 

And I am certain their are others like me ( Hence the Blog, really not just a rant ! )

So I humbly submit the following advice for my fellow Sales professionals  :

1. Come to work with a purpose
     Set goals, both personal and professional , not far reaching un attainable goals, but daily practical goals
Don't let yourself settle for just "burning" the hours of the workday.  Work towards a benchmark and  accept nothing less than your best effort.

2. Sell with sincere enthusiasm
     What is your " value " in the market place? What can you get excited about? Sincere enthusiasm is generated from within, it stems from a belief that what you do is worth while and will add value to the lives of others.  And the desire to share that value

3. Know what you are talking about
No matter your product, chances are good your customer isn't buying it because they have three more just like it at home.   get to know the product, what are the "real life" applications. Try to know more than the product card or brochure.  Offer your prospect tangible examples of how this product will increase the quality of their lifestyle.  Try spending just fifteen minutes a day examining the product , learning the ins and outs, even it's short comings.  Time spent mastering the product will equal quality demonstrations, and well thought out conversations with the customer, and that my friend, equals SALES.

4. Look the part
Here is the area where I will offend someone, but come on, your customer wants to think about your product not how you managed to get that large silver bone in your nose !! Or how you manage to keep your head up with those fifteen pound earrings on!!  That Shirt with the clever sarcasm on it, is great for a trip to Walmart, but it has no place in a retail setting.  And hey, how about a bath before work, a quick run through with the toothbrush and comb.  Let's look like we care .

And the last tip for this particular post ( and perhaps the most important) ...

5. Act like the customer matters ( Because he does )
 You may think that Snarling ,spitting, overbearing sales manager  pays your paycheck, but you are very mistaken.  If you are in sales of any kind the most important person in the process is the person from whom the income is derived.  They put the fuel in your tank, pay the light bill, buy the nice furniture, and finance the vacations.  Their reward, if you will ,for being willing to spend their money with us  , should not be wasted time with apathetic sales robots,  It should be Our sincere effort to make their time with us effortless, and an experience worth rewarding us for

Sell like your Living depends on it
Donnie