Peter Smith is an industry consultant, speaker, sales trainer and author.
Competent salespeople are the lifeblood of any business. Competence means that they consistently lead to profitable sales for the business. To do this, they need to understand what customers want and don't want when they come to the jewellery store.
Here are six myths about jewelry store customers. Perhaps these prevent some salespeople from performing to their full potential.
1. Customers often come to the shops just to look at them.
When customers enter your store, they are not there to play. They show that they have an unmet need that needs to be met. I'm not a fan of the oft-used expression “They have a problem that needs to be solved,” but there is definitely a need.
This need can be conscious and easily expressed. It can also be conscious, but not so easily communicated. It may even be unconscious, meaning that the client has low awareness of his or her true motivations.
But make no mistake. There is a need and it needs to be revealed by a concerned sales professional. He needs to ask relevant and open questions with empathy and care.
2. Customers will let you know when they are ready to buy.
Customers want to be inspired to make a purchase. It is therefore a fundamental obligation of the salesperson to trigger that impulse.
Believing that the customer will always clarify it for you is naive. Top salespeople know that a satisfied customer leaves the store with a new piece of jewelry and a happy step.
3. Customers don't want to be bothered by salespeople.
Instead, your client wants to have a relationship with you. This is especially true in a luxury retail environment. Where there can be a lot of stress and anxiety for customers when they are considering their purchases.
Investing in customer outreach efforts is a gift to customers. It makes it much easier for them to think of your business when it comes time to mark important moments in their lives.
4. Customers seek your product expertise.
Customers will walk away when you make communication focused on you. Talking too much about everything you know is the fastest way to create the equivalent of rejection.
Product information in a luxury sales environment is like a condiment. It should be applied sparingly so as not to spoil the meal. Your role is to engage the customer, not educate them.
5. Customers easily share their budget.
By believing that a client will share their budget with you, you're missing the point on two important levels.
First, it suggests that they really know what their budget is or should be. An assumption I would not recommend a vendor make.
The client may or may not know what their budget is. He should believe that the salesperson is there to help inspire and influence his decision about what to spend.
The second consideration is that even when your client shares their budget with you, you should never take it for granted. It is, more often than not, just a reference point and not an end game.
If your client volunteers their budget, know that you can work within a range of half to twice that number. Presenting these two extremes (high and low), as well as an intermediate option, can be an effective strategy.
6. Customers always want the best price.
Your customer wants a good offer, not the best price.
More than that, they want to feel good about themselves when they walk out the door. And that means the salesperson helped them make the best choice, not the cheapest choice.
Long after they have forgotten the price, your customer will remember how they felt about the choice they made.
Source: nationaljeweler.com
