Successful Salesperson this ? is for you!?

Question

Tell me the # 1 approach you use in retail sells, and why it works. Also, tell me the #1 thing not to do in retail sells.

I really need to increase my sells I work in a store where we sell home decor and gifts.

Answer 1

Smile and know your products. Don't be pushy.

Answer 2

In a retail store that has specific lines, people who come through the door have already done most of your work for you. They would not be in your store if they were not at least slightly interested in buying. So your job to is be informative without being intrusive, to be helpful while still being savvy enough to read whether the customer wants to be left alone for a while to make his/her selections on his/her own.

Upsells are just as important as the original sale. Many customers will appreciate an obvious sincere attempt to sell accessories that really will work with the original item. However, if the upsell attempt is crass, untactful, or if you are pushing something not useful to the customer, then the customer has every right to be annoyed.

In short, being highly informed about your merchandise and being super friendly without being smarmy will usually get the job done in a retail environment where the customer has already arrived at the point of sale. It is much more difficult in other marketing situations, because the customer might not be at the point of sale, but in retail the customer has already taken the plunge. Your job is to satisfy the customer's immediate needs, upsell if possible, and make sure the customer receives the kind of service that will bring him/her back so you can sell again. A $20 sale every month for a year is much better than a one-time $100 sale.

I would also remind you that repeated national surveys show that one of the most common errors made in smaller retail stores is for entering customers not to be greeted. If you are with another customer, how will it hurt to say to an entering customer (with a smile), "Hi, be with you in a few minutes, please look around!"? It won't ---- and it will make him feel welcome. Larger department stores, etc. are different, but for smaller stores that must beat Wal-Mart, Target, etc, a big part of what you are selling is personal service, personal friendliness, personal knowledge. And most of all....sincerity... when was the last time you felt that a Wal-Mart employee sincerely hoped you would return soon? Never take your customers for granted....thank them, look them in the eye, and act like you mean it. Whenever that cash register rings, guess what? The boss just bought something from you.

Answer 3

be an optimist and try to think positively ,first be nice to you customers ,second offer or suggest the best quality and ask them what they need, third make them feel happy about what they taking. do not push the customer to buy something that it doesn't need and don try outsmart them and take classes in marketing

Answer 4

To be successful in sales, you need to match the customer with the best possible product or service available to serve their needs.
Start with a friendly greeting and an offer to direct them.
Ask leading questions about what they might be looking for, ask them to describe the room in which the item(s) will be going. Ask them about color schemes and style. Once they have given you some clues, repeat back a short version of their request to be sure you have it correct and to show you are actively listening to them.
If possible, ask about budget. If someone is willing to spend $25 on something, they may be put off if you show them a $5 item in the beginning. Conversely, if they have a $5 budget, showing them the $25 item first may intimidate them.
Walk them to items that you think may fill those needs and describe how they may be used to freshen up their look or how they will integrate with what's already in their room.
Suggest some creative ways the item may be used or show any extra features the item has.
Judge their reaction. By their comments, you might shift to another item. Show how adding this item to these items would improve their room. Ask for feedback.
When you start getting positive feedback, then you have to ask if they would like further items and start the process over. (If they like something, and it is in the budget, you work on the assumption it is going home with them and try to add to the sale.)
The client will give you clues about when they have finished or reached their limit. This is when you start trying to close the sale.
BE SURE to get their names and contact information and ask if you can find something for them or call them when something else comes in that may work with their rooms. (Make a note card for each client in this way, along with what sorts of things they bought and liked and keep track of them.) Call clients before big holidays and at season changes and describe things you have on hand or coming that would suit the occassion and work with the things they have bought previously. The better the notecards, the better your sales will be.
If your store allows, offer to deliver the items the client likes along with a few other things to fill-in any gaps. (Take double what you think you will need.)
Take them to the client's home, unwrap them, and place them in the room. Hang pictures, arrange items on shelves, being careful to integrate existing items with new ones. Arrange accessories on the tables. Light lamps, fluff pillows etc., like you were doing everything to the nth degree. Once it is finished, ask for the client's reaction. If it is positive, use your inventory list to give her a total and ask for payment. If she is unsure, offer to take a check (or credit card imprint,) and hold it till the next day.
Call her the next day and ask for a reaction. If there are some things that she doesn't want, go pick them up, wrap them, check them off you list and give her a re-vised total. If she can see how much better her room looks with your decor arranged properly, she will buy much more than she will just walking through your store. (Rooms eat accessories and most clients don't know how to visualize things.)
Keep a card file of clients and their likes and dislikes. As new merchandise comes in, go through your list and see who would like it. Call them as quickly as possible to give them the first opportunity at the new merchandise. Once people start to trust your taste and suggestions, they will sometimes buy sight unseen on your recommendation.
To hone your taste level, (as opposed to trying to sell what you like personally,) subscribe to several good interior design magazines and study the pictures. Look how the designers use color, texture, color, light, pattern, etc. Try to emulate their work.
Keep a list of things that people request that you don't have and pass it along to your manager or buyer. They may resist in the beginning, but as a sales person, you are the one talking with clients and the buyer needs your feedback in order to buy the things most likely to sell.
Make contacts with people like yourself in allied businesses who sell merchandise or services that your company doesn't offer--maybe a florist or someone who sells rugs or window treatments and offer to refer clients to them if they will refer clients to you. When a client mentions a need in one of those areas, pass along the other companies' name along with a contact and a phone number. Then call your buddy at the other company and tell them you gave Mrs. X their name so they will know that sale came from you. (Don't give out contact information, a name and what the client needs is plenty.) Whenever you get a referral from one of them, be sure to call and thank them. If it is a really big sale, offer to buy them lunch. DO NOT offer them a monetary reward for referrals. If a client learns you are giving or receiving "kickbacks" you will completely and justifibly lose their confidence.
A couple of days after you have closed or delivered a big sale, call the client and ask if they are pleased with their purchase. If so, offer to find/bring something additional. If something is not right, broken or not suitable, you have the opportunity to correct the problem, return, exchange, repair, etc. This will show the client you are interested in service and in pleasing them. You will show yourself to be creative and trust worthy. And if a client expresses how pleased they are with you, ask them to pass your name along to friends.
Finally, selling home decor may not be as financially rewarding as selling other high end products. If you can prove you have excellent sales, communication, and customer service skills, you can move to selling other products--cars, real estate, etc.