There are a lot of professional salespeople who do an excellent job of turning shoppers into buyers. These are the kind of salespeople who love a challenge. I've come up with some customer vs. salesperson scenarios that are similar to situations you face everyday. Read through each one and come up with the best way to handle the sale based on what you know from your experience. When you're done, read the answers provided and find out how well you made the call!

1) A customer enters the store. As you walk toward them, they say, "I'm just looking," before you even have a chance to say hello. What do you do?

2) A customer comes into the store and immediately walks up to a particular bedroom set and begins examining it carefully. What now?

3) A customer enters the store and immediately asks if you carry Line X. You don't. How do you create an opportunity to show an alternative?

Now that you've had a chance to come up with your own solutions to the situations, read on and see how close YOU made the call.

Scenario #1

One of the most frustrating lessons to learn as a salesperson is how to get around defensive shields. Defensive shields are the automatic responses that customers use to get rid of pushy salespeople. Somewhere along the line, this customer used one of these responses and it made the salesperson leave them alone, so now they always use it without even thinking.

Your responsibility as a salesperson is to break down customer resistance to allow you the opportunity to open the sale. The easiest way to break down customer resistance is to approach the situation as just another human being, not as a salesperson. This means that you absolutely stay away from business-related opening lines. Look at the following dialogue and notice how the salesperson involves the customer in a non-business related conversation (schmoozing) to put him at ease before opening the sale. Also, notice the line the salesperson uses "So what brought you into the store today?" as a transition into the next step of the selling process: probing.

C: "I'm just looking" S: "Terrific." (Continue to walk by relieving pressure from the customer, then slowly turn back asking a non-business related question.) S: "Say, was there an accident up the street? I noticed a lot of traffic out in front. Do you know what happened?" C: "Yeah, someone ran the stop sign at the corner, and it's a real mess. No one was hurt, but it really has traffic backed up." S: "Boy, what a shame. So, what brings you into the store today?"

Scenario #2

I don't know about you, but I've walked into many retail stores where something caught my eye right out of the gate. Sometimes it's something that I am interested in, sometimes it's something that I am not interested in. The important thing to note is that unless you are that customer, you have no way of knowing.

I always tell the story of walking into a sporting goods store to buy a scuba diving mask when a tennis racquet display caught my eye. I don't like to play tennis, but my brother does. He told me just prior to my trip into the store than he had purchased a new tennis racquet and when he told me how much it had cost, I couldn't believe it. When I saw the display of tennis racquets that looked like the kind he had described to me, I had to investigate. As I mentioned, I don't play tennis and I didn't plan on starting that day either. I was merely curious.

Sure enough, a well-meaning salesperson approached me immediately and began to demonstrate the tennis racquet without as much as a hello. If he would have stopped to find out what I was all about, and why I came into his store that day, he would have made a very fine sale on a scuba diving mask. I was so frustrated by the time he was done demonstrating the racquet that I left the store without making a purchase.

Ignore any temptations to use the Merchandise Approach (making a comment on the product the customer is looking at). This over-used approach is business-related, and you have no sure indication that they have any more than a passing interest in that particular item. If they are interested, they will let you know (after you schmooze a little to break down any resistance). If not, you'll only appear pushy and will likely antagonize them. Take a look at the following dialogue. This is how I would have handled the customer:

S: "I couldn't help noticing your jacket; I just love it. Did you get it somewhere near here?" C: "Yes, I got it at the clothing store next door." S: "Really? I hear they have some great things. Tell me, what brings you into the store today?"

Scenario #3:

Trust is a very important element in sales, so getting your customer's permission to switch is an aid toward gaining his trust in you. Without discounting the value or bad mouthing any other line or brand (that would be one sure way of losing his trust in you), find out why they selected the other one. Their answer to this question will give you features and benefits that are important to them which you can point out during the demonstration of your merchandise.

S: "Tell me, why have chosen that particular line?" C: "My neighbor recommended it. He says they make high-quality furniture and offer a wide selection." S: "Yes, high quality and a wide selection certainly are important features. You know, our buyers have the opportunity to choose any line available. Unfortunately, this year they have not selected that one in particular. Since high quality and selection is important to you in choosing a bedroom set, I've got one that I think you'll love. May I show it to you?"

Although the scenarios discussed in this article only skim the surface of the situations you deal with daily, I hope they give you more sales tools so you won't get caught unprepared. By continually adding more techniques to you basket of selling tools, you'll be better prepared to make the right call and close the sale!