| Are you getting enough business? Would you like to | | | | paraphrased style what you thought you just heard |
| increase your both your sales and profits? When I | | | | and ask for confirmation that you heard correctly. |
| help companies to better partner with their | | | | The additional information gained will cause you to |
| customers, I'm frequently asked, "How can we | | | | suggest those extra items your customer will need. |
| increase our sales?" The answer to this common | | | | Your customer will not feel pressured but will thank |
| asked question is for all the people in your | | | | you for saving them time because you have built |
| organization to move beyond simply doing their | | | | trust and rapport with them. |
| assigned job and becoming partners with your | | | | Number 4: Explain the value your customer will |
| customers. | | | | receive by using the additional products or services |
| Successful partners care enough to really understand | | | | you recommend. |
| the current and future needs of their partner | | | | Know your products and their interdependence, or |
| customers and to help them to get what they | | | | connection, with other products. Product knowledge |
| knowingly and subconsciously need. Helping | | | | is a crucially important part of becoming a sales |
| customers with additional, or add-on sales, is crucial to | | | | partner that can successfully make recommendations |
| customer partnering and also creating in additional | | | | that their customers will accept. This knowledge must |
| profit for their own company. | | | | be in both the areas of product features and |
| Number 1: Caring enough about your customer to | | | | translating how the relevant features will make your |
| assist them in filling their needs, wants, and desires. | | | | customer's life better--the all-important benefits. |
| A simple example of this was a retail store I visited | | | | After the open-ended questions and active listening |
| recently. Upon entering the store, Lori greeted me | | | | to answers, the sales partner's mind must go into |
| with a smile and sincerity was so present that even | | | | high gear. With brain in high gear, the sales partner |
| though she asked a closed-ended question, I decided | | | | decides what product(s) will best serve the needs of |
| to look around and shop. What was the closed-ended | | | | their customer. |
| question? "Is there anything I can help you find?" | | | | You must learn how to translate product features |
| While I would usually simply answer with a "No thank | | | | into customer benefits. A great way to do this in |
| you," her genuine interest in helping me came through | | | | your mind is to ask yourself, "What is my customer's |
| loud and clear. Because of her helpful attitude, I | | | | pain?" Next, explain how your product helps to relieve |
| walked out with an unexpected purchase of a pair of | | | | or solves their pain. You can also ask yourself, "How |
| shorts, and a belt to match. | | | | does my product make my customer's life better?" |
| In a telephone sales situation, I was recently talking | | | | Then explain the answer to your customer. For |
| to an airlines reservation person. For the city in which | | | | example, most women's swimsuits, exercise outfits |
| I wanted to travel, the ticket was going to be | | | | and bike shorts have Lycra in the fabric. The Lycra is |
| unreasonably expensive. She suggested that I fly into | | | | a feature; Lycra doesn't per se make the wearer's |
| a smaller regional airport in the same city and saved | | | | life better. What makes their life more enjoyable is |
| me several hundred dollars on my ticket price. She | | | | the result; better fit, comfort and stretch recover |
| cared enough to offer me an alternative. When | | | | after numerous washings. |
| finished ticketing, she asked if there was any other | | | | As an expert sales partner, you are only perceived |
| travel with which I needed help. Since I was so | | | | as one to your customer when you can effectively |
| pleased with her assistance, I bought a ticket for | | | | explain the benefits they will receive by owning or |
| another trip that I had planed to purchase the | | | | using your products. The advantage of positioning |
| following month from a different airline. | | | | yourself as an expert is that your customer will |
| Number 2: Ask open-ended questions. | | | | usually buy all the extras you suggest to them as |
| The one area where Lori was weak happened to be | | | | necessary. |
| in asking open-ended questions. Her sincerity though | | | | The best way to teach your employees, as I |
| could only take her so far. At the resister she could | | | | mentioned earlier, is by example. Following are some |
| of, and should have, said something like, "Let me | | | | additional strategies to assist your sales team to be |
