January 2005 The Store / For Your Staff The Customer Is Ready to Buy, but You're Not Ready to Sell Think about a time when you, as a customer, had a bad experience in a store. Make sure you don't do these things yourself by Leonard Zell How many times have you gone into a store ready to buy without having anything in mind? You approach a sales counter because something catches your eye. One or more of these five things is likely to take place – and all will likely drive you crazy: 1. Two salespeople are conversing instead of paying attention to you. 2. When a salesperson finally appears, he makes it seem like he’s doing you a favor. 3. No one wants to wait on you because you’ve had a bad hair day and your two children are with you. 4. A salesperson prejudges you because of how you’re dressed – it looks like you can’t afford much. 5. A salesperson waits for you to make the first move to start the sale. You don’t smile or speak so she doesn’t either. My friends know I train jewelry salespeople, so they can’t wait to tell me their favorite negative sales stories. They’ve seen these five situations in mall and free-standing stores as well as in jewelry stores on Fifth Avenue in New York City and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Here’s how to control for these bad habits: If you’re speaking with another salesperson, face the entrance so you don’t miss an approaching customer. If traffic is slow, stay up front and keep busy by cleaning and rearranging jewelry – customers like to approach a busy salesperson. If a woman walks in with unkempt hair and her two kids, hold your judgment. Look at the person and say to yourself, “These folks just won the lottery and I’m going to wait on them like they’re multimillionaires.” Think of every customer as a selling opportunity, even if she’s just asking for the nearest restroom. When a customer is browsing, it’s up to you to initiate the sale by piquing her interest. Each day, practice smiling before your customer does. Also practice opening lines you would like salespeople to say when you enter their stores. This is my first rule of Zelling: Always sell the same way you would like to be sold. Leonard Zell is a leading sales trainer in professional jewelry sales techniques. For more of his articles, visit www.zellit.com. You may reach him at (800) 642-SELL or zellit@aol.com.