Sales Truths: It Takes One To Know One

Published

15 years ago

May 5, 2009

Dave Richardson

WHY IT’S TRUE
A customer leaves having engaged with a staff member but purchased nothing.

PLAN OF ACTION
To get in touch with the feelings of a customer, ask your sales staff to do this: Visit the one store they absolutely hate (non-restaurant or jewelry) and make note of three factors contributing to that. Visit a store they absolutely love and make note of three specific factors that encourage them to want to return to that store over and over again. Share these results during a store meeting, and then have them in groups of two, slowly walk the interior and exterior of your store carefully noting three customer turn-ons and three turnoffs. All of a sudden, fingerprints on the counter or small pieces of lint on the floor will become magnified, and the appearance of your store will dramatically change.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”