Success in Sales - if the shoe fits....

As someone who has been involved for around 15 years in sales training, I constantly observe how sales people - whatever they are selling - engage in the sales process.

And I regularly see how, by making just a few simple changes to their approach, and by reading the signals sent by the customer they could achieve results which would be astounding ! And they may even be surprised themselves.

The more the sales person 'connects' with the customer - and does this quickly - the more effective the engagement will be and that leads to an 'easier' sale. But when it goes wrong, the sale walks out the door.

Here's an example. Yesterday, in need of a new pair of shoes, I walked into a menswear store which I could see had a range of shoes. At one of the stands displaying shoes, I began picking up and looking at...oh ..perhaps, 3 or 4 different styles of black shoes. The salesperson who had been standing nearby watching then stepped closer. He picked up a shoe and said "This is a really nice shoe."

I said "I'm sure it is but why would I be interested in that shoe?"

What this man had done was to watch me pick up three different black shoes - and then offer me a BROWN shoe.

Now, this might be an extreme comparison but if I was to go into McDonalds, I wouldn't expect to be asked if I would like a pizza. My behavior indicates what I want -and it ain't pizza !

Clearly, I had indicated that I was interested in a particular style of shoe. What the sales person did, in one sentence, was to indicate that he had no interest in my needs - there was no connection- that he was only interested in selling a particular product. I'd given him clear and positive clues, short of holding up a large sign saying "Black Shoes only".

He agreed with me when I said that brown shoes wouldn't look great with a blue suit.

I left the store - and he missed out on a potential sale.

The customer always sends out signals. Sometimes the signals are very obvious: "I want to buy those shoes - or that car - now."

Mostly, the signals are far less obvious - but they are there and the successful sales person reads and acts on those signals.

If you're in sales - or any interaction or relationship which involves a customer - how proficient are you at 'reading' the signals which the customer is sending out ?

Remember this: even if the customer isn't saying anything, they are communicating.

Now I'm off to find another shoe shop.

Coming Clean in Tough Times

Just as many businesses are struggling during the economic downturn, some are thriving.

I've been coming to Dubai for regularly over 18 months and have observed the really good times here and, now, slower business activity.

Some time ago I discovered a really good laundry near where I stay. One of the many small shop fronts in a densly populated and largely Indian area, my laundry man charges 1 dirham (the local currency - equivalent to 27 US cents) to wash, iron and fold a shirt. For pants which are washable, such as jeans, the price goes up - it's 2 dirhams. Two days after I leave my shirts with him they are washed, ironed, folded and packed ready for me - or I could have them on hangers.

And his shelves are always filled with folded and packed clothes waiting for collection.

I walk past ...oh ...probably four or five other laundries to get to my man. In checking on places which may be closer to where I stay, I found out why I believe my man is so successful: others quoted me 2 and 3 times the price AND up to 4 days to do the work.

So by offering better prices and far better service, my laundry man is cleaning up.

The same success principle applies to small as well as larger businesses.

I don't believe we have to be the cheapest on the block - although volume in the case of businesses like my laundry man will benefit - but providing better value than our competition WILL improve our business.

In tough economic times, your customers are looking for VALUE.
Value in customer service delivery.
Value in quality of product.

By focussing on these two deliverables - which you have control over - you will improve your business, whatever business you are in.

Here's another thing which impressed me about my quiet (he smiles but he hardly ever says anything) Indian laundry man. Last year, having been to him at that stage probably only two or three times, it was then two months before I was next back in Dubai. With a slight smile of welcome, he wrote down the details of my laundry on his 'order' book.

Then he wrote GRAHAM - without asking or being reminded.

I was impressed. Wouldn't you be ?

And are you impressing your customers ?

Add value. Impress your customers.

To your success -

Graham

Try this

Something unusual happened to me yesterday.

And yet it was something I've been encouraging others to do for years. Do you know about small courtesies and their impact?

Dubai is a city not known for it's considerate drivers, everyone seems to want to forge their own way through the congested traffic as if they, alone, have priority. That's just the way it is. And when you do get to your destination, the next issue is parking !

I'd parked my car and walked to the ticket dispensing machine, coin in hand, to take my ticket for the hour-long parking limit. Another driver was standing at the ticket machine and having deposited his coin, collected the ticket which was printed out.

He then turned to me - and gave me the ticket.

Small courtesy - so easily done and yet not often enough.

I've been suggesting in my presentations for years that if you arrive at a ticket dispensing machine (at the deli section of the supermarket, for instance) at the same time as someone else, take the ticket and give it to the other person.

And now this was happening to me, in a foreign country and by a man from a different culture to mine.

I thanked the man and gave him my coin so he could print a ticket for himself. I then shook his hand and we smiled.

How often do you make a genuine connection with a stranger ?

It's easy to do - and if we all did this regularly, we could change the world.