Sales Come To Those Who Want Them!

Sales come to those who are interested!
By Sheree Zielke

First sales clerk: "Follow that path…the shoes are to your left."
Second sales clerk: "I don't know. That's not my department."
Third sales clerk: (Ignored me entirely).
Fourth sales clerk: "Would you like me to page someone?"
My response: "No thanks. I'll try another store."

The above actually occurred recently when I walked into one of the largest sporting goods stores in West Edmonton Mall looking for a new pair of gym shoes. The store was full of clerks, some standing around chatting with each other, but no one was interested in my business. They were successful; they did not get one dollar from me. But I did make purchases at three of their competitors' stores.

Has this happened to you in your gift basket business? Has some other company gotten orders because you just didn't seem interested in the sale?

The key to getting sales is acting like you want sales!

Oh, we all say we want sales, but do we act like we want sales? Is that desire for sales reflected in our telephone manners? In the way we answer our phone? In the way we answer questions of perspective clients? In the way we train our staff?

Some tips for showing interest in a sale!

1) Greet with a smile. This includes greeting clients on the phone. Smile (you can hear a physical smile in your voice).

2) Good sales people ask questions. It shows you are interested and that you care. In the basket industry, one of the first questions out of our mouths could be, "What is the occasion?" Budget, basket contents, etc. is secondary; find out what the client's need is first before going on to the solution.
Remember, too, asking questions does not mean blabbering on as this can be quite irritating to busy people. Ask clear pointed questions designed to ferret out the customer's need.

3) Think in terms of being a problem-solver. Don't view yourself as a basket-seller. As a problem-solver, you will be more creative and helpful. For example, the person ordering a bereavement basket may be trying to say one of several things: "I am sorry for your loss," "We are thinking of you," "We want you to know you are loved," "You are special." When you find out their deeper reason for sending a basket, the easier it will be to put together the right products.
For example, "Is this for a family member or a business associate?" Sometimes, this information is given in the first few sentences of the conversation. As soon as you have that information, keep inputting the relevant information like the name of the recipient back into the conversation.

4) Make sure the solution fits the problem. Many times we hear from customers who have made a poor selection in choosing a basket. For example, a recipient in intensive care is not a good candidate for a basket of fresh fruit. There is no telling how long they will be in intensive care meaning the fruit could spoil. Instead, suggest "shelf-stable" products indicating this may be a better choice as the contents will still be fresh when the patient is finally able to take the basket.
Remember, you are the professional; be ready to correct a consumer choice in their best interests. Most will thank you for your expertise.

5) Up-sell when necessary. There is always the client who calls with champagne tastes and suggests a Coca-Cola budget. It is good business to make suggestions of a more appropriate budget range explaining why you are doing so. Some customers simply don't have a good perception of what things cost. A good up-sell always provides a better solution; it is never merely a way to sell more products.

6) Build a relationship with your customer. A relationship can be built in seconds. Comment on the city or the country they are calling from. A comment can be as simple as, "I visited there once and loved your art gallery". Instant rapport. Or, "Your accent is lovely -- what part of England are you from?" Find some way to get personal with every one of our customers, be they walk-in or phone-in. You can actually hear them relax on the other end of the phone.

7) Be clear in your answers. There is nothing more frustrating than speaking to someone who hems and haws and stutters and spews out information to questions you didn't even ask. We call it, "Talking around the world." This is very annoying and it’s a definite sales killer. Be specific. Teach your staff to LISTEN first and then provide an appropriate response. If they can't get a handle on this, they shouldn't be answering the phones.

8) Retain the sale by being creative. There was a time when one of my basket companies did not do fresh fruit baskets. But we never lost a sale when calls came in from people looking for fresh fruit baskets. We acknowledged their preference for a fresh fruit basket and then suggested an alternative incorporating shelf stable fruit products and other items like crossword puzzles, crunchy foods, nuts, sweets, single serve beverages -- all products we had in stock. No problem.

Unless, the caller is absolutely dead set on fresh fruit, they will take the alternate solution. That's because they weren't really after a fruit basket; they were after an answer to their need to tell their family member they cared about them enough to send a basket.

Bottom line – act like you want the sale!

In a nutshell:

Smile. Ask pointed questions. Be a solution-provider, a problem-solver NOT a gift basket seller, up-sell to benefit the buyer, speak clearly, know your product, build a relationship with your client INSTANTLY by showing interest in them, and be creative in your solutions. All this will equal solid initial sales and ensure those very necessary to the life of any business…REPEAT sales.

The end to the shoe story:

Sales clerk at another store: "Hi. Can I help you this evening?" "Do you have a narrow or wide foot?" "How much were you hoping to spend?" "Do you like white or dark colors?" "Let me bring you a couple of different pairs to try on."

I now have a very nice pair of gym shoes and paid more than I was hoping to pay because her service was so excellent. The same thing is true of sales in any other industry. Provide service in a caring interested fashion and the sale will naturally follow.

Best wishes for a prosperous sales year!

Sheree Zielke
shereezielke@interbaun.com

Visuals by Sheree
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

www.visualsbysheree.com

www.applegatesgiftbasket.com

Article Source: http://www.mycontentbuilder.com

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated