Sometimes it takes something awful
to remind us of how good we can be. This true story reminds
us how easy it is to be
"right" and kill the sale. Or, we can do it right, and
win extra business and extra prosperity.
I know. It happened to me!
Just before Christmas, with about a week to go, I needed to
buy a mobile phone for one of my sons returning from England.
He needed the phone number to help kick start his new medical
practice here
in Australia. He had determined which telco he wanted to use,
what plan was right for him, and what phone he needed. Only
the paperwork remained to be done. At least, that's what I
thought .....
1.
Rule One - Frustrate the customer as soon as you can.
I
approached the sales counter with all the information
about the phone plan and the phone we needed written out on a note,
explaining that I was buying a phone for my son who was in
England. Without realising it, I was giving that sales person
her first "free kick". It was her first real chance to stop
the enemy (me) actually buying.
"He can't buy the
phone unless he is actually here to sign for it himself" she said with
great glee. Here was one little "wood duck"who wasn't going
to get past her and actually
buy
something. No sireee Bob!
2.
Rule Two - Keep attacking the customer and never give an inch.
OK.
We solved that problem - I'll buy the phone. I can
add it to my existing account. Well not without a letterhead
in my hand I can't. I must remember to always carry
a spare letterhead, just in case it might
come in handy.
The
information for the existing account was in their computer.
Line
by line she took the data off the screen and applied it to
the new form. For a while I thought it was an even
contest. Every line brought a new problem, and for
every road block she found, I had an answer! Little
by little I was making headway. For a while it was starting
to look like I might
actually buy a phone.
3.
Rule Three - There is always
a way to kill the sale
Then she found the king hit
she had been searching for. I wanted a phone on a
"Business
Plan", so the account had to show an "ACN"
number. My account had
been set up with an "ABN" number.
Changing
it would take a month. Now she could completely rule out
me buying the phone now and getting a number before Christmas!
You could see her smile at this ultimate victory over
customer power.
4.
Or, Do It the Right Way - and Help the Customer Buy!
Luckily,
she has a Branch Manager who is very good at his job,
saw what was happening, and took the right action to help me make what
was a really simple purchase.
I had left the store
in despair, but not in defeat. I was going back to
win this one!! When I returned, the Branch Manager
swung into immediate action. He knew the whole
story, knew my requirements, and knew how to make the system work for
me. He had done a heroic job in the time I was out of the
store. Full marks to him.
In less than ten
minutes, the order was placed. He
finalised the paperwork, and selected a good phone number from the
random selection of SIM cards in the store. Half an hour
later when the phone had been activated, it was all over - and it was a
success!
This
had been "The Case
of the Salesperson Who Killed the Sale" gone mad! The Branch
Manager fixed all that. He also made an extra sale
of an email
service on the phone that had not been part of the
original requirement.
His
positive attitude to helping me as a customer had made the sale, and he
capped it off with selling an add-on, and making extra
commission. Another step to maximising his prosperity.
All from a positive attitude to helping the customer!
Footnote:
We all do it sometimes. When a customer is talking
your language in your store, you are in the power position.
It's
so easy to focus on what you or your system needs, that you
forget
what the customer needs! Perhaps your New Year's resolutions
will include focussing on "Helping Customers to Buy". It will
help you be much more prosperous this New Year!
If you'd like
to see how your sales people can improve
their sales effectiveness, you can
Talk
to us Here! Remember, there is no
charge or obligation, and you can get a whole hour's consultation free.
