 Four
Strategies To Increase Sales and Profit
Bob Janet
We all know the customer is
the most important person in our business, but sometimes
we forget that the second most important person in the
business is any staff member that comes in contact with
the customer in anyway. The staff member that deals with
the customer face-to-face is the person who represents
the business in the customers mind. If that
representation is not a great experience for the
customer, the business suffers.
To out-service the
competition, each contact with the customer must be part
of a great shopping experience. Staying even with the
competition is never good enough. Exemplary customer
service leads to greater sales and profits. Here are
four things to remember.
1. Treat Every Customer
Like a Millionaire. Think of it this way: If you knew
the next customer to come through your front door was a
millionaire, capable and ready to purchase your most
expensive products and services, at your highest
markups, how would you treat them? Most of us would role
out the red carpet, fall all over them with great
service, and spare no effort to satisfy their ever need
and want.
You never know if that next
customer is a millionaire. For the most part,
millionaires do not look, dress or sound different than
everyone else. Even if that customer is not a
millionaire, people will buy more products and services
when they get treated like one.
2. Get the customer
involved in the sale. When I owned and operated a
jewelry store, we outsold all of our competition by
simply getting as many different pieces of jewelry on
the customer as possible. When women came into our store
we strived to get her to try on a necklace, earrings,
bracelets, rings, and pins all at the same time. Follow
the old seller's rule: The more products the customer
views themselves as owning, the more they will buy.
Possession becomes ownership.
In our tire business, we
involved the customer by having them lift the tires, not
just look at them as our competition did. We outsold all
of our tire competition. Our furniture business was
successful because we involved the customer in the sale.
No one ever walked into my mattress department without
lying on at least three of our beds. Even while selling
intangibles like extended warranties and service
contracts, we involve the customer in the sale. By
having them do the math - the cost savings they will
receive or expenses they will incur - customers mentally
pictured the problems they could have if they didn't
purchase the coverage.
3. Give the customer
choices of products and services. People always take the
easy way out and saying no to a request for them to buy
is easier than saying yes. After all, most people do not
want to give up their hard-earned money. People like to
shop around to make sure they are getting the best deal.
When you give the customers a choice of products and
services, the question turns to what they can buy from
you, not what they can get from the
competition.
4. Ask for the sale. It's
estimated that over 90% of sales people never actively
ask for the sale. Sure they show the products and tell
about their services, but they never ask for the sale.
That's because they are afraid the customer will say the
one terrible word, "no".
Hockey great Wayne Gretzky
once said when asked why he shoots the puck so much, "I
miss 100% of the shots I do not take." The easiest way
to ask for the sale is to constantly give the customers
choices of different products and services that will
solve his/her problems, needs and wants.
Always remember the
number-one rule of selling: The seller that solves the
customer's problems, needs and wants will get the sale.
Make it easy for your customers to make a buying
decision from you.
Bob Janet of Sales Growth
Now is a trainer, speaker and author with more than 40
years of experience. He can be reached at 800-286-1203
or at Bob@BobJanet.com. For more information, go to
www.bobjanet.com.
Article from
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