Selling From Returns

by Leonard Zell

In the September/October edition of the Diamontologist I explained why salespeople get returns, because they do not romance the jewelry. This article concerns the few times you may get a return. Three weeks after the Christmas season often attracts a different breed of "customers" to jewelry stores. Returns and exchanges seem to descend upon your store en masse, looking to trade in their unwanted presents for other merchandise, store credits or, worst of all, cash.

If you're like most jewelry salespeople, you dread the thought of refunds and exchanges - and you have trouble hiding your feelings. But it needn't be that way. Instead of looking at returns and exchanges in a negative way, look at them as selling opportunities.

The return can be handled three different ways, by a professional salesperson, a salesperson, or a clerk. The clerk will let the smile drop off of his face and soon as he would hear the word return. And then ask a very defensive questions that could easily be rejected, such as, "Is there anything else I can show you?" The salesperson would do a little better and actually get the customer to at least exchange it, perhaps for something of more value. The professional salesperson never lets the smile leave his face, never asks a question, only makes positive statements and is thinking way ahead of handling the return as an exchange. He assumes that, and is already thinking of an add-on sale. I only teach professional selling skills and these are the only skills you should be interested in if you want to be a very successful salesperson. Therefore, this article will deal only with how a professional salesperson should not just handle a return but sell from a return.

If you display a good attitude - with a friendly smile and a cheerful greeting - your impression alone cane make a customer feel obligated to exchange the gift instead of returning it. But if you get a discouraged look on your face when a customer comes in to return an item, you're in trouble. The customer can read your body language just as well as you can read hers. When she sees you hesitate, or if your eyes drop and the smile leaves your face after she says, "I want to return something," she'll bear in on you.

If, on the other hand, you greet her with a smile and say "Fine, I'll take care of that for you" she'll relax. That sentence - "Fine, I'll take care of that for you" - will automatically keep you smiling regardless of how you feel. And if your true emotions are negative, it's imperative that you maintain a cheerful facade. Once the customer is relaxed, you can add, "Obviously, there must be a reason." This statement isn't a question, so it can't be answered with a "no." Of all possible situations, this is one of the worst times to interrogate your customer with questions. But since you made a positive statement, your customer will tell you her reason and, whatever it is, she'll give you a chance to counter it and sell her something.

Let's review this sequence. Why was the customer so receptive? It was probably because you said, "Fine, I'll take care of it for you." "Fine" was the first key part of that sentence. It showed the customer you agreed with her, and it had a neutralizing effect. "Take care," the second key part, implied there wouldn't be resistance and her request would sail through. Perhaps the best feature of "take care" is that it keeps you from bringing out the credit slip too soon. At that point, your customer is in a position to listen to you. Then, when you say, "Obviously, there must be a reason," your customer will tell you - in a very comfortable fashion. Her reason is really all you want to know; in most cases you can answer the challenging remark, whatever it is, and sell her something.

For instance, if your customer were to say, "Well, it wasn't exactly what she liked; she wanted to pick out something," you could reply, "I can understand that. I'll tell you what, it may be some time before she can come in. I have something else I want to show you. You take this home and show it to her, strictly on approval." You can still charge it through on her bank card or account, if she has one. Then you can mark "on approval" on the invoice. Let's face it, the first sale turned out to be on approval; why can't the second one? What if the customer is so demanding that she just doesn't want to see anything else? In such a case, go ahead and write up the credit. As the customer sees she is going to get her money, you can say, "You know, there's something I want to show you."

If you prefer, come up with your own line, using any one of four key words: show, see, miss or mind. For instance, you could say, "Let me show you something," "There is something you should really see," "I have something you shouldn't miss," or "There is something I have in mind for you." (But in order to keep your customer's curiosity, you should avoid telling her what it is before you bring it out). If you think the customer has a request, you can say, "You must have something in mind."Keep in mind that all these suggestions are positive statements - none is a question. Once again, this is no time to interrogate customers. Professional salespeople avoid this. Since she knows that you're writing up her refund, she'll be more comfortable in looking; she'll know you're not stalling her.If you do sell her something - and chances are that you will - don't stop! God for an add-on sale.

Let's face it, she's in a buying mood already. Whey send her out of the store in a buying mood to shop at another store? That certainly doesn't make sense. You don't make any extra money until you sell something additional to the customer' saving the sale is nothing more than defensive selling. Why not try an add-on? Professional salespeople always do.

Exchanges are a lot easier to handle than returns, since the customer isn't pushing you for a refund. Naturally, you should sell her something of greater value than the original purchase. Then show her an enhancement item for your add-on sale. Use the same words and techniques as you do handling a return. ?Since your customer is more receptive, though, you shouldn't even stop at the second sale. Professional salespeople never do. Many times, I have found, an exchange customer is willing to spend more money. Sometimes you can sell her more than two items - maybe three or four for the complete jewelry look. As I said earlier, she's in a buying mood. Why warm her up for your competition?

I like the first few weeks after Christmas because those few customers who come in for returns and exchanges give me a greater opportunity to sell them more and send them out happier than when they came in. How important is attitude in selling? It's everything. That's why the top people in selling today all have great attitudes. Sharpen up yours, and watch those sales come in!

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Leonard Zell is an honorary member of the Diamond Council of America and a contributing editor. This article was written for their newsletter the Diamontologist and is reprinted with their permission.

Author's Note: I welcome your comments about this or any of the other articles presented here. LZ