Let's Think Ahead, It Does Wonders

by Leonard Zell

I have always emphasized the common sense approach to selling. "If it makes sense - it works" I tell my students. However, so many things we do today do not make sense, and here is one of them.

When a customer is being waited on they are thinking of the future. They are thinking of how well they will be enjoying the diamond ring and all the nice comments they will be receiving from their friends, if it is for someone else, or how their eyes will light up, and how they will be enjoying it. Here is what doesn't make sense, the sales person is only thinking of the present, when they should be thinking of the future also. They are only thinking of how they can overcome the objections so they can close the sale when they should be thinking of the next sale, the add on. If the customer is thinking of the future, so should the sales person. Most sales people only go into the future after a sale is made, that is usually too late. The time to think of the future and the add on sale is as soon as you bring out the first piece of jewelry. Thinking ahead is a wonderful psychological tactic to play on yourself - it makes the first sale very easy. Without being forceful or overly aggressive you will bring out the next piece of jewelry in a very natural way, and this can automatically close the first sale. I have seen this happen many times and the sales person is not only surprised but so highly motivated they keep doing it the rest of the day. They tell me, at first, it is difficult to keep thinking ahead because they are not used to it, however, after they have made a few sales, they are hooked.

Why does all this work so well? Because it makes so much sense. First off, the sales person usually spends too much time emphasizing the first piece of jewelry and they run out of words to say and start repeating themselves. I call this 'sales person's senility'. Try to avoid staying on a single piece of jewelry too long. Bring out a companion piece, it is a pleasant distraction for the customer because when they come back to the original piece of jewelry there is a fresh approach. And here are some other sensible reasons. Just think of the buying mood the customer is in when they are thinking of the future. They are very receptive to look at an additional piece of jewelry, unfortunately, most sales people refuse to do so because of one of three reasons:

1. They didn't think of it.
2. They were afraid to lose the first sale.
3. It may be too pushy and they are afraid of rejection.

I do not know of a sales person yet who has lost the first sale because they tried an add on sale. Nor do I know of anyone the customer got upset with because they felt the sales person was too aggressive. All these objections are strictly in the sales person's mind and not in the customers. They are in a buying mood and are thrilled to see an additional piece of jewelry. Actually, the sales person is in a win-win situation. If the customer does not buy the add on piece of jewelry now, the sales person can contact them before the next important occasion because they have their name, address and phone number. It is the easiest selling phone call there is. The customer already knows the sales person and trusts them because they bought the first piece of merchandise from them. They have already seen the second piece, and liked it, and they were expecting the phone call, so it is not a blind call. I tell my students the fastest way to develop a good client list is by rejection on an add on sale. This last Christmas how many customer's names did you have that you could call that you had previously shown a piece of jewelry to? Those of my students that did had excellent sales increases regardless of what part of the country they were in. By calling their customers they got them in their office before they could ever get to another jewelry store. What an easy way to cut out your competition. Most of their customers needed a good idea on what to purchase for their wives. That is why, customers who come in after a phone call are the easiest sale made in a jewelry store. They are almost pre-sold.

There you have it - two powerfull selling techniques - the add on sale and the client list. You can increase your sales at least 50% by perfecting these techniques. Not only that, but you will no longer be clerking the sale, instead you will be a professional sales person. Remember, the easiest way to start this process is to think of what else you are going to show your customer while you are bringing out the first piece of jewelry. Your mind must go just as fast into the future as your customers. Now you are making sense.

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Leonard Zell is a professional sales trainer specializing in fine jewelry sales techniques.

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