Today I want to talk with you about how connecting with your customer is the secret to sales success…in ANY business.
How many times have you gone into a store or (gulp) stepped on a car lot and were met with one of two things? Either you were ignored totally while the clerks of said store gossiped amongst each other or horror of horrors…you stepped out of your car only to be descended on by a school of hungry piranha?
Neither scenario makes you feel like doing business there and the last one I mentioned makes you want to run for the hills!!
What's a person to do when all they want is to get a little help, get some questions answered and, big shock to the merchant, actually buy something.
What ever happened to good, old fashioned sales skills? I'm taking a stand for a sale skills revival and it's gonna start right here.
The first thing any dedicated salesperson needs to do is make a connection with their customer. By that, I mean greet them with a smile, find out their name and what it is they came to you for.
Here's one of the most important secrets…Ask them questions about what it is they need and what it is they WANT (yep, folks there is a difference). And then, here's the most important part…LISTEN.
It's been said many times and in many ways that we all have two ears and one mouth and they should be used in that proportion. In other words we should listen at least twice as much as we talk 🙂
Don't plan what it is you're going to say next. Don't have a laundry list of answers to their objections ready to rapid-fire back to them.
Really listen. Your customers will let you know exactly what it is they want if you'll just listen.
I remember a few years ago I was in the market for an SUV. I'm an Acura girl from way back( I've had three of 'em, still own two)and I knew I wanted an Acura MDX.
Now here in Las Vegas we have one Acura dealer and I stopped at the car lot one afternoon to take a look. After checking out the inventory for a few minutes, a very well dressed gentleman came out and asked me what I was interested in. I told him. I wanted a late model used MDX ( I rarely buy brand new. Depreciation…ick!!) with low miles, Touring package, loaded. I'd done my homework (hint: your customers have probably been doing their homework, too. That's how they found you).
This guy didn't hear a thing I said. All he kept asking me (several times) was what color did I want. Color? I never mentioned color. Not once. He was fixated on the color thing (I guess women car buyers are supposed to only care what color the car is, huh?) to the point that I finally told him I'd take anything but purple (there is no such thing as a purple MDX, by the way). At last, in frustration I left the lot, went up the street to the Honda dealership, found exactly what I wanted and I'm still driving it today.
The moral of the story? Customers today are smart, educated and more than a bit skeptical when it comes to parting with their money…especially large sums of money. Can you blame them?
The more you take the time with your prospects and customers to find out about them and what they want, the easier, more fun and more profitable the sales process will be for you and them. Now…got your questions ready and your listening ears on? Get to it!! Happy selling!!
Ever had a nightmare sales experience (or a really good one where everybody came out a winner?) Please share it with everyone below. It's just as important knowing what NOT to do as it is what works. Until next time…make it a wondermous day.
To Your Sales Success,
Sonrisas(smiles),
Beth 🙂
Beth, we're all so proud of what we do, we imagine everyone is just waiting for us to make it available for sale. We forget the massive competition out there … that can only be overcome by the relationship we develop with customers. That's the part your Acura salesman also forgot … that there was a Honda dealership right down the street. (AND, you could have found exactly what you were looking for online in a heartbeat!)
Great stuff for sales success. Thank you Beth
Thank you James…glad you liked it 🙂
You’re right Sharon. Without building the relationship first, we’re no different than the sea of faceless offers available for our customers to buy. It’s when we really connect with the people who are our ideal customer that magic (and money) happens. I image Mr. Acura salesman is probably selling Hyundai’s down the street by now, too. No connection, no caring, no sales. Maybe he could use a good sales coach…hmmmm 🙂
Great advise Beth, when we listen to the customer then we can also offer what they need and they will love it!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Solvita! It’s only when we listen to our customers and build the relationship based on what’s in their best interest, that we are truly serving them. They’ll value what we have to offer and keep coming back for more. Always a good thing! 🙂
Great advise Beth, when we listen to the customer then we will be able to assist them and support them! Great post!
The old saying was location, Location, LOCATION! With internet marketing it's listen, Listen, LISTEN! To your customers. Really enjoyed the deaf salesman story, Beth.
Exactly, Anastasiya. Thanks bunches, glad you liked the post 🙂
Thanks Rachelle!! The entire sales process is really comfortable and much easier when we just listen to what our people want. Obviously Mr. Acura Salesman was a little lacking in that department 🙂
Yeah, it feels like a big wall that gets bigger and bigger when a salesperson approaches me like that. You are right when you say that people/buyers have become so much smarter in the last years. Salespeople need to connect with their customers and make the shift!
I hear you about the wall. No one wants to be talked to (or at) like they’re nothing more than an “up” (old icky sales term there). People want to know that the person doing the selling is someone they can trust and someone who genuinely cares. They’ll gladly buy (and come back for more) when there’s value and connection involved.
Great article Beth…building a relationship is key…sell thyself first and the rest of the sales process will fall into place…ah, and we must overcome the very human fear of rejection…Thank you for sharing! …Hughie
Thanks Hughie!! The relationship is the key. Once that’s established and we know what we have is in the customer’s best interest, then that ol’ fear of rejection just goes “poof” (at least for the most part) 🙂
Amazing article Beth! Daily I'm shocked to see what has happened to our customer service skills ! I'm continually surprised when I walk into a business and the workers continue to talk amongst themselves about their weekend, all the while ignoring me, the customer. Thanks so much for sharing this!
I like the way you express this important point…it always comes down to the connection or relationship first. Great job, thanks!
Great stuff, Beth. This past weekend we needed to return our new garbage disposal that quit working. After presenting it to the returns department and getting clearance to proceed to the check out counter we handed the new, boxed unit with our receipt to the cashier. Taking one look at the receipt, then the box, then my husband and me she asked what we wanted to do with it. Confused we explained that we had been to the returns department and had been cleared for purchasing the remainder of our items and there would be no charge for the disposal. Immediately she rolled her eyes and said, "Of course, this is done completely wrong. This is why I left that department and she is part time and I am full time." This clerk was so negative and nasty we could not wait to get out of that store. I still feel the "nastiness" on me as I relate the story. Customer service? Absolutely not. As for the returns desk clerk…she is our friend. Oops!
Thanks Jen, It’s amazing to me, too. Don’t they realize it’s just as easy to give great customer service than bad service. And it’s way easier than looking for another job!! 🙂
Thanks Denny! This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Sadly it’s a usually because of either a lack of training or just pure apathy. Connecting with customers is so much more fun!!
Wow, Carol!! Sounds like you’ve been through it, too!! Makes you want to run right back to that store next time you need something…NOT! Hopefully your friend was just having a bad day 🙂