Volume 27/Number 23; March 17/24, 2014
By Lisbeth Calandrino
It’s been reported to me by more than one salesperson that closing the sale takes longer now than ever before. In the old days, if you could get the customer into the store, you could close her. Now, consumers leave your store and don’t come back for months. Where are they going, you ask? I know you don’t want to hear this answer, but they’re back online trying to find out who you are and why they should buy from you.
This makes the case for keeping track of your online reputation. Not long ago a designer told me she was in the middle of a sale when the customer asked, “Why should I do business with your firm?”
The designer was a bit put off. “What do you mean?”
“You seem nice enough,” the customer said, “but your online reputation is pretty awful!”
No longer do we convince customers about anything; they are being convinced by online reviews and their social media friends. Instead of trying to persuade consumers to buy, we need to be online with potential customers engaging in conversation. Salespeople need to be part of online communities, getting to know and influencing potential buyers.
“Added value” is an old term with additional meaning. A good salesperson may not only sell the customer but can play a strategic role in helping your business grow. Instead of being a player in the numbers’ game, our new salesperson must add “marketer” and “customer service guru” to his or her title. They must think like entrepreneurs.
The old salesperson’s role included a “sit and wait” approach. The job of the business was to drive customers into the store where salespeople waited. The top salesperson literally ran the business. Product information wasn’t widely available and salespeople were left to their own devices. How many of you remember the expression, “Good salespeople are made not born”?
Today they can be made. No one these days is born with the skills that are required to be successful. With things changing every day, how can you know everything? The best skill we can all have is being open to learning as much as we can.
The new salesperson must understand the consumer’s decision-making process and know how to influence the customer. Sound like old stuff? The language is the same, but the showroom skills must be brought to the Internet. The new salesperson must be able to connect with the consumer online and drive her into the store. Once she goes back online (to check you out) the salesperson must be visible and play an integral part of the online conversation. Your ads are only part of the driving force for the consumer; the real driving force is your salesperson.
If you spend any time on Facebook you’re aware of the number of communities. You need to find yours or create your own. This is just one of the ways to connect and drive traffic to your store and your website.
The art of the sale is still about engaging, becoming well known and being the expert. You may not believe this, but communication skills are as important as product knowledge.