Let Your Customers Talk Before You Show Off Your Expertise

Let your customers talk before you show off your own expertise
There are a lot of things salespeople say that can lead to an inadvertently lost sale.
While shopping in numerous jewelry stores this past holiday season, I kept hearing over and over from sales

staff the same question: "Can I show you something?" Aside from the fact that it leaves the door wide open for customers to launch the automated response of "Just looking," who wants to sound like all of the other jewelry stores?
You work with the products in your store nearly every day, and you know a lot about them. Chances are good that your customers don't. They're counting on you to be the expert and lead them to just the right product that fits their needs.
Customers can impart a lot of useful information to help you make the sale. The key is to let them give you that information before you put on your "Expert Jeweler" hat and begin showing them products. You can add much more value by taking the time to learn about their wishes before you become the expert. Learning, and above all else, understanding your customers' needs are critical steps toward delivering an exemplary experience and making more—and higher—sales.
"Is this a gift for yourself or for somebody else?" is a fantastic way to get your customers talking (and it can also open the door to an additional sale). Asking open-ended questions that can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" will get customers to open up and deliver a wealth of information that will help you find the right product for them. Who, what, where, when, how and why are the magic words to begin open-ended questions with. The more information your customers provide, the easier time you'll have helping them select the right piece.
And then you can show them something!

Doug Fleener is president and managing partner of Dynamic Experiences Group in Lexington, Mass., and author of The Profitable Retailer.