What Do You
Say After You Say Hello?
Give Yourself a 12-15% Raise
By Using the Right Words!
The first words that come out
of your mouth when you greet a customer in-person or on the phone,
can make the difference between making a sale or not.
Take the typical scenario of
the retail establishment. In walks the customer. Out walks the
clerk to greet him or her. And, (typically) the salesperson says,
"Hi, may I help you?" And, (typically) the shopper
say "no, just looking". The salesperson retreats to
his or her area. The shopper wanders around lost for a while,
then leaves without making a purchase.
Had you or your salesperson approached
the shopper with "Hi, have you ever been to our store before?"
The shopper replies "no, I haven't" The salesperson
then says "let me show you around a little bit" and
escorts the shopper through the store. The dialog can go a step
further, (or start with this approach) while escorting the shopper
the clerk says "are you shopping for yourself today, or
looking for a gift?" etc.
Nearly anything you open with
is better than the "typical" approach. And, when tested,
results of the latter approach achieved a 12-15% increase in
sales in every case! That's a 12-15% increase in your paycheck,
simply by employing a technique that costs you nothing to implement!
This concept applies much further
than just the retail sales scenario, however. A copier salesperson
out cold calling may change his or her approach from "are
you interested in a new copier today?" to "would you
like to cut your copier supply bills, and make your office more
efficient?"
The fact is that words, and how
they're used, have a major impact on whether we purchase. We
know that the headline of an ad accounts for 50-75% of the ad's
effectiveness. Thus, to translate that to a personal sales presentation,
how we approach a customer in-person is a vital part of our success.
To find the best approach, simply
test. Yup, that's right test your idea. In the case of the retailer,
sales staff might be required to use approach A for 30 days consistently.
By tracking the total traffic count, the number of sales, and
the sales volume, you'll know how well it worked.
The next month the sales staff
is instructed to use approach B. The same tracking mechanism
is put into place. The more profitable approach becomes clear
by comparing the results.
This simple approach of testing
various components of your sales and marketing program can help
you fine tune each step of your process. For instance, you might
find that you actually get a 13.5% increase in sales by greeting
your customer or prospect differently. Then, you might find that
if you always dress in a navy blue suit, you'll increase your
sales another 10% (the blue suit is also a tested and
proven way to increase sales), and so on.
But don't take my word for it.
Check it out yourself. Just by testing and tracking some new
ideas, you could give yourself a 25%+ increase in sales and profits
-- without spending a dime in the process.
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