Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor® blog at Retaildoc.com

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Friends Make The Best Salespeople

So many people say, “I don’t like to be sold something,” but often they don’t realize their own friends are the best salesperson.  They may not see it that way because they are comfortable enough to tell their friend their problem and open enough to hear their solution.  Because of that comfort level, their friend is comfortable enough to offer the solution to their problem.

So what happens when these people land in your retail store?

They are skeptical.  In a world where they relied on friends, there is often no one around. No sympathetic ear for the woman confused by the choice for her husband’s razor, no one to reassure the student with only $700 that the notebook will do as promised, no one familiar with their dog to know just the right food.

And so these people comfortable with being sold by friends take a stab at it, make a selection and return to their safe homes; maybe the product meets their needs maybe it doesn’t.

The trick in growing retail sales is finding a way to provide enough sales training that your employees can move merch by adopting the very best traits of a friend.  When they don’t they make the customer wary and uneasy- just like a stranger.
© Bob Phibbs 2009

You can see how to find something in common with a customer on this free video of mine.

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