2. Sales Culture
It
is important to realize that EVERY single
employee that comes into contact with a
customer, whether over the phone, by
email or in person, is part of the sales
process and therefore directly contributes
to the company's profits.
3.
4.
5.
6. Sales Essentials
Like
it or not, THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS
RIGHT. Even when they're completely wrong,
they're right.
Be personable. Connect. People do business
with people they like.
Create memories. Make every point of
contact you have with the customer a
memorable one. Build unexpected moments
of delight.
8. If you recognize the customer - let them
know. (even if you don't remember their
name)
"Mr.
Smith, it's so nice to see you again! What
are we planning this time?"
" Good afternoon! It's nice to see you again."
"Welcome back, we appreciate your coming to
see us again."
9. Ask if they've been in before. Familiar
means safe. Safe means trust. And
trust means buy.
"Good
morning, thank you so much for
calling Bravo. Have we had the pleasure
of serving you before?"
10. Ask about the weather. It sounds so simple
but this is a way of disarming the customer
and gets them talking about something
where they can be the expert. Be sure to
respond to whatever comment they make,
that way they know you're listening and not
just using a technique on them. from out of
the wind now.
You:
"Brrr.. It sure looks cold out there"
The Customer: "Ya I'm sure sick of winter!"
You: "Don't worry, spring is just around the
corner. Can I get you a coffee to warm you up in
the meantime?"
11. Compliment appropriately. Be careful,
you don't want to sound phony. Don't
say something like, "Hello, you look
lovely today." Rather choose a certain
something you genuinely like and
comment on it.
"That's
a great scarf! It goes with all the
rich golden tones that are so in right now!"
12. Most important is timing! Greet the
customer within 30 seconds!
Even
if you are too busy to serve them
right away, popping your head out with a
quick, "Hi! Welcome to Bravo! I'll be right
with you. Feel free to look around."
13. The Worst Greetings
A
stare - like employees are watching to
see if you're going to steal something.
The daze - they pretend they're so busy
they can't see you.
"Can I help you"
A canned phoney sounding speech.
16. Connect
Greet the customer, thank them for choosing
Bravo for their rental needs
"Good
morning Mrs. Smith. My name is John
and I am here with your Bravo delivery. Thank
you for your order by the way, where can I bring
this for you?"
"Good morning everyone. My name is Jane.
Welcome to Bravo and thank you for stopping
by."
17. Discover
Ask questions and listen to the customer
to find out what they need.
"What
brings you to Bravo today?"
"What type of event are you planning?"
"What can I do to help?"
18. Deliver Value
By knowing your product and being genuinely interested
in your customers' needs you will by default end up
helping them and they will appreciate the value you and
the company you represent are bringing them.
"Oh so you're planning your parents' anniversary at the
Science Center. We know that venue very well. Let's sit
down and go through everything you may need to make
your event a success"
"I see you've ordered the Blodgett oven. Did you want to
take a few moments so I can show you how to start it
properly"
19. Close
Ask for the sale
"I'm
so pleased we were able to cover just about
everything today. Can I go ahead and reserve
this for you?"
"Everything is in the garage where you
requested. Are you satisfied with the service you
received today? Do you have another upcoming
event that I can get our customer service staff to
help you with?"
22. Eye Contact
Good
eye contact
means you are
looking people
straight in the eye
when they are
talking. Don’t
stare, look away
about every 5-8
seconds
23. Open vs. Closed Body Language
Feet
pointed towards
the person in front of
you, arms by your
side and good eye
contact.
24. Proximity and the 4 Zones
Public
zone (12ft)
Social zone (4-12ft)
Personal zone ( 1-4ft)
Intimate zone ( 0-1ft)
25. The Personal Zone
When
dealing with a customer you will be
in his/her personal zone. You're standing
close enough to talk and there’s a “bubble”
that starts to form around you and the
customer. You don’t really pay attention to
other people because your focus is on the
person in front of you. This is usually
about an arm's length away.
27. Know who is boss
You
are in business to service customer
needs, and you can only do that if you
know what it is your customers want.
When you truly listen to your customers,
they let you know what they want and how
you can provide good service. Never
forget that the customer pays our salary
and makes your job possible.
