Hello and welcome to this Spoken Tutorial on Interacting with the customer.
In this tutorial we will learn
the communication skills required for effective selling
to improve listening and questioning skills
the steps required to sell merchandise to a customer
to demonstrate and promote handsets on display
influence the walk-in customers to buy the product.
For an effective communication, the Store Promoter has to focus on four important things. They are:
Understanding the customer’s communication style
Clarity in communication
The Art of Listening
The Art of Asking Questions
So, let's begin with a typical scene at a store.
A customer walks in and begins to browse through the display counter.
What should a Promoter do at this time?
First, allow the customer to see the products and examine them on their own.
At least for 2 mins, the Promoter should not interrupt or disturb the customer in between.
Tolerating silences means giving time to customers to feel comfortable after they enter the store.
Now the Promoter can open the sales call.
The Promoter should indicate sincere interest in helping customers satisfy their needs.
This can start with a SMILE.
And a simple question such as *“What kind of phone you are looking for?” OR
“Are you looking for a particular brand of phone?”
When communicating, it is a good habit to switch to the customer’s preferred language.
For eg: if the customer is speaking in Hindi, communicate in Hindi.
At all times, the Promoter must not let the customers feel uncomfortable.
Direct eye contact and hand movements help the customer to feel at ease.
Good voice and speech habits are critical at this stage.
Starting with simple questions, will facilitate the customer to give helpful information to you.
The Promoter always needs to listen carefully to the customer.
If a customer says he wants a “fancy” phone, find out what “fancy” means to that customer.
This is called “active listening”.
One way to demonstrate “active listening” is to repeat or paraphrase what customer has already said.
This creates a positive image in the mind of the customer.
The Promoter can also ask questions like-
What do you use your phone for?
What are the features you looking for in a phone?
What is your budget for the phone?
Do you prefer touch screen phones or qwerty keypad phones?
Features, advantages and benefits help the customers to “see” the merchandise better.
Features are a product’s qualities or characteristics.
Customers buy benefits, not only features.
The Promoter can guide the customer to the right product which will satisfy his needs.
He/she can clearly tell which of the needs expressed by the customer will be satisfied by the product.
So, the Promoter can greatly help in identifying the type of product the customer is looking for.
For Eg: All products available in the price range or brand the customer is considering.
Questions like:
How the customer plans to use the phone?
Whether the mobile is for self or is a gift for someone else?
Help in quickly narrowing down the options.
Sometimes, the customers have reservations about buying a product.
This may be because he or she isn’t satisfied with
the price,
the product,
the store and its service,
or the Store Promoter.
Reassurance works better than pressure with indecisive customers.
The best approach for handling reservations is to relax and listen.
Allow customers to verbalize their feelings completely and then respond.
First, agree that the customer’s reaction isn’t unusual.
Then proceeds to turn the objection into a benefit.
Price reservations are best handled with a two-step approach.
First, the Store Promoter should try to look at the reservations from the customer’s viewpoint.
For eg- the Promoter can ask
“Are you aware of other brands which have a similar model at a lower price?” OR
“You say you saw this model at a lower price in another store.
Can you please tell me if it was the same model with same features?”
Remember, all customers want to buy a less expensive product.
But customers will pay a higher price when additional benefits are pointed out to them.
Such as- durability of the product
Service provided by the store
Credit availability
Return policy
The assortment that enables a customer to purchase an entire outfit in one store.
The second way to handle reservations is by suggesting products with a lower price.
How can the Store Promoter know that the customer is ready to buy?
Buying signals are verbal or nonverbal communications from customers indicating they’re ready to buy.
Facial expressions often show when a customer isn’t ready to buy.
Customers who frown or seem to be puzzled., may be indicating they aren’t thoroughly sold on the merchandise.
Customers’ nonverbal signals that indicate a Store Promoter should attempt to make a sale include:
Resisting a Store Promoter’s attempt to move merchandise out of the way.
Intently studying or re-examining the merchandise, handling it, and looking at it from different angles.
Smiling or appearing to be excited when looking at the item.
Handling or using a product for the second or third time.
Closing a sale occurs when the seller and buyer agree to the conditions of the sale
and the buyer makes a firm commitment to the transaction.
Closing the sale should be a natural ending of the sales process.
Throughout the sales process, leverage the technique of the “trial close”.
This will ensure that you have the customer’s buy-in at the end of the sales call.
Examples of “trial close” are -
“Sir, are you confident about your choice?”
“Shall I demonstrate all the features once again?”
Using the trial close near the end of a meeting gives you control over the sales process.
Now phrase the“closing question”:
“Shall I take this product for billing?”
OR “Will you pay by cash or card?”
OR “Will you make a complete payment or you want to avail the instalment scheme?”
Ask only one question at a time and wait for the customer's response.
There will always be some tension in the moment when a question is asked.
Wait patiently till the customer thinks and answers.
Thank the buyer,
Reassure them that they have made a great choice
And move on to discuss service, etc.
If the customer is undecided, then listen to the buyer.
And ensure that the lines of communication stay open.
That way the Store Promoter will develop goodwill in the customer's eyes.
The customer may not make a purchase this time.
But will return the next time when they want to buy.
It is increasingly important for Store Promoter to build long-term relationships with customers so they’ll return to the store.
Goodwill is the value of customers’ feeling or attitude toward the retailer and Store Promoter.
Methods for building goodwill include:
Keeping the customer’s interest paramount,
Reaffirming the customer’s judgment,
Ensuring proper use of the merchandise,
Handling customer complaints and
Providing “above and beyond” service.
After the purchasing of products comes the billing process.
Billing process is required to transit customer smoothly from the sale counter to the billing counter.
Effective Sales Promoters suggest additional items before the sales transaction is completed.
Pushing for add-on sales is the responsibility of the sales Promoter, as he/she is the one who interacts with the customer.
Such items usually compliment the main product.
For example, Extended warranties, extra batteries, extra storage, covers, accessories, etc.
Assure the customer that the add-on items are really helpful items.
Finally proceed the billing.
After billing, hand-over the product in its casing along with all the add-on items to the customer...with a smile!
With this will come to the end of the tutorial
Let us summarize
In this tutorial we learn how to listen actively and to communicate with the customer
Handle customer's doubts and objections and
Influnce the customer to buy the product and addon items
The video at the following link summarises the Spoken Tutorial Project.
Please download and watch it.
The Spoken Tutorial Team conducts workshops and gives certificates to those who pass our online tests. For details, please write to us.
Spoken Tutorial Project is funded by NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.
This tutorial has been created exclusively for the Telecom Sector Skill Council. This is Nancy Varkey from IIT Bombay signing off. Thanks for watching.