Retail/Sales Tips
Read these 6 Retail/Sales Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Businesses tips and hundreds of other topics.
Good Manners Sell
A new study shows that to increase sales, your best bet may be to throw out the sales training course and bring in Miss Manners!
In 1999, Eticon, an etiquette-consulting company based in Columbia, South Carolina, surveyed 1,281 people across the U.S. to evaluate how good manners impact customer service and sales.
The company found that 58% of customers said that, upon encountering bad manners or lousy attitudes, they would take their business elsewhere, even if the competitor charged significantly higher prices.
About 80% of customers said rudeness in customer relations has been increasing. Eticon also found that customers appreciate even the smallest acts of kindness: 60% appreciate a friendly greeting and 39% appreciate an offer of help.
Don't Talk Too Much
Many, many sales calls have ended badly because of a sales
representative who talks too much and listens too little.
This can be a result of a lack of preparation or an
inability to understand the roles of the sales rep and the
customer.
Sometimes a sales rep becomes gabby because he is poorly
organized and not prepared for the sales call. In advance,
organize the presentation relating to your product into a
concise, informative package. Make certain you have a
strategy for presenting this information. Also, gather
everything you can about your prospect/customer and how he
uses the product you are selling.
What is your job as sales rep? Primarily, you are there to
find out the customer's needs, not present your product. In
other words, the product presentation should focus on how
you are filling the needs expressed by the customer. Since
you must determine these needs to be successful, talking
too much can create an atmosphere in which the customer
becomes quiet and fails to express how you can help. A
better approach is to ask leading questions to get the
customer to talk about the concerns and situations with
which you can help.
How Many Times? Over, And Over, And Over...
Yet another article appeared recently discussing the need
to have repetitive contact with prospects and customers in
order to safely secure your sales relationships. The
statistics quoted are the same as in many other sources -
it takes on average 7 to 10 contacts with a prospect to
make a sale and develop a relationship.
The importance of this concept should be the framework for
solidifying existing customer relationships, as well. The
ongoing contacts with a current customer will result in
much greater retention and satisfaction among your customer
base.
Become creative in the ways your company chooses to do
this. You have more tools than ever to accomplish the task.
E-mail, regular mail, personal visits, phone contacts, and
regular advertising approaches are all avenues that you
should explore.
Negotiating without giving in.
Many negotiations are tough, resulting in the well-known
"wearing down" process. When you encounter a tough
opponent, how do you respond?
You'll often find the right thing to do is to back off your
position, especially in matters related to money, if your
selling structure allows you to do so. But you should never
quickly reduce your price or give in on other terms. By
moving slowly, you persuade your opponent to negotiate
closer to your position. The passage of time creates the
sense of movement in your position, regardless of how far
you actually move.
When you're tired and locked in a battle, relax and slow
the pace. This technique often leads to the best results.
Your Honor, I object!
If you're in sales, some days seem filled by one customer
objection after another. How do you handle them?
Remember that your customer is looking for satisfaction to
the objection, not a debate. Find ways to satisfy the
objections. Make it clear to the customer that you
understand what's being said. Listen for clues that clarify
the real objection. Clearly explain how you intend to
resolve the objection.
Look at objections as an opportunity. Once you've satisfied
your prospect's objections, you'll be appreciated for the
time and effort you've invested -- and usually rewarded
with a customer order.
Negotiating Prices
The world is full of "horse traders". How well do you play
this important game?
Understand that the other party is making price offers
primarily to get and gauge a reaction from you. If they
have bid substantially under what they're willing to pay,
they are hoping you'll come close to their low-ball bid. In
this circumstance, they will measure the validity of their
offer based on the intensity of your reaction to it - a
strong negative reaction on your part indicates that they
are substantially low, a mild reaction on your part
indicates that they haven't missed the mark by a
significant amount.
You must carefully prepare in order to play this game well.
You'll only get one opportunity to react, so get ready and
send the message you want to communicate! This will set the
stage for a counter proposal that is more likely to be
accepted.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Lynne Christen |