28. Be a Good Listener
Take
the time to identify customer needs
by asking questions and concentrating on
what the customer is really saying. Listen
to their words, tone of voice, body
language, and most importantly, how they
feel. Beware of making assumptions thinking you intuitively know what the
customer wants.
29. Identify and Anticipate Needs
Customers
don't buy products or services.
They buy good feelings and solutions to
problems. Most customer needs are
emotional rather than logical. The more
you know your customers, the better you
become at anticipating their needs.
Communicate regularly so that you are
aware of problems or upcoming needs.
30. Make Customers Feel Important and
Appreciated
Treat
them as individuals. Always use
their name and find ways to compliment
them, but be sincere. People value
sincerity. It creates good feeling and trust.
Think about ways to generate good
feelings about doing business with you.
Customers are very sensitive and know
whether or not you really care about them.
Thank them every time you get a chance.
31. Help Customers Understand your
Systems
Your
organization may have the world's
best systems for getting things done, but if
customers don't understand them, they
can get confused, impatient and angry.
Take time to explain how your systems
work and how they simplify transactions.
Be careful that your systems don't reduce
the human element of your organization.
32. Appreciate the Power of “Yes”
Always
look for ways to help your
customers. When they have a request (as
long as it is reasonable) tell them that you
can do it. Figure out how afterwards. Look
for ways to make doing business with you
easy. Always do what you say you are
going to do.
33. Know How to Apologize
When
something goes wrong, apologize. It's
easy and customers like it. The customer may
not always be right, but the customer must
always win. Deal with problems immediately and
let customers know what you have done. Make it
simple for customers to complain. Value their
complaints. As much as we dislike it, it gives us
an opportunity to improve. Even if customers are
having a bad day, go out of your way to make
them feel comfortable.
34. Give More Than Expected
Since the future of all companies lies in keeping
customers happy, think of ways to elevate
yourself above the competition. Consider the
following:
What
can you give customers that they cannot
get elsewhere?
What can you do to follow-up and thank people
even when they don't buy?
What can you give customers that is totally
unexpected?
35. Get Regular Feedback
Encourage and welcome suggestions about how
you could improve. There are several ways in
which you can find out what customers think and
feel about your services.
Listen
carefully to what they say.
Check back regularly to see how things are
going.
Provide a method that invites constructive
criticism, comments and suggestions.
36. Treat Employees Well
Employees
are your internal customers
and need a regular dose of appreciation.
Thank them and find ways to let them
know how important they are. Treat your
employees with respect and chances are
they will have a higher regard for
customers. Appreciation stems from the
top. Treating customers and employees
well is equally important.
37. Successful Sales Tips
Passion
generates success
If you're confident, people assume you're
competent
Be proud, not prideful - nothing is below
you
Be goofy vs. cool (memorable)
Ask for the car jack - don't psych yourself
out. You never know what someone will
say.
39. Announce
your name and use the customer's
name.
Be aware of your volume
Don't answer the phone when face-to-face with a
customer
Ask to put a customer on hold, let them know for
how long and respect the time you gave them
"Would it be possible to put you on a quick
hold? I'll be back on the line in
less than
a minute?"
Tell the customer if you will be transferring them.
Ask questions and LISTEN
Most important - SMILE!
40. The Phone Greeting
The
phone greeting is the first things the
customer hears when he/she calls. It
defines your company's image and MUST
be consistent because familiarity makes
people comfortable. It must also be:
Be
appropriate
Be responsive
Be efficient
Be sincere
41. The Bravo Phone Greeting
"Bonjour,
merci d'avoir appellé Bravo, mon
nom est _______. Comment allez-vous
aujourd'hui?"
42. The Farewell
The
farewell is equally important as the greeting.
Remember, this is done AFTER you've asked for
the sale. "Can I reserve this for you today?" This
does not have to be as consistent as the
greeting but must include:
The customer's name
An inquiry as to whether or not we were able to answer
all of the customer's questions/needs.
The company's name
A thank you
A closing statement
43. "Well
Mrs. Smith, it was a pleasure speaking
with you today, was I able to answer all of your
questions today? Thank you so much for calling
Bravo rentals and I look forward to speaking with
you again. Have a great day!“
"
Alors Mme. Smith, est-ce-qu'il y a autre chose
avec laquelle je peux vous aider aujourd'hui?
Merci d'avoir appelé Location Bravo, je vous
souhaite une excellente journée!"
