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I Can Get it Cheaper

February 6, 2012 under Retail Sales Resource

When customers think your price is too high…usually it is because they do not have enough information to justify the price.

It doesn’t really matter how they say it, “Your price is to high” or “I can get it cheaper somewhere else” because weather the customer is correct or not they will think they are right.

How would you react to a statement like this from your customer?  Are you defending your price?  Are you making concessions?  The fact of the matter is…your customer may be thinking “The features and benefits are not worth the price you are asking”!

Your customer will always think “What’s In It For Me” (W.I.I.F.M.)?  In sales we need to find a way to communicate all questions that your customers may have.  Let me assure you…the answers will be different every time! Click here to read more.. »

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Losing Customers?

December 14, 2011 under Retail Sales Resource

Are you missing the “really good” customers? Are you getting only the “shoppers” and “lookers”?

It is really too bad. You could outsell your biggest competitor, even the big box stores, if you could get a few really good customers. But all you get in these tough times are shoppers and lookers. “No thanks, I’m just looking.”

Sales Person:     “Can I help you?”
Customer:     “No thanks, I’m just looking.”

A little bit later… Click here to read more.. »

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Is Price an Issue?

November 10, 2011 under Marketing & Advertising, Retail Sales Resource

Price is always much more important in the mind of the seller than in the mind of the buyer

Especially when it comes to bigger investments the consumer will try to solve the problem the best way rather than to save money on the purchase. This is especially true for flooring. When she is buying a fly swatter she might not care about quality. If it breaks after the 40th fly she is just getting a new one. Flooring is an investment with more important objectives than just price.

The sales training firm VASS based in Atlanta conducted a study which found that 67% of salespeople will volunteer to cut prices, without being asked. This usually happens because the sales person doesn’t feel the product and service his company offers is worth the price he is asking for. Not only the sales person does his job, a good customer has to do her job as well: to get the best possible product and service for the best price.
Click here to read more.. »

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Circle of Doom

June 21, 2011 under Retail Sales Resource

From time to time it is good to be reminded of the business essentials. We’re all wondering what happened to the prices. We’re all wondering where the customers are.

Not that I have the solution, but I can at least point to ONE of the reasons: the Circle of Doom. It is easy for a store to get caught in this circle. As manager of a store, you’re not only concerned about short-term financial targets but it’s a matter of survival.

When business is slow, you reduce prices to get more customers, to get more jobs. But your margin suffers and somehow you have to make up for it. And what could be easier than cutting marketing and service…there would be no immediate impact, right?

Click here to read more.. »

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Compromise Choices

May 12, 2011 under Retail Sales Resource

Customers don’t buy your higher priced products? Just add an even more expensive one!

Most sales people in the flooring industry work with a system that is called “Two Part Offer”, or sometimes “Better-Best”. What that means is they offer two different versions, one at a lower price and a better product at a higher price.

In the last Retail Sales Resource we wrote about “Selling up or down” – referring to the product you start your sales pitch: with the cheaper or the more expensive (and better product)? It is clearly the more expensive product, since it is definitely much easier to retreat to the cheaper product than to sell the customer on a product and then ask for more money. Click here to read more.. »

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How Women buy

April 25, 2011 under Marketing & Advertising, Retail Sales Resource

How can you sell yourself to a female customer? When selling to women you’re not only selling a product. She has to buy you as well.

Women are looking more behind the product than men do. For her it is important what the product will do to make her life better, makes her family safer. Most of your specific product attributes are not important – what she wants to hear are the benefits that come with them.

You might be able to talk for hours about fiber and construction of carpet. But what is important for her is that this product will not burn her kids knees when they fall. Give her a piece of polyester and let her rub it over her skin and show the difference to nylon.

Let her speak. Women are more polite than men when it comes to speaking and interrupting. While men expect to interrupt and get interrupted, women wait their turn. If she doesn’t get a chance – she might just leave.

Don’t try to demonstrate your knowledge with nonstop talking. Ask questions and make plenty of pauses to give her a chance to talk.

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“I just made a sale”

April 1, 2011 under Retail Sales Resource

New techniques can boost your sales volume

With Color Coordinates you have a qualifying tool to show all construction types, ONE destination. No hustling, no searching, no distraction while working with your customer. The 48 color palette will give your customer a fantastic selection.

When you’re in the sales conversation, remember this:

  • Begin every sales process with Color Coordinates.
  • Color Coordinates = Qualyfying tool
  • Color Coordinates: higher Commissions
  • or total sales + Tuftex Rewards
    Click here to read more.. »
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