We (your customers) have been talking a lot lately. Together, we've decided to confront you about a very important matter: how to provide us with a better experience in your store.
See, it works like this – our experience in your store can either be comfortable enough to encourage our purchase, or it can turn us off and make us think twice about buying from you. As your customers, we know that within the first 30 seconds of being in your store, we often decide whether or not to buy.
There are certain factors that play into our decision of whether or not to vote for your business with the almighty ballot – our dollars. Believe it or not, that choice is yours. You have control over my experience in your store. You have the advantage of knowing your products inside and out before I even arrive. You can make our experience with you comfortable, informative, and just plain helpful.
Creating a pleasant and engaging environment for us doesn't require any special skills. It requires nothing more than an awareness of us, your customers, and the understanding of our importance to your job and company.
We don't feel like we're asking for a lot here; just that you do your part in making our experience with you a good one. We've taken the time to outline some of our official requests as your customers.
1. Meet and greet us from the moment we walk in. This sets the tone for the rest of our shopping experience. By acknowledging our presence, we will feel important and will see you as friendly and helpful.
In retail, the absolute worst thing you can do is make us wait for service or let us wander aimlessly around your store to search what we came in to find. We may have driven over 15 minutes to get to your store just to find one item. When we get there, we expect to find exactly what we are looking for and expect that you will help us find it. Without your help we may become frustrated and lost, and will probably leave empty-handed.
If, for some reason, it is necessary that we wait, don't let us feel neglected. Make us comfortable and let us know you will assist us as soon as you can, or give us an alternative resource for our questions.
2. Immediately following your initial greeting, you need to establish yourself as our resource. We need to know that you are the index of your store and that our experience will be efficient and pleasant with you as our guide.
Sometimes we may feel like you are crowding us. We will likely want a few minutes to look around before we will feel comfortable enough to allow you to help us. Regardless, establishing this contact immediately will let us know where to go when we do have a question.
3. When we are ready for your assistance, you must be ready to listen. Listening means discovering the meaning behind our words and the questions we ask. It is this type of personalized service that makes us feel understood and appreciated. When you listen to us, we will be comfortable talking with you and, ultimately, buying from you.
Too often in retail, salespeople try to find a quick solution, and dive into a speech about the first product we mention. Take the time to allow us to reveal our unique needs and desire. Then match us with a specific product that is perfect for our situation.
We hope that you'll take our requests to heart and use them to create a pleasant and welcoming environment for us. It's amazing how simple these initial steps are when you understand their importance. What's more amazing is the great impact they have on us and on our decision to buy from you.
Sincerely,
Your Customers
Tom Richard conducts seminars on sales and customer service topics nationwide. Tom is also the author of Smart Salespeople Don't Advertise: 10 Ways to Outsmart Your Competition With Guerilla Marketing, and publishes a free weekly ezine on selling skills titled Sales Muscle. To subscribe to this free weekly ezine go to http://www.tomrichard.com/subscribe |
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