Greetings Floor Dealers!
In the previous post we covered the importance of having a Sales Closer System, and the four critical jobs this kind of system will do for you. In summary, a good Sales Closer System will:
- Give you total control of the sales process.
- Quickly weed out price-shoppers.
- Create total differentiation from your competitors.
- Cause prospects to switch from “shopper” to “buyer” while they are still in your store.
Mike P., a dealer from Connecticut I work with, increased his year-over-year revenue by 79% by introducing several new sales and marketing strategies into his business. Implementing a Sales Closer System was a big part of the mix.
The vast majority of flooring sales people have not been given a step-by-step sales process that walks prospects down a logical path from “shopper” to “buyer.” They haven’t been trained in a written process that can be learned, measured for results, and where they can be held accountable for results. As a result, most sales people wing it. This leaves far too much to chance, especially if you want to consistently command margins of 40-50% or more.
Let’s take a look at elements you should include as part of your Sales Closer System.
First, when a customer comes into your store, don’t use typical greetings like, “How may I help you?” or “What kind of flooring did you have in mind?” This puts the customer in charge of the sales process, creates no differentiation from your competitors, and causes premature price discussions. Instead, say something like, “Welcome to Jimbo’s Floors! Are you a new or returning customer? A new customer! Excellent! We have a special program for new customers. Can I take a quick minute and tell you about it?” If they are a returning customer say, “Excellent! We have a special program for returning customers. Can I take a quick minute and tell you about it?” Your “program” is your step-by-step Sales Closer System. Done correctly, 90-95% of walk-ins will say yes. This gives the sales person instant control of the process and creates total differentiation.
Second, build value in the mind of the mind of the prospect for the sales process. For example, explain how there are thousands of flooring products, and your process will help narrow it down to the best product for their unique situation and lifestyle.
Third, sit down with them and ask them questions about their lifestyle, level of traffic, the kind of flooring they currently own, how they’ve maintained it, etc. Write down the answers.
If a prospect is unwilling to go through these first three steps, that’s a good indication that they are a price shopper, and that you may not want to invest a lot of time with them. Proceed with caution.
Fourth, when the sales person visits their home to measure, they should be trained to not only get measurements, but also to inspect the prospect’s vacuum, their walk-off mats, the kind of carpet spotter they are using, etc. They should also give written recommendations on floor maintenance. This creates total differentiation and further positions the sales person as a trusted advisor.
Your entire process should be written out, including sales scripts for each stage of the process.
Finally, a word of warning. This kind of system has been proven to work in my own businesses, and by the many dealers I’ve trained to do it. But occasionally a dealer will tell me that many of their walk-ins won’t go through the process. Invariably, upon further questioning, I find out that the dealer is not using sales scripts, or in some other way is messing up the process. So if you get push back from a high percentage of walk-ins, don’t assume they are all price-shoppers. And don’t give up on this system: it works. Look at what you and your team may be doing to inadvertently sabotage your results.
To Tons Of Customers!
Jim Augustus Armstrong is The “Coach”
Jim Augustus Armstrong is the President of Flooring Success Systems, a program that equips dealers to double their profits, cut their work hours in half and beat the boxes! Many dealers have totally transformed their businesses and their lives for the better after joining Flooring Success Systems.
See what real, live dealers are saying!