“Write about what you know” is a favorite saying among authors. It seems obvious that the best writing would come from those things most familiar to you. This also applies when offering advice or talking about a particular subject. In business, knowing or not knowing your products can mean the difference between a sale and new customer or an opportunity lost. A lot has been written about “thinking outside the box,” but it’s important to remember that the box is there because the basics always apply. Write about what you know. Talk about what you know. Sell what you know, and know what you sell, because your customers do.
Grilled for Information
Summers in northern Minnesota are fleetingly short, so any opportunity to be outside is welcome. This carries over into that grand old summertime tradition—grilling. A friend of mine, named Mark, would be described as a “serious” griller, someone who cooks over an open flame five times a week from spring through fall. He’s also a serious researcher and will typically spend hours reading product reviews and shopping online for the best deal before making an in-store purchase. In that respect, Mark is like most consumers today. The latest statistics indicate that 97% of consumers use online media to research products and local services.
After several years of nearly day-to-day use, it was time this summer for Mark to replace his old grill. Instead of looking at similar models, he decided to upgrade to an upper-end model that cost nearly three times more. But when he went into a local store to purchase, he left without buying, even though the grill was in stock. What happened? That’s the subject of this edition oftheSource.
DO YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW MORE THAN YOUR EMPLOYEES?
A recent study titled The Customer-centric Store 2010 – How Retailers Engage Tech-enabled Customers, addresses the external challenges retailers face when consumers can quickly access information via wireless devices. The authors assert, “Customers walk into your store knowing more about your products than any staff on premises. And what they don’t know, they can discover in a moment’s time via the beloved wireless computer that accompanies their every move. Never before have the scales been so tilted.”
The report also acknowledges, “All the online chat pop-ups in the world still lack the one thing stores inherently provide—human contact. Even as the proliferation of video promises to change the online shopping experience, stores will continue to play a role in the multi-channel experience for as long as people enjoy getting out of the house and mixing with others.”
And that will continue to be the strength of an in-store shopping experience, the one-on-one human interaction that cannot be fully re-created in an online environment. Above all, consumers want to feel good about their purchases and having a knowledgeable sales person who can provide product insight and positive reinforcement is a formidable business asset. Such efforts increase customer loyalty, reduce product returns, and go far to build brand image.
Already answered questions still need answers.
It’s one of the mysteries of how we consumers shop, but most of us ask questions we already know the answers to. You do the research and know your product, but that’s not enough. You find yourself on the sales floor staring at the product you intend to purchase, but you still want someone to talk to. You want someone to acknowledge that, “Hey, I’m a customer here with money to spend. Make me feel good about my purchase and about purchasing it from you.”
Sometimes all it takes is a simple affirmation: “You know, if you grill a lot, the stainless steel construction of this model will hold up for years longer than the others.”
While the customer is present, make eye contact, smile, and be confident. The only thing worse than an uninformed employee, is an uninformed and apathetic employee. Having a customer in-store opens the doors wide to up-selling and establishing expertise.
“We’ve got a set of grill brushes on sale right now, and I know the perfect one to keep your grill clean.”
Do that and you’ll begin establishing trust on the spot.
Don’t do that and you’ll watch the customer walk.
It was that tilt that cost a certain retailer a $700-plus sale when Mark walked away to a competitor. After spending a couple of minutes on the sales floor giving the desired grill a final exam, an employee approached Mark and asked if he needed any help. Unfortunately, the staff member didn’t know BTUs from ATVs and stood there offering only a series of “Ummms” and “I don’t really know much about gas grills.” There was not even an offer to find someone else who could actually help.
Mark wasn’t expecting expert-level product knowledge—he already had that through research—he just wanted a simple affirmation that this grill was the right one for his needs. When it was apparent that this wasn’t going to happen, he excused himself, went out to the parking lot, and did a quick search on his iPhone for other local dealers who carried the grill. The search brought up the phone numbers of three other local stores. The first one he called had the same grill in stock, and though it meant driving a few extra miles, the person he spoke with said, “Yeah, that’s a great grill. I wish I had space for it on my patio.” There it was-that thread of interaction he was looking for. And a deal was born.
It’s vital that businesses staff their retail stores with employees who know what they sell or have access to someone that does. It can be a long, lonely summer otherwise.