Sales Truths: The First Person To Suggest a Discount Is Usually a Salesperson

Published

15 years ago

July 2, 2008

Dave Richardson

What we know about how you sell

TRUTH #1

THE FIRST PERSON TO SUGGEST A DISCOUNT IS USUALLY A SALEPERS

WHY IT’S TRUE: In many stores, salespeople are authorized to give a maximum discount of 10% or 15%, when necessary, to close a sale. And when salespeople take the path of least resistance, guess what happens? The majority, if not all, of the sales are closed at that discount.

PLAN OF ACTION: If you have a commission-based pay system, tie commissions into the sales price. If the piece is sold at the full price, then the salesperson should get a full commission. If discounted, cut the commission rate.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”