Salesman Strategy
The thing is, I don’t want to be sold to when I walk into a store.
I want to be welcomed.
I want to be welcomed.
First and most importantly, you need to realize that you aren’t necessarily selling an item, you’re providing stellar customer service, if you can adequately provide this an item should sell itself. Interacting with a customer when they first walk into the store is vital. A simple “hello,” followed by the sales colors for the week will let a customer know that they are important to you. Secondly, finding out what a customer wants is also very important. What are their pain points? What’s their price range? This is where having an understanding of item inventory is key. Take a walk with them, ask them how their day is, ask them how they heard about us, ask what their plans are with the item they are interested in purchasing. If the price of a certain item is an issue, speak with the manager. There are a few things to take into account when negotiating the price of an item with a customer:
- How long has the item been on the sales floor?
- How likely are we to see an item like it again?
- Do we have more of this item scheduled to come in via pickup?
- Where should I start out when it comes to price reduction?
As you can tell, communication is the best tool we have when it comes to our sales strategy, communication with the customer and with the manager. We try to stick to our price reduction structure as much as possible, but we are willing to negotiate pricing if an item has sat through a price reduction cycle or we need to clear space for incoming donations. A good rule of thumb is to start out with a 10% discount, which covers the taxes. Anything more than that requires a manager’s approval. Over time, as you become more comfortable with customer interaction and become more familiar with product and trends, you will be able to sell ice to an Eskimo!