| show you a fabulous shirt to go with those shorts | | | | Sales Partners in successfully offering add-on |
| (Handing me the shirt). How does this look?" I would | | | | solutions for their customers' challenges: |
| have had to enter a dialog with Lori and most likely | | | | 1. See that your store has plenty of accessory and |
| added the shirt to my purchase. | | | | add-on items in stock. It is your responsibility to |
| First learn your customer's needs before offering | | | | reorder frequently and keep your accounts current |
| recommendations. Offering recommendations to | | | | as not to interrupt the flow of merchandise. |
| customers before learning their needs is an action I | | | | 2. Merchandise your store logically and so that your |
| call prescription without diagnosis--retail malpractice. | | | | sales team can easily find and access the add-on |
| You can only do this by asking open-ended questions | | | | products you want them to sell. |
| and hearing the answer. Remember, open-ended | | | | 3. Be an advocate of product knowledge. Urge your |
| questions do not allow your customer to answer with | | | | suppliers to partner with you in setting up regular |
| a simple 'yes' or 'no' and requires some form of | | | | product knowledge clinics for your team. Challenge |
| discussion enabling you to learn more about your | | | | your reps giving the clinics to offer more than just |
| customers wants and desires. Questioning is only | | | | features but also the translation on how their |
| valuable if you care enough about your customer to | | | | product's features deliver value and results. By doing |
| take the time to actively listen to their answers. | | | | so, you will be solving the pain and challenges of your |
| Number 3: Listen to your customer. | | | | customers. |
| This skill makes it possible to assist customers by | | | | 4. Create checklists for your salespeople and post |
| recommending additional purchases that they will | | | | them close to the register. As an example: |
| need to make. Just be quiet and listen; they will tell | | | | List on a single page every possible item a beach |
| you how to be their partner in helping them to buy. | | | | sunbather or snow skier would need for a day in the |
| Be careful not to bore your customer with your | | | | sun. Additionally, these checklists should be available |
| profound product knowledge, at least not at this | | | | to your customers for their own use, creating a |
| point. | | | | value-added service. |
| It is cruel and unusual punishment for a customer to | | | | 5. Create a climate of caring in your store. Since the |
| endure hearing a sales clerk tell more about a product | | | | culture of your business starts with you, you must |
| than anybody would ever care or need to know. | | | | be the driving force behind the paradigm of caring. |
| When I was involved in the Snow Skiing industry this | | | | Encourage your Sales Partners to show their caring |
| knowledge overkill was all too prevalent in the area | | | | to every customer and then reward the behavior |
| ski shops, especially in the fall after the hardware | | | | that you want repeated. YES, REWARD THE |
| sales reps gave clinics for the store employees. If | | | | BEHAVIOR YOU WANT REPEATED! Want more |
| you have you ever assaulted by this type, you know | | | | add-on sales? Reward your team individually and |
| exactly what I mean. I like to call this type of sales | | | | collectively when they sell add-ons. |
| clerk features Jockey. He or she will tell, tell, tell | | | | Care about your customers, ask open-ended |
| about the product, but never take the time to listen | | | | questions, actively listen to their answers then |
| to what their customer wants. And, the result is | | | | combine that knowledge with your unsurpassed |
| generally no sale! | | | | product knowledge to solve their problems. It is also |
| Listeners generally help their customers to buy and | | | | incumbent upon you to teach these same skills to |
| then help some more in selecting the additional | | | | your staff. Then helping your customers to have all |
| add-on items to complement the initial purchase. To | | | | that they desire and want will be a snap. It is your |
| achieve success in becoming a sales partner that can | | | | responsibility to assist your customers in saving time |
| identify logical add-on items you must ask | | | | and they'll save time when you help them to buy |
| open-ended questions and then listen throughout the | | | | add-ons. When you choose to assist them in saving |
| entire sales process and customers will be thankful. | | | | time, they will show their appreciation by becoming |
| An important key to quality active listening is the | | | | loyal repeat customers. |
| feedback method. This is where you repeat in a | | | | |