2. STEP 1—The Pre-Approach
A good salesperson must study his products ahead of time.
Manufacturers send literature, brochures and booklets to
retailers so that their salespeople can become familiar with the
construction, workmanship and uses of a product. Even
packaging and labels can be of use to a professional salesperson.
A salesperson must also be neat in appearance and dress.
When a customer enters a store, an alert salesperson
will watch a customer for a few seconds and try
to gain information on what the customer is
looking for. He may see a customer checking
prices, colors, styles. With this info in mind, a
salesperson can then make the approach.
3. STEP 2—The Approach
The approach begins with a greeting. There are 3 type of approach.
How often have you been asked, “Can I help you?” Wasn’t
your answer 95% of the time, “No, I’m just looking.” So why
would a salesperson ask you a question that he know will get a
“NO” answer.
1. This called the “Service Approach.” It offers assistance to the
customer. This approach is probably the most widely used and
is the most overused approach. Other sayings are “Has
someone helped you?” or “May I help you find your size?”
A professional salesperson will not ask that question unless he sees
you during the pre-approach in a rush or if this is a routine sale.
4. Approaches Used by Professional
Salespeople
2. The “Merchandise Approach” is one of the most effective
because it directs the customer’s attention and interest to an
item. After a salesperson has watched a customer for a few
seconds looking at a sports coat (for example), he might walk
up and say, “That sports coat has been on of our best selling
coats this fall.” Can a customer now say, “No, I’m just
looking. No. They must now engage in conversation.
5. Approaches Used by
Professional Salespeople
3. The “Welcome Approach” is used to greet customers on an
informational basis. Its purpose is to welcome customers to
the store. “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” or “Good
Evening,” followed by a brief pause will encourage a
customer to tell you about their needs. If you know the
customer’s name, use it with the greeting.
7. STEP 3—Determining Needs & Wants
Once you have a customer looking at a product, you must begin
questioning them to find out what they need or want. A
salesperson must listen carefully in order to select the
best features of the product you will present to the
customer. Questions like “Is this for a special
occasion?” or “What features are your looking
for?” or “Do you have a favorite color/style?” will
help you determine the customer’s needs/wants.
If you are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs, this can help you find the motivation behind
a customer’s potential purchase.
8. STEP 4—Feature/Benefit Presentation
When you speak to a customer, you must tell
them how the product will be an advantage
to them. Having the product demonstrated is
also a good way to show its uses.
A good salesperson studies everything about
the products he sells. A lot of thought is put
into knowing the features of each product.
Simply telling a customer a feature, though,
will not suffice. Many salespeople spent
time thinking up ways to tell a customer a
feature in terms of how it will benefit him.
This is called giving the customer the
“Benefit” of the product.
9. Take a feature, change it into a benefit, and
say it to a customer.
Example:
Feature--A 22 inch computer monitor
Benefit—“Have you ever strained your eyes
on one of those small 15 inch computer monitors. This one
has a 22 inch viewing screen which will make it so much
easier for you to view your documents.”
Doesn’t this statement make more sense? It gives the
customer something to think about.
10. STEP 5—Handling Customer
Objections
When you hear the word “objection,” your first
instinct is of something negative. To a
salesperson an objection is a good thing.
It tells the salesperson that a customer is
interested.
An example of an objection is a customer saying,
“I really don’t like black.” To overcome this
objection, a salesperson might say,
“Oh, this sweaters comes in many other
colors. Let me show you the red ones
(or blue ones, etc.)”
11. Excuses
An excuse is not an objection. When a customer gives a
salesperson an excuse, he is saying he is not really interested
in buying today. A professional salesperson will recognize
excuses over objections and realize he needs to move on to
the next customer.
An example of an excuse is “I’ll have to think about it,” or “I
can’t afford it” or “I never buy before I shop around.” “I
can’t afford it” may be viewed as an objection, and a
salesperson may describe a line of credit available to the
customer. Generally, though, when you hear an excuse,
finish up with the customer quickly and move on.
12. STEP 6—Closing
the Sale
The close of a sale may come along at any
step of a sale. As soon as a salesperson senses a strong,
positive desire for the product, he should begin the close.
Clues to a salesperson to start closing may be visual, like a
customer nodding “yes” to you or it could be verbal. If the
salesperson has completed all steps, he may then need to
force the close by saying something like, “Will that be
cash or charge?” or “Would you
like to have this gift-wrapped?” or
“Do you want the red one or the
black one?”
13. STEP 7—Suggestion Selling and
Reassurance
Suggestion selling is the process of selling customers
an item to go with their purchase. How often have you
purchased a hamburger sandwich at a quick-serve store
and were asked, “Would you like fries with your
order?” Have you ever made a purchase of a pair of
pants and was asked, “Would you like some
matching socks (or a belt or a blouse/shirt) to go
with your pants?” This is suggestion selling. Its
purpose is to increase the total of the final sale and
every business relies heavily on it.
Suggestion Selling
14. Reassurance
Reassuring the customer that he has made a wise decision
is also a very important step in a sale. This also may be
the appropriate time to hand the customer a business card
and tell them to call if they have any questions.
Some businesses will send cards or call a customer after a
sale to reassure them and/or answer any of their
questions.
