Over the last
one week, I have had occasion to observe three wonderful and unique salespersons in
action; each selling a different product and each ensuring that the buying experience
was extra ordinary. I have been immensely impressed with each of them. As the
products were being sold to the person I was with, I had the unique opportunity
to completely observe and imbibe their selling strategies. If I were to analyse
each of these three experiences, three lessons have been driven home to me.
1. Story telling as a way of customer
engagement:
The first pit stop - A branded store
renowned for its premium and luxury writing pens.
The requirement - A fountain pen
I
almost gave this store a miss, and was egged into the store by my companion. I
cry myself hoarse in retail training sessions that story telling is a means of
capturing the customer’s interest. I saw it in action and made me a firm
believer. Little known stories of brands that I can scarce pronounce, let alone
afford. However it got me interested enough to take a tour of the store for
myself. The best part: the stories of the luxury/ premium brands did not stop when
it was clear that our intention to purchase stopped with pens of very nominal
value i.e. nominal for the store, not for us.
Do those stories have drawing power to take me back to the store? Definitely
yes. This master story teller cast a sensory spell around the experience of
something as mundane as purchasing a writing pen, elevating the buying experience
to a few notches above the ordinary to the extra ordinary.
2. Patience:
The
second pit stop - a regular footwear store
The
requirement - A pair of formal shoes
Having
been disillusioned by the choices available and the salespersons in some of the
branded stores offering formal shoes, we decided to take a chance in this store.
What we received was painstaking patience on the part of the salesperson. Pair
after pair of shoes brought out to try on, till the right comfort, fit and
looks were obtained. He never gave up in the face of the customer’s exacting requirements.
Always offering more choices, even if it meant getting them from the backroom.
Only to be rewarded by the smile of a satisfied customer who has finally got
the product of his desires.
Would I
return to the store? A resounding yes: I felt a valued customer.
3. Understanding customer needs & communicating
product benefits to suit the needs:
The third pit stop – a leading branded
sports footwear store
The requirement - A pair of running/ walking
shoes
This
master salesperson sold us a pair of premium running shoes, at a price which
was double of what we had in mind. How did he do this?
- First he understood the customer’s requirements for the shoe. Then he offered a vast range of choices: about 5-6 at least.
- Secondly, he took just one shoe design, explained 3 unique features and their benefits. He linked these benefits to the customer’s requirement for the shoe.T
- Thirdly, he never downgraded any of the other shoe designs. Only pointed out different benefits of each, ultimately ending in how this particular shoe design is so unique and so suited to the customer.
Needless
to say, we were sold. Never mind that we had just exceeded our budgeted price
by double.
Would I want to return to this
store? Yes, since I know that the salesperson is confident and knowledge about
his products and is not selling for selling sake, he is selling what the
customer needs.
Three different stores, three different
salesperson, three different learning’s to take home. Each with the potential
to elevate a regular purchase to the level of an extraordinary sensory experience
for the customer.