45. Schedule a Time
Be
prepared - who are you calling? Why
are you calling?
The goal of the call is to build a
relationship. NOT to sell.
46. The Basics
3
calls: each call 48-hours apart
Be you without being a stalker
Give them permission to reject you
47. Call 1
Hi
Mr. Smith, this is Jessica calling from
Bravo, I'm just calling to say hi. When you
have a free moment give me call. 514685-8000. Thanks so much, have a great
day.
48. Call 2
Hi
Mr. Smith, this is Jessica calling from
Bravo. I left a message the other day, I
guess you were too busy to call me back.
Anyway, just wanted to touch base. Give
me a call when you can. 514-685-8000.
(Guilt is powerful)
49. Call 3
Hi
Mr. Smith, Jessica from Bravo again.
Guess I missed you again. I've left a few
messages and I'm just calling to say hi
and I'd really appreciate if you'd calling
back, even if it's just to ask me to stop
calling. Hope to hear from you soon. 514685-8000.
51. Don't sell!!! You are simply developing
a relationship.
"Hi
Mr. Smith my name's Jessica, how are
you doing today? I'm just calling to say hi.
I work for Bravo Rentals and I just wanted
you to know that we're here for you if ever
you need us. I was wondering if I can give
you a call in a couple of weeks just to
touch base.
52. If the customer says no.
"Listen,
I completely understand you don't want
to be bothered and that's not what I want to do. I
just want to give you call, say hi and then you
can hang up. How does that sound?“
By having the permission to call the customer,
this adds them to your "Permission Sphere" (a
list of people who do not currently do business
with you but who you interact with on a regular
basis.)
53. Things to Retain
Be
goofy - not cool! Be memorable.
Gatekeepers (receptionist):
Don't try to get through them - get to them!
Don’t try to sell – create a memorable
experience
What can you do for them not what they
can do for you!
54. In Person
Be
Persistent
Be Patient
Be Purposeful
If you're going on a sales call make it a point to
visit surrounding companies.
"Hey I was in the are visiting Mr. Smith at Smith's
Catering and thought I'd just stop by the say hi."
62. Everyone is living in their own reality and
that is the only reality they know
63. 2 Models for Handling Conflict
Personal
conflict (no one has leverage)
Professional conflict (one person has
leverage)
64. Personal Conflict Model
Listen
Confirm
Validate
Emphasize
Address
(Avoid the "But" Reversal)
Regain Concurrence
Make Commitments
65.
"If I understand correctly, you'd really love to rent the
plexi bar for your event but you're concerned with the
investment.
I agree that it is more pricey than the other bars in our
inventory and I understand where your concern is
coming from.
And (don't use BUT) it is the most stylish bar making it in
very high demand.
What if we looked at the other bar options to see if they
can fit into your vision of a perfect event.
If after that you still want the plexi bar, let's work together
on finding a way to cut costs in other areas so we can fit
the plexi bar into your budget."
67. "Let me make sure I understand. You're
upset because the bar you ordered isn't in
the best condition.
I am terribly sorry that you're experiencing
this. Let me call the sales office and see if
we can replace it with something else.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Give me a few minutes to get this settled
for you."
68. The Fight/Flight Response
During
a conflict the fight or flight
response comes into play
You will either stay and fight back or flight
(physically or mentally)
When your body enters fight/flight mode
you loose 50% of your IQ
Within 8-10 seconds you start to regain in
TAKE A DEEP BREATH
69. Active Listening Skills
Listen to the other person's perspective with no interuption
Use encouraging facial expressions (eye contact, head nodding)
Clarify any points of confusion
Do not judge or challenge the validity of the other person's
perspective
Write the critical points of the conflict down on a piece of paper
Discuss the issues and problem solve how to resolve them in the
futur
Each party should make a commitment to future behaviours related
to these issues
The goal is to have a broader understanding of the issue - not to win
an argument
If all else fails, practice "forced empathy". Ask them to describe what
they think your perspective is and vice versa.
70. Important Things to Note
Avoid
the "But Reversal": "But" means you're
being critical, "And" does not.
Nodding your head and smiling are the 2 most
contagious facial expressions
Conflict is the issue - not the person
Enter into a resolution with a SINCERE desire to
understand
Try to emotionally understand the other person
Keep in mind the 4 interactive styles and how
they affect a person's thought process