Rapport in selling - creating impact in Corona times

Lockdowns, Shelter in place, Janata curfew, Social distancing- all bywords of these corona times. With upward spiraling Covid-19 positive cases across the world, organisations and particularly retail sales are grappling with equally perilous downward spirals in sales. Instead of jargons like L2L and MTD numbers, I hear retailers now talk in terms of percentage achievement of pre-covid sales figures - 40%, 50%....

As the world grapples with a new way of living, people are slowing coming to terms with a new normal, a new way of living. And selling needs to quickly adapt to a new way of consumer buying. Of course, as online sales surely establishes itself as a preferred 'safe' means of purchase, retailers scramble to assure customers of 'safety' in purchase experience in order to drive footfalls to the fast diminishing numbers of viable brick and mortar stores. 

While customers will surely tend to limit spending to what they perceive as essential needs in uncertain times rather than what they'd desire or aspire for, it becomes crucial for every store to maximise every hard earned walk-in. So what becomes important in sales interactions in these times? Creating covid sensitive rapport becomes all important - that which helps create lasting impact and relationships . 

Some outstanding elements I'd observed recently in service interactions, which I feel contribute to rapport creation with customers in these times:

1. Emoting with the Eye - 

It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. In these covid times, wearing of masks becomes mandatory. In the absence therefore of visibility of other facial expressions, the eyes emote. Learn to smile with your eyes & talk with your eyes with customers. Soft eye contact remains all important. Recently, as I was quarantined at a hotel on my return from international travel, I was deeply impressed by the ability of staffer at the front desk to do this. She was so adept at communicating with her eyes, that it gave her an innate ability to connect with the guests as compared to others who couldn't. 

- Did her eyes leave an impact on me? Yes. 

- Did I mention her name in my reviews on social media and feedback to the hotel? A big definite yes.

Our eyes convey emotions.

2. Energising voice - 

In the absence of complete visibility of facial expressions, the voice becomes all important in establishing rapport. Add the twin factors of social distancing and mask - and your customers will hear muffled sounds if you speak to yourself. You can convey energy only through your voice. Let me share an outstanding example of this. In the said hotel where I was in quarantine, the Chef made a mandatory daily call to the rooms to understand our needs. It used to be the high point of my day. Sight unseen, the Chef's voice conveyed hope, optimism, care, energy and a zest for life. 

- Do I remember his voice? Yes. 

- Did I mention his name in my reviews on social media and feedback to the hotel? A big definite yes.

Our voice leaves impressions.  

3. Giving space -

Forget the one arm distance rule & the handshake - they are a thing of the past for as long as covid shall last. The only comfort we can give is the comfort of space, and plenty of it - yet being around to assist when required. Forget crowding around and/or the favourite old pastime of walking behind and hounding a customer. Learn to juggle space with stepping in when required.  Again in said hotel, food used to be served on a table outside our room door at specified times. The server would keep the food, ring the doorbell and stand 6 feet aside respectfully as we took in the food. Yet, his smiling eyes were ready to step in and assist if required, once i stepped back of course. 

- Do I remember his deportment now? Yes. 

- Did I mention his name in my reviews on social media and feedback to the hotel? A big definite yes.

"Service with Space" is the new mantra.

4. Listen to what is unsaid & exceed expectations - 

Conversations are difficult to have with customers, particularly keeping in mind social distancing and the need to have short conversations. Forget about striking a conversation to understand needs. As a customer, I'd rather not have a person transmit the virus to me through talk. Listen - & observe (the ears & eyes) to pick up cues of interest. We made a simple call to the Chef to understand if  we could have lunch from the dine-in restaurant at the hotel the next day. He said yes, of course. Said day came and we were blown away by the fact that the staff had dug deeper to find reason for our request - a birthday spent in quarantine and they went all out to make it a memorable one. Another case in point - On one of our daily phone conversations I complimented the Chef  on a couple of dishes he made, also casually inquiring about the ingredients used. The next day I was asked if I would like to have the written recipes of those dishes! I said yes of course. And I did get it about 2 weeks after I got home. No follow up done. 

Pick up from what is left unsaid - you only need to be curious. Look to exceed expectations.

The customer will buy what is needed. What we need to focus on now is to create lasting impressions and impact through rapport building - the ties of which remain through thick and thin, through normal life and the new normal.

Note: (I had written about rapport in sales eons ago. You can still read it here http://rapportinrelationships.blogspot.com/2012/05/selling-skills-of-successful.html)

Retail selling: Three things that elevate a buying experience to the extraordinary

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.

      

Saying 'No' to the customer

A week ago I was fortunate to attend a course with an Irish lady who, upon knowing the nature of my work, commented, “I hope you train the salesperson in India on how to say no”. It is a profound statement indeed. And I constantly wonder – how is it that the salesperson finds it so difficult to say no to the customer? Even if he/she does have the ability to say no, it inevitably (with exceptions of course) also sounds quite rude.

