WHEN WAS THE last time that you felt really important walking into a retail store — in fact, you felt so important to them that you wanted to say even longer?
Something that I’m hearing from people across the country is that they’re frustrated that when they go shopping, they walk into a store and there’s nobody to greet them or welcome them in. What’s worse is when you have to walk around to find somebody to help you with something you need.
What makes a client feel important isn’t the inventory or the location or the marketing — it’s you. The experience you deliver will make the client feel important or not.
I walked into a high-end store recently, and two young ladies close to the front door looked at me, then each other, then me, then each other, like “Are you going to wait on him?” I was interrupting them doing nothing! I said, “Since neither of you want to help me, I’ll take care of myself.”
You’ve heard it said you only get one chance to make a first impression. A client will decide in the first 30 seconds or so if they’re going to stay and give you their money. They remember the first 30 seconds and the last 30 seconds in a presentation more than the middle.
My first “absolute” of selling is the “sweet spot” must be covered. You’re ready to open a door for them if they need it, but you’re actually ready to give a great experience. I often hear people say they’re too busy to stand in the sweet spot. What an awful excuse to not wait on a client when they come in. Busy work can wait.
Advertisement
You shouldn’t greet customers from the back or from your point of sale. When someone comes to your home, you greet at the front door., so treat your store like you’re at home. There’s nothing more important than your client.
My second “absolute” of selling is to deliver a friendly greeting. When’s the last time you went shopping that they smiled at you and you could tell they were glad you came in?
If the client knows you really care, you can build a relationship that lasts for a long time. And you can build a business within somebody else’s business. You don’t have to buy a building or pay for marketing; your store owner has already done that. They’re coming in to give you their money. They chose you. So, to make them feel really important, make it all about them.
Ask them relationship questions. Get to know their names. Find out important events in their lives, their kids’ names, what they do, what their hobbies are. Find out if they love dogs and so on. The more you make it about them, the more you will build a business within a business. Not only that, but they’ll also send in their friends to see you.
The longer you’re there and working on your own personal business, you can have 5, 10 or 15 clients every day coming in asking for you just because you made them feel important. The first time you close them is the hardest, the second time is easier, the third is even easier, and the fourth time, they’ll come in and talk, see how you’re doing and buy from you. Sometimes, they’ll call, ask for you and request a particular type of item — and if you have one, they’ll say, “Wrap it up and I’ll come get it.” They ‘ll trust you so much that they’ll know you’re picking the right one for them.
You’re in the relationship business first, jewelry second.
Advertisement
What kind of relationships have you built with your clients? Do you just close them once and forget about them? Where are you greeting from? Are you hiding or waiting for somebody else to wait on the client because you’re pre-judging? What’s your attitude like? Can the client tell you’re glad they came in, or can they tell you really don’t want to wait on them?
Everyone should be greeted like a millionaire, even if they only make $30,000, because they’ll remember that experience. The more you make a client feel important, the more they will trust you with their personal purchases. The more you wow, the more they’ll remember that forever, and you planetd a seed for a high-ticket sale in the future. This holiday season, if you make it all about them, the closing ratio goes up, add-on sales go up, and so will your sales total!
