It all boils down to better conversations!
Part 18— by Scott Morris
Show your salespeople how to understand their customers better, and they will quickly establish themselves as
real
experts in the art of selling!
If you’re a store manager or sales trainer who looks for fresh approaches and new information to train
salespeople, then
you’re going to like this article! It’s on a topic that normally does not receive the attention it properly
deserves. We
will now consider how to understand your store’s customers a lot better. Simply relaying this information to
your sales
team will immediately impact their selling capabilities!
If you wish to write a book, you will probably be told that you must first define your intended reader. If you
are a
musician performing live, it’s commonly accepted that you should “play to your audience.” But at retail, every
customer
is unique. This means that your salespeople should always strive to understand those things that uniquely drive
each
customer’s emotions, concerns, and decision-making! Doing so will greatly enhance their ability to relate to
shoppers,
and to engage and assist them much better.
Next-Level Insights
The following insights are meant to stimulate thinking in new and different ways to take conversations with
shoppers to
a new level! Why is there such a huge difference in performance between 1-, $2-, and $3-million annual furniture
sales
writers? It all boils down to the kinds of conversations they have with their respective customers! After all,
these
conversations truly drive sales, don’t they? The $3 million writers take their customers to a different place
conversationally. Here are some valuable perspectives that will enable salespeople to see their customers in a
clearer
light and guide their conversations much more skillfully!
“The first piece concerns sensing a customer’s personal space and comfort zones. Many friendly and
talkative shoppers
prefer to stand close to salespeople when speaking. Others do just the opposite.”
Social & Learning Style!
If you’ve been in sales for a while, you probably have a good feel for some of the following pieces of advice.
Customer Comfort Zones: The first piece concerns sensing a customer’s personal space and comfort zones. Many
friendly
and talkative shoppers prefer to stand close to salespeople when speaking. Others do just the opposite. They
need to be
at least five feet away, are more reserved, and use much less verbal communication. So, be very mindful of every
customer’s unique comfort zone.
Information Processing Types: A fast-talking salesperson by nature, should notice when they have a customer who
feels
more comfortable with a slower approach.
Each customer has a preferred way of processing information: The major types relating to this are aesthetic,
tactile,
and auditory. The phraseology should differ when presenting to each one. Let’s see if you can match how a
salesperson
might phrase a question to engage an aesthetic, tactile or auditory type of customer.
- Can you just imagine what your friends would say?
- How would this look in your room?
- Do you feel the big difference?
15 Types of Customers!
Your salespeople should also be aware of these numerous customer “profiles” and how to adjust their conversations
and
merchandise presentations accordingly!
- The Aesthetic customer: It’s mainly about how it’ll “look” in my room!
- The Comfort customer: It’s mostly about how comfortable it is!
- The Budget customer: The important thing is to stay within this price range.
- The Justifier: You must convince me that this is the right furniture for me!
- The Open-minded customer: I’m pretty open to some of your ideas.
- The Specifics customer: I need a 48” round glass table by this Tuesday.
- The Value customer: I’ll buy it if I can get a really great deal!
- The Payment customer: It’s not about the price; it’s affordable payments.
- The Durability customer: It’s got to hold up to heavy use for many years.
- The Family customer: It has to meet all of my family’s needs!
- The High-End customer: The prime driver is the status that comes with owning the best.
- The Decorator type: I’m going for a total look that really pops.
- Quality customer: Quality and peace of mind are what’s
essential.
- The Really Tough Negotiator: It’s mostly about their egos needing the win!
- The “Extra Terms” customer: Just take away my old stuff, and we got a deal.
“Each customer has a preferred way of processing information: The major types relating to this are
aesthetic, tactile,
and auditory.”
Over time, salespeople will encounter all the types of customers listed above! Each has a different lens through
which
they view their in-store interactions. The ability to identify what’s most important to them and then react
accordingly
can make the difference between getting the sale or not. For example, talking about construction features to a
decorator
type will cause them to feel like they have the wrong salesperson. Or, trying to close on low monthly payments
with a
customer who has not yet “justified” purchasing your product could literally run them out the door! It pays to
be aware
of these different types of customers and determine how they should be handled differently.
“Main Street” Customers!
Everyone lives the core emotional life found deep within them. It’s a place I like to refer to as the “Main
Street” of
their inner existence. You hear a lot of sales coaching these days, advising salespeople “to always sell on
emotion.”
However, everybody is quite different regarding the most important things that drive their emotions and
sensibilities.
That’s why if salespeople set out to sell on emotion, they must first find out precisely what their customer’s
emotional
hot buttons are!
The approach I favor is to start with questions about family. “Do you have children or grandchildren? What are
their
ages? What are their names? What are some of your favorite activities in the home you like to do together?” This
simple
line of questioning can often immediately lead to their “Main Street!” You can certainly imagine how such
information
would allow you to relate to them much better and bond with them very early in the relationship!
“Why is there such a huge difference in performance between 1-, $2-, and $3-million annual furniture
sales writers? It
all boils down to the kinds of conversations they have with their respective customers!”
It also provides valuable information to use during the furniture presentation and even when getting ready to
close!
“Jenny, when your daughter Susan and your little grandchildren Jeffrey and Annie come to visit you, getting this
sectional would enable everyone to sit together at the same time! Then the whole family could watch all your
favorite
shows and movies together! That’s a whole lot cozier than everyone sitting separately on a sofa, loveseat, or
chair,
don’t you think?”
If someone has a pet, that’s another fantastic entrance ramp into the highway of their heart! “Jenny, don’t you
think
this chaise provides just enough extra room to enable Pickles, your cute Pomeranian, to always be comfortably
right next
to you as well?”
Another direct route that’ll lead right down “Main Street” is if they have a sports team they really cherish!
Shoppers
will sometimes volunteer that information, but if they’re wearing something with a team’s emblem, then they’re
basically
saying, Here’s how you can instantly win me over! “Hey Tim, when you’re watching the Braves win the next World
Series, I
think you’re really going to enjoy having this adjustable reclining sofa, allowing you to kick back and relax
for the
entire game, right?”
“Everyone lives the core emotional life found deep within them. It’s a place I like to refer to as the
‘Main Street’ of
their inner existence!”
Conclusion
These combined insights help your salespeople understand and relate to all of their customers much better! If
they add
their own unique ways of bonding, they will quickly establish themselves as real experts in the art of selling!
Wishing You Happy Selling!