Listen to Your Customer's Ideas - Not Just Their Words

Customers may not always know the correct or technical terms for the merchandise they want. Salespeople often take great pride in knowing industry jargon. This can create a dangerous clash. As an example, a customer once asked me what type of VHS she had to buy to play my sales training video tapes. It would have been easy for me to say the tapes are VHS format and the machine is a VCR, but why? Why make her wrong? Of course, it is important to let her know the difference-but after I make the sale, not before.

Often, the customer will use a word or phrase the salesperson is unfamiliar with. I did some sales training for a group of furniture stores once and visited one of the stores right after the session. Of course, the salespeople challenged me by handing over the very next customer who walked in. I had never been in the store, I didn't know where anything was, I was completely out of my element and ill-equipped to serve any customer. But I had eight salespeople eager to watch the master die right in front of them. I had to take the challenge.

This lady walked right up to me and said she was looking for a davenport. I'd never heard the word davenport in my life. I'm a native Californian and apparently this was a Midwestern way of saying sofa. I said, "Well, that's great. What type of davenports have you seen before that you really liked?" She said, "Well, I really want a seven-foot one this time . . ." and I immediately ruled out lamps as a possibility. (By the way, I made the sale!)

Use Words to Express-Not Impress

Each industry has developed words to better describe things and to prevent misunderstandings and confusion. For example, in the computer business there are words like megabyte and ROM. In jewelry, there is inclusion and refraction. These words make it very easy to communicate with people in the same industry. They are, however, words that may confuse customers who are not up to snuff with industry jargon. Most of the time, customers won't ask what the words mean if they are used in a presentation. This would show a weakness and vulnerability. So instead of clearing up the misunderstood words, they leave.

Suppose a guy decides to take up jogging. He hasn't bought a pair of athletic shoes in over 15 years and has no idea of how expensive and technologically complex they have become. He tries on a pair and the salesperson mentions they have an EVA midsole. The customer hears the word EVA and immediately feels unqualified to make a decision.

He leaves and finds out what kind of jogging shoes his neighbor wears, and then buys the same kind from someone else. If the salesperson hadn't taken for granted that every customer knew what EVA meant, he could have explained its benefits and been the friend who helped the customer make the buying decision, instead of his neighbor.

Keep your language simple and understandable. If you need to use an industry word, make sure you explain it at. For example: "This computer has 20 megabytes of memory. That means it can store up to 20 million characters."

There are two exceptions to this rule: 1) salespeople who are women or young looking men and 2) technically educated customers.

Society thinks that women don't know anything technical. (Nothing could be further from the truth.) So women need to establish themselves as experts by throwing a little jargon around early in the presentation. And I don't know if I want to spend $5,000 on an entertainment system from a guy who doesn't shave yet. If he starts talking about total harmonic distortion, I not only like it, but I trust him more.

With customers who are technically educated, speak at their level or slightly above it occasionally to gain their respect. But all the while, you should be complimenting them on their knowledge. "This is great. I finally have someone to talk to who knows what I'm talking about!"

What you say and how you say it can make or break a sale. Using and listening for the right words at the right time is just one more way of providing your customers with the quality of service that will set you apart from your competition!