Monday, January 28, 2008

What can we Learn by Being a Buyer?

I once walked into a furniture store to get a refrigerator. Notice what I just said--I walked into a furniture store to get a refrigerator! Mine had just died and gone to refrigerator heaven and I NEEDED ONE! I walked in with my wife and they had a nice lady at the door who welcomed me there and told me to make myself at home.

Great meet and greet!

We walked around and went straight to the refrigerators. A few seconds later, a guy walked up holding a yard stick of all things and started asking us a few questions. We told him that we were there to get a fridge and he started laying on the features of certain models while wildly swinging the yard stick as if he was a general directing his troops. Not only did he not ask questions to get our wants and needs--he freaked the hell out of us!

OK--so far not so good but I was still there to buy so I gave him the time of day--until...

...until my wife walked over to a washer a dryer (we didn't need one) and said, "Wow--this one looks nice." He came over a started swinging his yard-stick-sword and told us that he would get us a great deal if we bought both the washer and dryer.

"Uh...we're here for a refrigerator."

"If you buy all three you will get a fantastic deal!"

OK--time to get the #$@%^# out of there. "You know what? We're just looking and need to think about it."

"What would it take to sell you all three of these?"

"Uh--I'll need to sleep on it, talk to my banker, I have an uncle in the business, I only have 15 minutes and will come back, I'm just looking and I need to study it a bit--and just for the hell of it, I think I need to pray on it."

"OK--here is my business card. Make sure you ask for me if you come back."

I take the card and think to myself, "Not in a #$%@# million years!" but say, "I sure will--you did a great job!"

We started for the door and I over heard the manager ask, "What are they doing? Where are they going?" Wow--by this time, I was feeling like a number. Out of the corner of my eyes, I heard yard-stick man say, "Ah--they were just wasting time--they aren't in the market for anything" as he swung the yard-stick my our general direction as we left and headed towards Sears and bought a fridge on the spot.

My boss was friends with the guy that ran the furniture store and I brought up this story in our sales meeting and made him promise not to say anything to his friend (the same manager that asked about us as we ran out of the door) but of course, he did rag on his buddy and the guy did call me a couple of days later and asked, "Hey, Marv--you still looking for a refrigerator?"

"Nope--bought one at Sears."

"For how much?"

"$950"

"Man--I could have gotten you a better deal."

Sorry, dude--train your salespeople and watch what happens on the floor--not just what happens when people leave. Of course, I didn't say that to him--I said, "Well, I might need a washer and dryer--I'll come by and see you."

So, what can we learn about this little true story?

1) Ask questions. The yard-stick-dude never even asked me what was important about a refrigerator.
2) Never assume. He assumed that I wanted a washer and dryer and I did not!
3) Never pressure someone UNLESS you have zero chance of selling them in the future if they leave. Subtle pressure is fine but know when not to swing the bat!
4) Do a proper T.O. to your manager--don't let him see your customers walk out and have to ask about them. I like to say, "Before you leave, I would like to introduce you to someone so if you ever have a question to ask when I'm not here, you'll have someone to ask." I hear people say all the time, "Hold on--I have to let you talk to my manager before you leave!" WTF!
5) Don't swing a yard-stick.


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