After studying Management (with a heavy emphasis on retail) at my beloved Indiana State University, I realized that no matter how important books are to us, nothing beats real World experience. Once I conquered my Sales Leadership role in the retail industry, I set out to search for a career where I would be rewarded for my hard work. I soon discovered that the skills I learned in school, coupled with those of retail, would give me great competitive edge in outside sales.
When selling anything, inside or outside, upside-down or sideways, I realized that the most important thing when teaching sales can’t be taught in a book. People buy from people they feel comfortable around. Potential customers buy from somebody who makes them laugh, smile and feel good about themselves. It’s hard to teach, and it was pretty natural for me, but the day I stopped “selling” and starting “helping” was the day my career(s) turned for the better.
I soon used these same innate skills to become a top-ranked outside sales professional in the advertising and marketing field. It’s simple. I call it comfort salesmanship.
I coined the phrase from learning how to sell men clothing (who typically hate to shop, but only do it out of necessity). I soon doubled my store’s volume by figuring out the more comfortable I made men feel, the less “salesy” that I was, the better they responded and bought. That was it. And it all starts with the approach…
What is the first thing a customer is asked when walking into any store? Yes, you guessed it-“Can I help you find anything?” And the typical response is? “No, I’m just looking.” Do most people come into a shopping center to just window shop? Doubtful. They are there for something, and a great salesperson will figure out what that something is. The trick, is getting to the root.
Sales is simple psychology and if we already know that the person is there for something, then why not greet the customer with a big smile and give them something useful. Explain what they are looking at. Offer a suggestion based on what they are wearing, or what you think they would need. Observe their body language after that and make them feel comfortable to want to ask you for help. Stay busy and be thinking of your next step, but be useful. Be confident and make the person feel comfortable.
My approach is simple but tactful. Nobody wants to be “sold something”-so don’t do it. Stand out from everybody else, whether it be in the store that you work in, or your career in the field. You have 10-30 seconds to make a great first impression and to capture the attention of the soon to be customer. Make them feel comfortable around you and you will win a lot of friends, which will in turn, make them come back as loyal customers.
I ask you this. What separates you from your competition, in whatever industry you serve? People buy emotionally, so make them feel comfortable in those first few seconds, and you will do just fine.