Sales Truths: The Most Important Skill is Opening the Sale

Published

16 years ago

July 2, 2008

Dave Richardson

font-family : Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size : 15px;color: #333333;font-weight : bold;17. The most important sales skill isn’t closing the sale ? it’s opening it.

WHY IT’S TRUE
A friendly greeting makes the customer more open to listening to you. A good salesperson knows that the customer is buying as opposed to being sold. Many customers find jewelry stores to be intimidating. Salespeople who understand this discomfort can reduce the tension.

PLAN OF ACTION
There are many good ways to open a sale: Greet customers with a firm handshake, listen for their name and say it throughout the sale. Make eye contact, smile and actively listen to what they are saying by nodding your head and asking open-ended questions to encourage a response. Whenever possible, greet customers by walking around to their side of the counter.

Actively listen to what customers are saying, respond to their questions, and you may not have to worry about closing … they will close themselves.

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”