Over the weekend I stopped at a cell phone shop to enquire about migrating over to their network.
I had a hundred questions regarding their service, their product offering and whether they could really offer me a better package.
I had the unfortunate luck of the draw to end up with a salesman that did absolutely no selling at all!
Whether he did not want to or could not is debatable, but I had to drag answers out of him for all my questions and I had to choose my own products!
Instead of him trying to upsell me and convince me to rather take up their premium products, I had to ask him to give me the best products for my needs. And the only response I received was an “uhm”.
Now, I will concede that in our technologically interactive world with Google, Facebook and the like, I can do most of my own research. The network’s website does most of the selling for the business in any case by promoting the latest smartphones and data contracts.
I am sure that most of us realise that even before the customer actually steps through our doors, he or she has already done most of the necessary research. And in most instances knows exactly what they want.
Does this mean that your sales staff need not be able to sell? Are they just glorified order takers that can operate a keyboard.
Never!
The sales staff on the floor in your business are, in my mind, still one of the most critical parts of your business. You do not have a business without them.
The customer might have done the research they thought were necessary and they might have chosen their wanted product already, but your sales staff (should) know your business better. They know your product offerings off by heart and are/must be able to upsell any product to any customer.
I believe it is extremely important that your website and digital marketing attracts your customers and get them through your doors.
It is then up to your sales staff to confirm the client’s decision and upsell more products as much as possible.
A website cannot upsell products. Before the e-commerce guys jump on me with their “sales funnels” techniques, no website can convince me to rather take up the sport package of my favourite German car than actually seeing the impact on the car itself.
Some things just need to be experienced before an upsell is possible.
A social media page cannot put the product in a customer’s hands and an email newsletter cannot convince a customer that he is making the right decision.
It is thus extremely important to know that once a customer walks through your doors, the sale is only half done.
You need to convince the customer that you know and understand your product offering in detail.
You need to convince the customer that you are confident in your services and you need to convince them that you can offer them the best product at the best price at the best quality.
Sales staff must still be able to sell and should not just be people who complete forms and hand over products.
Your sales staff MUST be able to outsell Google!
So, the next time your customers beg your sales staff to sell them something, please do not let them answer with an “ok” or an “uhm”.
Let them answer in such a way that they make the customer feel special. Make them think and feel like they are your only customer and that they just stepped into a world-class business.
Treat them with the necessary respect as their action of walking into your business shows that they already have faith in you. They already want to do business with you.
DO NOT give them a reason to walk out without buying your product or service.
