If there is one message that is coming through more than any other in these tough times, it is the need for businesses to get back to some old-fashioned selling. The businesses that will overcome a recession and, indeed, thrive are those that get in front of more customers now. It is a tough ask because right now lots of customers will be refusing sales visits, so to fill that diary you have to contact more people than ever, plus the ratio of sales achieved to visits made is likely to fall, making it tougher still.
Therefore, it is essential to maximise not just your efforts, but also your effectiveness. And get as much help as you can - the whole chain from the grower onwards is dependent on the guy who gets in front of the customer and asks him to buy.
But primarily, this is down to the individual. The bottom line is that a lot of potential sales disappear into the ether because of three basic errors. First, the salesman does not plan his time effectively and, as a consequence, fails to see as many customers as possible. Second, he turns up late, ill prepared and knowing virtually nothing about the customer. Third, he does not even ask for the sale. Put those three right and, with no extra activity, your turnover will improve.
Still, we can all use a refresher on the proven techniques for selling. I have picked out the best I have seen, heard and used.
First comes one that is repeated everywhere: “God gave you one mouth and two ears, so use them in that proportion.” It is a cliché that great salesmen have the gift of the gab, but it is wrong. Sure, they are persuasive talkers, but above all they have the gift of listening. Allied to that, they have learned the right questions to ask so that the customer does the talking and talks himself into buying. The too-talkative salesman will miss all sorts of buying signals as he verbally shoulder-charges his way through his presentation. Tell him to shut up and listen.
Another mantra “sell benefits, not features” is likewise repeated everywhere. But so often it does not happen. Certainly, consumers are increasingly interested in the detail - where is it from, how many food miles, is it organic? But everyone is interested in the benefits; that fruit and vegetables are healthy, delicious, kids love them, they keep well, they are versatile and a bargain. This is even more true of business-to-business sales - buyers want to hear that a product is profitable, gives good turnover per square foot and low wastage.
This is about professionalism, selling a solution to a problem and taking advantage of an opportunity. A further mark of professionalism is to take notes, just as a doctor, accountant or solicitor would. Use a hardback A4 notebook, rather than some pre-printed form. The latter always looks like you are working to a formula, shoe-horning the customer into a fit with your product, rather than coming up with a tailor-made solution.
The salesman should be the customer’s equal, whether he is visiting a market stall or a multinational. This way he is on the same wavelength as the customer, without which there is no sale. A simple means to achieve this is to pick up on phrases your customer uses, known as parrot phrasing. By contrast, translating your customer’s words into technical terms or trade jargon is sales suicide. You are there to sell, not run a tutorial on the produce industry. Equally, treat the customer with respect. He buys your product regularly and may know it as well as you. If you insist on going through your whole pitch, he will not buy because he feels that he is being treated like an idiot.
Show and tell. Sorry, show and sell. That is fundamental, especially in this industry. Trade customers will insist on sampling and trial, but the poor old consumer rarely has the chance to sample product. Why not? It is a proven route that turns “not sure” into “I’ll have some”. It also adds a bit of theatre to the retail experience - something that small businesses can take advantage of because the supermarkets are poor at it.
A picture paints a thousand words, but a true story paints a thousand pictures. Note the word ‘true’. If you have a customer who will confirm with a phone call - “yes, the product sells as promised, lasts for ages and brings customers back” - you have a very valuable ally.
Some thoughts about numbers. First, compare these two sentences: “There are good reasons to buy now”, with “there are three good reasons to buy now”. The second is far stronger, isn’t it? Nor did I pick the number three at random. There is a technique called the Rule of Three - for some unknown reason, grouping items in threes makes a powerful impression on the human mind: “I came, I saw, I conquered”; “faith, hope and charity”; “government of the people, by the people, for the people”. At a more basic level there is 123, abc, xyz - 4, d and w never get a look-in. People remember groups of three so, without being contrived, use them where you can.
Finally, some points about price. First, do not try to hide it away. You cannot quote figures until you know the customer’s requirements, so tell them that. The longer you leave it totally unaddressed, the more they are thinking, “this is going to be expensive”. The one exception is if you know absolutely that you have a complete knock-out punch in your price. Second, do not be scared of price. Research has shown that 18-20 per cent of people habitually buy the cheapest, while 0.5 per cent habitually buy the most expensive. Four out of five customers want value, not just price. Consider, if you have a pet, do you habitually buy the cheapest food for it? It is the salesman’s job to convince customers that he is providing far more value than the cheapest price.
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