1. Approaching The Customer Determining Needs
The Sales Process
Approaching The Customer
Determining Needs

2. Seven Steps of the Sale Process
Approaching the customer
Determining Needs
Presenting the product
Overcoming objections
Closing the sale
Suggestion selling
Relationship building

3. Approaching the Customer
First Face-to-Face contact with customer
Create great first impression
Three purposes
Begin conversation
Establish a rapport/relationship w/ customer
Focus on merchandise

4. Begin Conversation Need to be alert to customers interests
How can a sales person be alert to the customers needs?
(Observing the customer)

5. Establish Relationship
No Stereotyping!

6. Establish a Good Rapport/Relationship
Be enthusiastic
Courteous
Respectful
Good eye contact
Be friendly

7. The Approach In Retailing
Customers are in a hurry - approach quickly.
When customers are undecided, encourage them to look around and shop, compare, and ask questions

8. Three Types of Approaches
Service Approach.
May I help you?
Greeting Approach.
How are you doing today?
Merchandise Approach
That is the most popular DVD player we sell.

9. Service Approach Howdy! May I help you? Most used but least effective.
Opened questions leads the customer to a “no I am just looking” response. In other words “leave me alone”.
Sales person looses control of the sale
Customer may feel awkward asking for help later
Howdy! May I help you?

10. Greeting Approach
Welcomes customer to the store.
Voice inflection is important. You must sound like you are interested and that customer well being is important to you.
Welcome to Western Outfitters -- How are you doing today?

11. Merchandise Approach These boots are made from real crocodile skin!
Focuses on Merchandise.
Tell the customer about a feature or benefit that is not immediate to the eye.
Most effective approach.
These boots are made from real crocodile skin!

12. Determining Needs
When should you focus on determining your customer’s needs?
As soon as possible
Job is uncover the reasons why customer wants to buy.

13. Example of poor job
Salesperson:
“This is one of our most popular tennis racquets. It’s perfect for you – The grip is correct size and the large sweet spot can improve your game.”

14. Example of poor job
Customer:
“That’s very interesting but the racquet is not for me. It’s actually for my nine-year old daughter.”

15. What should you have done?

16. How to determine needs Observe customer Look for non-verbal signs
Facial expressions
Eye movement
How customer handles the product
Key to observing is the proper selection of facts; do not stereotype or draw conclusions about customer before getting additional facts

17. How do you determine needs?
Listening to your customer: Read between the lines:
Example:
I want a copier for my home business that is simple to use and reliable. My last copier broke a lot. I usually make one or two copies at a time but occasionally I make up to 50 copies at once.

18. What did you learn from the example?
Customer is not looking for the top-of-line copier
Since the copier is for a home business, size of copier is important.

19. Questioning
Who?
What?
Where?
How?

20. Do’s and Don’ts Ask open ended questions Ask clarifying questions
Don’t ask to many questions
Don’t ask embarrassing questions