Shane Decker

Think Fast, Then React

Analyze your presentation while the customer is still in front of you and your closing ratio will go up.

Published

15 years ago

September 21, 2009

Shane Decker Instore October 2009 Issue

YOU’VE REACHED the end of your presentation. You think you’ve done everything right. But the customer must not agree, because you’re not able to close the sale.

Think fast. You owe it to yourself, your store, and most important, your customer to take a hard look at what you’ve done, discern where you’ve fallen short, and try again to close the sale. Ask yourself this series of questions:

Did I thoroughly romance the item being sold?
Did I handle and close all of the customer’s objections?
Did I ask enough relationship questions and get to know the customer?
Did I close properly throughout the presentation?
Did I ask enough sale-specific questions?
Did I romance the reason they came in and make it a bigger deal than they thought it was?
Did I cover all the points in the anatomy of the sale?
Did I sell company benefits throughout the presentation to give people peace of mind and freedom from risk?
Has the customer’s experience been unforgettable?
Does the customer have a chocolate chip cookie and cup of coffee in his hand?
Am I the right sales associate for the customer’s personality?
Am I showing the customer what he wants, or what I want him to have?
Did I get him to laugh?
Did I discuss price at the right time and say it correctly (never say “thousands,” “hundreds” or “dollars”)?
Was the item being sold in the client’s hand or on his person during the presentation and when I told him the price?
Did I offer a negotiation before one was needed?
Did I exude professionalism, self confidence and product knowledge throughout the presentation?

If your answer to any of these questions is incorrect, it’s time to redo that part of your presentation.

Learn how to analyze your own presentation, uncover what you’ve left out, and your closing ratio will go up.

This story is from the October 2009 edition of INSTORE.

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.”