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Loading ...I was speaking at the Sturbridge Inn & Convention Center in Massachusettes recently and had to print something at the business center. A guy was on the one computer checking email quickly and then a woman and her daughter got on. They were searching for something to do with dolls. After about 10 minutes I saw they were searching for a particular Ugly Doll they had seen. The website didn’t have it and the mom was getting more upset.
“You shoulda bought it at the time,” her daughter scolded. They kept looking. Next a search for the Cheseapeake, VA Chamber of Commerce to find the store. “There was some type of restaurant next to it, maybe we could call and ask them for the name.” After 20 minutes they realized how fruitless it was and gave up trying to find the store that day.
What was the mom really trying to do that day? Appease her guilt. She should have gotten it when she saw it.
How many times have you left something behind and lived to regret it? I know there was a great piece of art I let go that I shouldn’t.
That’s what salespeople are in business to help us avoid. We need to change the dynamics of what selling IS in the mindset of our retail employees so they can see the goal is to serve the customer so they don’t walk out with regret later on.
It’s not pushy, it’s not artificial. If your salesperson can see how helping another human being do what they really wanted to do in the first place – buy something in your store – we can move the dialogue from pushing merch to helping avoid regret.
And one more thing about regret. The best salespeople almost always examine their previous sale to see if they could have done something better. Did their product knowledge overwhelm? Did their manner come off curt? Did they make eye contact or miss a buying cue? No one wants regret for something we could have done.
Deal with regret and survivor guilt in your employees and you just might have the best fourth quarter ever.
