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

16 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.

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.