The #1 Conversation Killer in Retail

I was asked the single worst question in all of retail multiple times today. Before I share my story, let me set the stage… Today is Christmas Eve, and I have just completed my last round of holiday shopping. It’s been over 5 years since I left the retail industry… but 20 years of front-line retail management experience still flows thru my veins.

“Do you need any help?” That was the first question asked of me at each of my shopping stops today. Not “Happy Holidays!”… not “WELCOME, how can I help find your perfect gift?”… just the typical “Do you need any help?”

What a waste! It amazes me that organizations and managers still allow variations of that #1 Conversation Killer to be used in their stores 99% of the time. When you are asked that question, what do you answer? Most people say, “No, I’m just looking”… The interaction is finished… Game over! Retail associates should be required to treat their customers like friends or family… having conversations and helping them the best way possible. As the self-service & online retail tidal waves continue to build, time is running out for businesses to learn how to create true relationships with their customers.

Hint: The answer is NOT to kill conversations before they even start.

Handling Objections - Part 1

Do you allow objections to stand in your way of helping customers? Most professionals do... even those who do almost everything right. They find prospects, initiate contact, build relationships, understand needs, present solutions and ask for commitment. And then, when the customer responds, they think they hear the word “No!” and run away in search of another prospect… to start the whole process all over again. What a waste!

There is a BIG difference between "No!" and:

• “I’m too busy”
• “That’s too expensive”
• “I’m already doing that”
• “Let me think about it”
• “I’m happy with my current provider”
• “Let me ask…”
• “I don’t trust you” (unspoken)
• “I don’t know who you are” (unspoken)

These are simply cries for help and more information... Always remember these two important things about Handling Objections:

1. People rarely say, “No!” to your requests. They give you some type of excuse why they are hesitant to proceed.
2. Everyone hates to change (even if it means doing something in their best interest), so don’t be surprised by objections… embrace them!

Would you be in a better position to handle objections if you spent 60 seconds before each interaction reviewing and preparing for them? Do you do that every time now?

What if you did?

Successful People - Part 2

Successful People...

• look at every challenge as an opportunity
• always keep & project a positive outlook
• read books & blogs to learn & develop specific knowledge & skills
• practice their crafts every day
• help others before seeking to be helped
• learn wisdom from previous generations… and teach wisdom to future generations
• work longer & harder than their competition
• work smarter instead of only harder
• learn what other successful people learn
• do what other successful people do
• are where other successful people are
• utilize focused To-Do lists

"It's Easy!"

“It’s easy!” That’s what Pat (my Southwest airlines flight attendant) told me when I complimented and thanked her for excellent customer service during my cross-country flight (#1691) today from Chicago-Midway to Oakland.

From her bright sincere smile when I entered the plane… to her concern for my leg room immediately after I sat down… to her hilarious (and informational) flight announcements… to her continuous care for me and the full plane of passengers… to the gifts that she gave me (a pen and some playing cards)… to her final “Good-bye, we’ll see you next time!”… Pat was the model of Excellence. I’m confident that she would have handled her ‘real’ job of caring for us in an emergency if that had occurred. Yes, Pat… it is easy!... Unfortunately, it is less than common… it is very rare.

What if every person in your organization cared that much for your customers… and represented your brand that well? (Punch Line: They can because… it’s easy!)

Understanding Needs vs. Developing Wants

I have been teaching & coaching sales professionals for over 25 years about the art of understanding needs. While that skill will always be a critical part of every human interaction, I have been neglecting possibly the most important human emotion: Want.

We all know what we need to do... but the one thing that holds most of us back is wanting the end result enough to actually do something. When we truly want something, we learn the information… develop the skills & behavior… ignore the fear… and work hard & long enough to get it.

In addition to understanding needs, we must focus on developing wants in order to help others (and ourselves) be more successful.

Talking to Everyone = Talking with No One

It was not long ago when communicating with another human being required some effort. You needed to invest at least one visit… letter… phone call… or fax for each contact. Today, we have the power to communicate with more people for less than ever… Less time / Less Money / Less Effort. As a result, countless people abuse this Power of Communication by contacting as many people as frequently as possible.

When you are in a store, and you hear someone announcing, “All available cashiers to the front!” what happens? Either every cashier comes up or no cashiers come up… because the request was too generic. Many of us recently received “Happy 4^th of July to all of my friends!” messages. They were nice (at least someone cared enough to copy & paste our names into an e-mail blast)… The ones that meant the most to me were the one or two messages that simply read, “Stephen, Happy 4^th of July!” because they were personalized for me.

The only thing worse than receiving generic messages from strangers… is receiving them from ‘friends’.

Challenge: The next time you plan to treat everyone in your address book with equal indifference… decide which people deserve something better.

"You Are Not Important... Yet!"

Another business refused to take my money today… at least for a while. I was standing out front of that business for 10 minutes waiting for it to open. I could see employees behind locked doors scurrying about trying to finish their ‘urgent’ last-minute tasks. Occasionally, someone would glance up and look at me (as I waited outside to give them my money)… Never did they greet me… Never did they even acknowledge me.

Poet, author and African American ‘treasure’, Maya Angelou one said, “If someone shows you who they are… Believe Them!” In other words, “Talk is Cheap!” Don’t tell me that I am a valued customer… show me. Don’t say that you appreciate my business… show me.

When I managed retail stores during the early part of my career, I instructed my staff to always let customers into the store if they arrived before business hours. We showed our appreciation and how much we Valued their business by making them our priority… not some task that could be done later.

What are your actions telling others?