Jessica Turner Salon specialist coach, Pam Stellema says it’s easier to double retail sales than your staff think.
Retailing is the ability to solve your customer’s problems and is a must for your business in regards to revenue building. However to be successful you need to build rapport; communicate and listen; understand their needs; and, develop your sales strategy.
Build Rapport
Generate rapport by finding common ground; being genuinely interested; listen without interruption; ask good questions; mirror the client’s body language and voice pattern; and, find ways to show the client you truly like them.
People buy from people they like so it’s important to create a great first impression. Speak with a smile, offer prompt service and a warm greeting; ask questions and listen to the answers; and, provide results driven service.
Communicate Effectively
How do your clients like to communicate? Are the visual, auditory or kinaesthetic? What language do you use? Always make sure your communication style matches your clients’ to keep them comfortable.
Visual communicators talk fast and use their hands: use seeing words, ‘I see what you mean’. Auditory communicators like music and talking on the phone: use hearing words, ‘I hear what you’re saying’. Kinaesthetic communicators talk slowly, appear relaxed, take pauses, use gut feelings and appear quiet: use feeling words, ‘I feel that this product…’
Understand Needs
When selling, always address the benefits that the client will receive from their purchase. Trying to sell by talking about the technical aspects of the product and its ingredients won’t deliver results alone.
If your client has a particular skin concern, tell her how that product is going to help them overcome that problem and give the client the skin they really want!
Complete the Sale
After you have created the relationship; asked and listened; identified the problem; found the solution; and, explained the benefits; you need to ask for the sale.
Offer your client a detailed a prescription sheet, a refreshing drink, and lots of free professional advice. Then, provide information and product brochure, asking the client to purchase today.
Before a client will purchase from you they must know you, like you, trust you and believe in your professionalism and integrity. The ultimate prize is not the client’s money but the client’s trust.
Pam’s List of Things NOT TO DO
- Do all the talking
- Talk about yourself
- Talk during relaxation time
- Interrupt the client
- Answer your own questions
- Criticise
- Hand out samples
- Assume what the client can afford
- Sell the client the wrong product
- Make the client uncomfortable
- Destroy the relationship
Pam Stellema is principal coach at SalonSavy Coaching, salonsavy.com.au
