Tall Tales in the Retail World: Sales and Management Training

I am a vertically enhanced female which I normally see as a benefit, except when I am trying to buy clothing. Most of the clothing options for women do not come with a choice for inseam or length. This often leaves me in the dressing room wondering if I can pull of this dress being too short or do these jeans look like capris or a fashion faux pas. I am stuck in a world in which one-height-fits-all in ladies fashion.

Having been in customer service, it is hard for me to choke down being the customer without the service. I take long deep breaths and bite my tongue, as a salesperson rolls their eyes at me for taking outfit after outfit back to the changing room and still coming out empty handed. To that salesperson, I am just a statistic and one in which there is a diminishing ratio of time spent in service over amount of commission made. At that moment, I am no longer a person but some retail catch phrase.

A few years ago, I was afforded the unique opportunity to attend and complete a course on being a hostage. The focus on this training was how to increase the survivability ratio. The training was in-depth and extensive, but if I had to boil it down to one concept that seemed to improve survivability…make yourself a real person! It is difficult to dismiss someone you can relate to and to your captive, psychologically it is more difficult to kill someone they have a connection to.

As a perspective buyer, I refuse to be held hostage by retail nomenclature. I am a person and deserve to be treated as such. In order to gain this level of respect, I start off each buying experience with making myself real to the salesperson. I use the salesperson’s name. I treat the salesperson as my equal and with the same respect I wish to have them bestow on me. I look for talk points on things we might have in common. I ask questions, listen and entertain their advice. Even if they cannot help me, I give them the opportunity to point me in another direction and thank them for their assistance. I demonstrate to the salesperson that I am a person and a potential buyer.

If you want to be known for providing the best in customer service, flip the script! In management and sales performance training, teach your team how to connect with prospects and avoid the pitfall of seeing a potential buyer as just another catch phrase or statistic. When your sales and management teams are connected to someone, it is difficult to disregard their feelings because they are now seen as an equal. A salesperson or sales manager can now relate to this person as if they stood in those very same shoes. The ability to relate must occur before the sales can be made.

Most decisions to purchase are connected to some level of emotion. Therefore, building a relationship is the key to building trust. If your team is vested in their emotion, they are no longer engaging in a one-size-fits-all sales process. Being able to custom fit the sales experience to the prospect not only increases the likelihood of closing the sale, but also the potential for continued business and referrals.

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Comment by Stephanie Young on August 31, 2011 at 12:50pm: Relationships are something everyone can relate to......makes the concept real when you can relate it to something a person can or has experienced. Now, what am I going to do with you two witty, follicle challenged closers???? (smile)

Comment by Fran Taylor on August 31, 2011 at 12:50pm: You have a great way telling a story. I'll stick to training. Good point about selling. As a sales person I never really gave a thought of be respectful or being pushy. I just automatically did my job which is what you are saying. I was so gun ho that I thought everyone I talked to was buying today because of what I had to offer. I really believe if you become an expert at being extra nice people bill buy from you and trust you more. This attitude helped me sell an awful lot of cars. Love the dating tips. When does that start????

Comment by Jim Kristoff on August 31, 2011 at 12:48pm: Marsh...I am sure you just go and "re-close" her all the time...

;-)))

Comment by Jim Kristoff on August 31, 2011 at 12:47pm: BAM!

Marsh hits it on the head again!

Closers = follicle challenged!

BAM!

Comment by Marsh Buice on August 31, 2011 at 12:46pm: @ Jim, I closed my wife...but I think she wants to rollback LOLLOL

Comment by Marsh Buice on August 31, 2011 at 12:44pm: You RANG???? LOL!! Great analogy Stephanie, turned your Canned presentation into a Cannot..Cannot forget the presentation you just WOW'd them with. Treat it like a marriage not a one-night stand...sorry for the one-track mind analogy :)

Comment by Stephanie Young on August 31, 2011 at 12:37pm: Jim, I think BC and I might be spending too much time on our locks and not enough time closing like you and Marsh. : ) Closers!!!! LOL

Comment by Stephanie Young on August 31, 2011 at 12:36pm: Thanks, Tony!!! Great day to you too.

Comment by Tony Provost on August 31, 2011 at 12:16pm: Stephanie- great job! Great salesman always improvise, keeping the customers interests first and foremost! INTEGRITY and SINCERITY, must always be present. Have a good day!

Comment by Jim Kristoff on August 31, 2011 at 11:39am: I am married also....

What Marsh and I lack in the "hair" department....we make up in closing abilities!!

BAM!