So I thought of dedicating this blog to the debate of whether the ability to say no to a customer is an essential skill for the salesperson. Some would argue that it is good to have the skill, but not an essential one to have. And that it certainly is not necessary to train the front line salesperson in this skill as an essential do-or-die sales skill. In comparison to the more essential selling skills of understanding, probing and closing the sale, it pales in significance.

I would beg to differ a wee bit on the above. While there is no dispute that understanding the customer and closing the sale are skills without which no salesperson may be called a successful one, I feel that developing the ability to say no to the customer is also fast emerging as a lifesaving skill for the salesperson. Only because future relationships with the customer or potential customer may hinge on this ability of the salesperson. In my experience of training salespersons, particularly from the retail industry, I find that in most cases, the normal salesperson gets flummoxed when faced with a situation when he/she has to say no to the customer. In extreme cases it’s almost like a fear psychosis. It could be in situations as varied when to say no for a price reduction to a service related issue. It is almost as if the DNA of the salesperson in India is lacking this essential component.

Let me explain why I consider this an essential trait to develop, especially among front end salespersons. Nothing irritates a customer more than a ubiquitous answer that evades the question. It is as false as a misleading answer that breaches the delicate trust the customer places on the salesperson. I say this is a fast emerging lifesaving skill because the budding relationship between customer and the salesperson can be shattered by an inappropriately uttered ‘No’.

The balance of power and equation between seller-customer lies in the ability of the seller to say no when the situation demands it, and say it with conviction (firmness) and humility (politeness), the two sides of the coin bearing the word ‘No’. What many fail to understand is that most customers will appreciate an honest and clear cut answer, and will remain a valued customer for life. What is essential to remember here is that the no is said appropriately, with an ingrained politeness and an explanation on why a no is being said. It should also be a no that is crystal clear - not a confusing maybe. Further additional value is felt by the customer if that explanation is followed by a suggestion of alternatives for the customer, if available, so that the customer feels good on sensing a window of options in the brick wall he/she has just encountered. 


For further readings on selling, go to:

Five secrets to confident communication in sales

Service in 'Customer Focus' while selling

Selling with a difference

Rapport in selling

Rapport in Selling

What keeps the so called ‘super’ salesperson apart from the others? Many factors.  Primary among them would be the uncanny ability to establish a sense of connectedness with the customer. For many a ‘super’ salesperson, the ability to establish this sense of connection appears, at first glance, to be almost inborn. Maybe it is. Or maybe it is a behaviour modelled from others, or even a skill that has been honed in by years of practice and perfection that it now appears almost ethereal.

This sense of connection with customers goes beyond the superficial, to a depth of understanding that defies all logic at times. For the customer and salesperson could be poles apart in personality, likes and lifestyle. Gone are the days when one could walk into a client’s room, comment on the knickknacks and décor of the room, and hope to establish a connection with him. In this age of super computers and smart phones, can customers be lagging behind? We nowadays have ‘super’ customers and ‘smart’ customers, who have been programmed to sniff out the artificial bonhomie and become vary of ‘salespersons’ as a tribe. 

So is this almost magical connection that ‘super’ salespersons appear to have with customers, a gift for the chosen few? If this magic is understood and given sufficient practice, can it be imbibed as a behaviour pattern by all? Most fervently, the latter.

The magic lies in the ability to become aware. Become aware of patterns. Life is a dynamic pattern of intricate designs. Think about it. There is a pattern in everything we do. The way we sleep, talk, dress, relate to people, make decisions and even buy things. This pattern gives beauty, meaning and a sense of purpose to our lives. We oftentimes get the feeling of being lost and adrift on an island, if we lose the thread of this beautiful pattern. These patterns very often define our sense of being. And the beauty is that each of us has our very own unique structure of patterns. These appear so simple to us that they have become an integral way of our lives. While to those who observe us, it might seem to be a complex maze which apparently leads nowhere. But even a maze has a way out. Provided we pay attention and become aware of the patterns in it.

Consider this. What would it mean if a salesperson sensed to some degree, the customer’s unique pattern of thought, behaviour and choices? And what would he get if he had that? A map to understand the customer’s pattern of being, living, decision making and buying.  With the added benefit of having the almost magical skill to relate with the customer in the pattern that he is comfortable with, and the mystical, yet simplistic ability to sell to him in the pattern that he buys. Is it possible? A resounding yes. What does it call for? 
A greater sense of awareness of patterns, within ourselves and others, which in turn leads to greater rapport in selling.

For further readings on selling, go to my posts on:

Five secrets to confident communication in sales
Saying No to the customer
Service in 'Customer Focus' while selling
Selling with a difference