This week we have a new top tip from our retail sales training. This week it's from our courses on opening the sale and it’s all about getting down to business with a customer in-store.
It’s important to not step into this too early. For instance, don’t immediately ask a customer if they need help with anything - make sure the first question is non-business related.
Perhaps about the weather, what they’ve been up to for the day or a compliment them on their outfit. It is also important to make sure the question is an ‘open’ one so that it gets them talking and allows you to build trust.
After you’ve greeted a customer and asked a few non-business questions, you will need to find out why the customer came into the store today.
“So, what brings you into the store today?”
This is an open-ended question which means it's harder to get shut down with a “yes” or “no”. It’s straightforward.
This is how you move from the meet-and-greet phase to establishing the customer's needs with this general inquiry. This kind of question also doesn’t assume that you already know what the customer is after.
Some other variations are:
“Who are you shopping for?”
“What brings you into town today?”
Once you know what brought them into the store, you need to find out why they want it. So, in other words, what are they going to do with the product? You can ask a follow-up question like:
“Great, what do you need it for?”
Next, find out when the customer wants the item. An example:
“So, you said you're moving. When do you need this by?”
When asking any of these questions you will be establishing trust with the customer through your genuine questioning technique. If you're asking good questions and actively listening, you'll get right to business and find the right solution for the customer.
How do you get down to business? Give these open-ended business questions a try with a customer today!
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