How to be a Salesperson

How to be a Salesperson

There are two types of people in this world: followers and leaders. As a salesperson it is your job to be a leader. If you are a master at sales you should be able to read your customer and weave a story about your product to fit their amusement so enticing that they believe it is their personal idea that they cannot live without it. As Lau Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher of Taoism, stated “The best leaders are those their people hardly know exist.”.

            To bring the sale to a close and have a enjoyable experience for both you and your customer you must do five simple steps.

1.     Dress Appropriately. This is fairly common sense for most people, but others will struggle with this idea. Here is some motivation: according to Business Insider first impressions are formed within seven to seventeen seconds of meeting someone and fifty five percent of a person’s opinion is determined by physical appearance. The way you dress could well be the deal breaker between the two thousand dollar sale and the walk out the door.

2.     Have good body posture. If you are slouching over a display case or slinking around the floor you will not exude confidence. Customers will catch onto this and will be less likely to follow you or trust you. According to Business Insider During face to face meetings, 93% of people's judgments of others are based on non-verbal input like body language. How you stand, sit, and shake hands communicates a lot more than what you say. Eye contact is included in this.

What it means: To build rapport with another person, your gaze should meet theirs about 70-80% of the time. This lays the groundwork for trust by showing that a) you’re listening to what they have to say and b) you like them. Research also shows that:

3. Ideal eye-contact lasts roughly 7-10 seconds in a one-on-one conversation. Look away too soon and you risk implying that you’re untrustworthy.
4. Excessive blinking is suspicious. Adults normally blink anywhere from 15-20 times per minute. Our blink rate increases when we’re stressed or under pressure (ex. Bill Clinton’s blink rate clocked in at 92 per minute during his deposition).

a.      

5.     Greet/read the customer

a.     If you get stuck with the elderly gentleman that simply wants to know your life story as his wife shops find him a stool and like an ex-couple politely, but firmly, move on. You do not need to babysit him. In fact he will probably be happier no that he can simply sit and wait rather than have to maintain conversation.

b.     Expect stupid questions, do not laugh at the customers.

6.     Present the product

a.     Believe in your product

                                               i.     The customer is NOT always right. Often times customers will tell you that they know everything there is to know about your product and that you are selling something fake or too expensive. Although they may be an expert on that type of thing, you are an expert on your merchandise. One time I was taking care of a lady who was trying on a pair of Amber earrings. She clearly adored them, and also clearly wished for a discount. After several hours of requesting for a cut in the price I finally gave her the last NO. She went on to say that, as an avid Amber collector, she recognized these earrings as pseudo-Amber and again demanded a discount. I remained calm and professional, and held my ground that they were true Amber, and eventually she bought them at full price. 

                                              ii.     On another note, make sure that you believe 100% in your product. People either follow leaders or are leaders. Make sure that they are following you. If there is any hesitancy or dishonesty in your sales pitch customers will sniff it out like a dog to meat and will instantly jump off your bandwagon.

7.     Bring it to the cash register