| As I mentioned in part one of Retail Sales | | | | mobile. |
| Training--Training For Profitability!, teaching your | | | | Some people readily shed the tapes that were |
| clerks the concept of suggestive-selling and | | | | good lessons when we were young but which are |
| up-selling will be the easiest parts of a growth | | | | no longer necessary or valid as adults. Others |
| process. Here is a story that will illustrate exactly | | | | don't. So the young man, who thought the training |
| what I'm talking about and how difficult it can be | | | | we were suggesting, which involved asking a lot |
| to take the knowledge of add-on and | | | | of questions, was prying into someone else's |
| suggestive-selling to a level where the training is | | | | business might have been working from residual |
| manifested. | | | | memories. Perhaps from a day that he, as a child, |
| During an in-store training session that my partner | | | | asked a question his mother thought inappropriate |
| and I were conducting we outlined the principles | | | | who then scolded him: Jr. don't be sticking your |
| of up-selling and suggestive-selling and also the | | | | nose where it doesn't belong. If that tape is still |
| goals of the company to increase sales 10% | | | | playing in his head, he probably misses a lot of |
| through the process. (And yes, if you're | | | | grand opportunities. Those who have a tape still |
| wondering that is a realistic goal.) During a question | | | | playing which plays over and over "don't talk to |
| and answer period one of the attendees, held up | | | | strangers" may be missing wonderful chances at |
| his hand and said something like this: "hey, I | | | | friendships and other interactions with people they |
| understand it, but I'm not going to do it. I think | | | | don't know |
| the things like you're talking about, asking a lot of | | | | The basic premise here is that many people feel |
| questions and trying to sell people other things are | | | | uncomfortable in the sales process. If you are |
| like sticking my nose in someone else's business." | | | | going to effectively train them you must be able |
| This comment didn't surprise me at all because it's | | | | to help them improve their comfort level. We |
| actually something we hear more often than you | | | | have found that by simply using different terms, |
| would think. And it is exactly why at least half the | | | | "actively assisting" instead of "suggestive selling", |
| time allotted to these training sessions now deal | | | | for example, or by rephrasing "step-up selling" to |
| with the aversions people feel about the whole | | | | "possibility exploration" we can sometimes help |
| sales process. | | | | these people gain confidence and hurdle their |
| We all process the information we receive | | | | aversions. |
| through the prisms of our individual life | | | | Take this from these articles: Your store has a |
| experiences. Much of what we think and feel and | | | | limited number of opportunities to interact with |
| the way we react to certain interactions are | | | | customers. It is a most certainly a finite number. |
| filtered through the earliest experiences of our | | | | Train your employees to be conscious of how |
| childhoods. We learned some really good lessons | | | | their efforts affect the bottom line and ultimately |
| at a very early age. For example, when you were | | | | their chance for higher wages and |
| very young your mother probably held your hand | | | | self-betterment. And then try to understand the |
| while standing at the edge of street and | | | | way they are processing your message and give |
| encouraged you to make sure you always looked | | | | them coaching to help make their adherence to |
| both ways. That lesson, even today, serves your | | | | your goals and requests more readily |
| very well. It is a "tape" that is still playing in your | | | | accomplished. |
| head and probably will be as long as you are | | | | |