Greetings Floor Dealers!
“My customers don’t want to go through my sales closer system because they seem like they’re in a hurry,” said Liz, a floor dealer from Utah. I was conducting a training webinar for dealers on how to use a sales closer system that’s been proven highly effective many dealers.
Those new to my column might be asking, “What the heck is a ‘sales closer system’?” In a nutshell, a sales-closer-system is a step-by-step, logical, scripted process for making a prospect switch from “shopper” into “buyer” while they are still in your store. One important objective of a good sales closer system is to lead prospects to say to themselves, “I’d have to be absolutely out of my mind to buy from anyone else, even if they’re cheaper.” Obviously a ‘traditional’ sales approach usually won’t accomplish this.
In a recent series of columns titled How To Command Margins Of 40-50% Or More I wrote in depth about how to implement this kind of system, and the tremendous results achieved by dealers using it. (See the column archives at FCNews.net to read this series.)
However, Liz’s concern about customers being in a hurry and not wanting to go through any kind of sales process is not uncommon. Prospects have been brainwashed by Home Depot, Lowes, Lumber Liquidators, and the other legions of “cheap price” floor sellers that the only consideration when buying floors is “who has the lowest price.” When a prospect walks into your store, they may think they know what flooring is best for them, and all that’s left is to get a price. You must completely derail this line of thinking. The way I train dealers to do this is to say the following:
“Hi, welcome to Jimbo’s Floors. Are you a new or returning customer? A new customer? Great! We have a special program for new customers. Can I take a quick minute and tell you about it?” (Say the same thing if they are a returning customer.) This script does several critical jobs.
First, if they’ve visited several stores before yours they’ve likely heard, “How may I help you?” or “What kind of flooring did you have in mind?” They assume they’ll hear the same from your store, but instead they hear something completely unexpected. It acts as a pattern interrupt. It catches them off guard in a good way.
Second, it creates instant differentiation from other dealers.
Third, it only asks for a commitment of a “quick minute.” You aren’t pouncing on them immediately with a nasty, scary, lengthy sales pitch. Just an innocent, harmless “quick minute” is all you are asking.
Now that you’ve secured a “quick minute” of their attention, this is your opportunity to build value in your sales closer system. Never forget that everyone’s favorite radio station is W.I.I.F.M. What’s in it for me? So have a 30-second elevator script prepared and memorized ahead of time where you quickly explain 3-5 ways your prospect will benefit by going through your process.
Finally, say to the prospect, “Let’s head over to my design area. I’ll take you through a series of questions that will give me a clear picture of your flooring project and what you are trying to accomplish.”
You’ve now secured the prospect’s undivided attention for as long as you need in order to take them through your sales closer system, not to mention maintaining total control of the sales process.
Will 100% of prospects agree to go through your sales process? Of course not. But my surveys of dealers who have mastered this kind of opening script have shown that 90-95% of prospects will.
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!