Did you know that everyone you meet is involved in sales?
You might not make your living by actually selling products or services; you may sell ideas and concepts as a manager or leader; you may teach students; you might run a charitable organization that depends on fundraising; or you may be a consumer and buy products, services, and/or make donations.
I believe sales and selling should be about providing value and being a good salesperson is a learned skill. Done well sales can be a rewarding experience regardless of which side of a transaction you may find yourself. This post isn’t directed at salespeople; this post is for consumers and clients of salespeople. It’s about why you should always look for an exceptional customer service experience every time you go to market, whether in person, on the phone, or online.
Providing an exceptional customer service experience should be the primary goal of everyone when selling anything from making a donation to buying a car. When you make a donation, you want to feel good knowing how your money is and that the organization and its people are compassionate, appreciative, and helpful. When you purchase a new appliance you want value, you want to trust your sales associate, and you want to feel you were listened to, respected, and thanked for your business. If you don’t feel that “vibe” then take your money and business elsewhere.
Expect a sales process that is interactive and should help solve your reason for going to market. Great salespeople are not just lucky. They provide value by listening, responding, and inquiring by following six basic steps.
Salespeople who create an exceptional customer service experience want to greet you and make you feel welcome. They want to learn who you are and what you are looking for. Whether you are new to the market or know exactly what you want they will help you by building rapport and asking you questions by being friendly, genuine, and interested in you and your needs.
Good salespeople do not use pressure tactics, good salespeople will ask you qualifying questions to identify what you are looking for and listen to your concerns. Every buyer is motivated by one of five things, security -> you want to buy from someone you trust; utility -> you need something now and you know this store sells those products and will likely have them in stock; savings -> you are a shopper who likes to find deals, the savings is key regardless of high or low pricing of quality; pleasure -> you are a person who likes nice things and is prepared to satisfy that desire regardless of price; and prestige, you like nice things and you like to show off. By asking questions good salespeople use qualification to best match what you have said you want to what is available.
When a good salesperson has learned about you and what you are looking for, they will use that knowledge to demonstrate options for you to make an informed decision. This knowledge, your customer “keys” and asking even more questions will help you find what will meet your needs and desires the best.
Don’t be surprised by the next step in the process, they will “Ask for the sale.” If you are not ready or not convinced, tell them; they will expect you may have objections and understand you may want more answers before committing. Good salespeople have a vested interest in making sure you are happy and that your experience is exceptional. We all have buying signals that indicate we are ready to make a decision, as a consumer only make this decision when you are ready.
A good salesperson will explain everything you need to enjoy your purchase, if something has to be ordered they will give you their best estimated time of arrival. They will review the transaction with you, and provide you with a copy, and the very best ones will stay in touch until your purchase is delivered or picked up. They will do what they said they would do and you should never have to call them about delays because they will be proactive. This after-sale service is what really sets them apart and completes your exceptional customer service experience. Expect a good salesperson to follow up to ensure you are happy with your purchase and will resolve any issues promptly. Good salespeople will ask permission to call about upcoming sales and events because they want to help you in the future.
Good salespeople are attentive. They are not pushy, loud, or obnoxious; they are interested, always ask permission, listen and think before asking more questions, they are handy without being “in your space,” and they don’t get distracted from you by their co-workers or their cell phones. Good salespeople use their knowledge to help you make an informed decision that will be the best for your circumstances.
Good salespeople appreciate your patronage. You should feel welcome, you are not an interruption to their day, you are the reason why they are present that day. Even if you do not buy their products, services, or ideas; they will thank you sincerely for visiting. If you make a purchase, they may even ask permission to help you when you are ready to “go to market” the next time.
Good salespeople know they must provide “value” to be successful. Competition and level playing fields are common in every sector of our world; what makes the difference is the value individuals provide. The ability to articulate, and demonstrate the appropriate value and knowledge, in response to qualification, education, and demonstration will help you make your best decision.
Good salespeople are proactive. How many times have you experienced a salesperson who doesn’t really use the six steps walking you through their entire store and then thrust a card at you asking you to call if you have any questions? I have seen customers more confused when they leave stores like this than when they came in. A good salesperson realizes they should ask permission to follow up, they want to give you individual attention based on your wants and needs, and they will follow up with you by using initiative to help you.
Good salespeople are honest, have integrity, and are trustworthy. Try not to make purchases from a salesperson who denigrates their competition to “sell” you, a good salesperson will explain the features, advantages, and benefits of why their products and services are a better match for your needs. Additionally, good salespeople will give you their best efforts regardless of why you are visiting their store, for example, they will walk you to their service department rather than just pointing a finger at you.
Good salespeople are always learning. Markets, products, and services are always changing, improving, and becoming more complicated. Ask your salesperson what they do to stay current, their answer will likely include factory training, role-playing, e-learning, seminars, tutorials, and hands-on training.
Good salespeople are dedicated to providing you with the best environment possible. If you could see before the store opens, you will find salespeople doing floor walks, checking to ensure everything is working, straightening tags, vacuuming and dusting, looking and learning about new products, following up with customers, answering online inquiries, checking on orders, the best salespeople are committed to you.
Good salespeople understand and learn from and about their competition. To be successful, awareness of competing options is vital, if you ask about a competitor, expect they will be helpful and may even have their ads posted for you to see. They will also be able to share, as part of the education phase of their sales conversation with you, the relevant competitive advantages about why you should choose them when you make an informed decision.
Good salespeople provide the same exceptional service to online and phone inquiries. Although the medium is different, good salespeople will call rather than email because they want to benefit from the interactive relationship that phones offer that emails don’t. Tone and inflection are impossible to read in a text or email. They will use the same six steps and help you, as always, to make the most informed decision possible while leaving you with a “wow” exceptional customer service experience.
Being a good salesperson is difficult, there is much to learn, and their income depends entirely on their abilities and the customers they meet. However, being a good salesperson is also an incredibly rewarding career choice. The best salespeople I know are always early, they enjoy people and helping people, they genuinely care about the job they do, and they truly want you to have an exceptional experience dealing with them.
Look for these skills, abilities, and attitudes when you “go to market,” if your experience is anything less than exceptional, try someone else, as a customer, you deserve nothing less.
Good luck,
Paul.