How to Sell More to Your Customers

When a customer walks into a pet store, it is unlikely the sales clerk will walk up to the customer and say, "What kind of dog food can I get you?" After all, at a pet store, the customer might own a cat, a bird, a rabbit, or any other pet and not even like dogs, or he could actually not own a pet at all and actually be at the store to purchase a pet.

Chances are the pet store sales clerk is going to ask a much simpler question such as, "Can I help you find anything today?" or "What can I help you look for?"

Now, let's take a look at both of those questions and determine which is the better of the two. The questions, 'Can I help you find anything today?' allows for one of two responses - the customer can say yes and move on to what they need, or the customer can simply say, "No."

Now, with the other question, 'What can I help you look for?' it is impossible for the customer to answer that with a simple yes or no. In fact, the customer will have to give the salesperson more information, valuable information if the salesperson wants to make a sale.

When I was in college, I worked my way through school selling consumer electronics in a department store and my only income came from commissions. I learned quickly how to get inside my customer's minds and sell more products to survive, so I figured I'd share my experience with you here.

So let's look at what the above scenario tells us about selling and how you too can increase your sales and income:

Sales Tip #1:

Never assume anything about your customer. Your job isn't to assume things and then try to sell the customer what you think they need, but rather to learn and listen and actually sell the customer what he didn't even know he needed!

Sales Tip #2:

Customers erect walls when you sale to them. Instead of selling to them, help them. If you can make the customer feel as though you are doing them a favor, without making them feel guilty about it, you will probably secure a sale. So don't sell to your customer, but rather, lead your customer to what they need first, by listening to what they have to say, and then and only then can you close a sale.

Sales Tip #3:

Ask open ended questions. Asking, 'What can I help you look for today?' can't be answered with a simple yes or no. Of course, the customer could still say something like, "Oh, nothing. I'm just looking." but you can easily follow that up with a, "Well, if you see anything you need more information about, don't hesitate to let me know."

You've then build a bit of a report with the customer even if they don't ask for your help right then. However, many customers actually DO want help of some sort, but they are afraid to ask for it. Offering an open ended question that is warm and inviting allows them the chance to ask for that help, but make it feel as though they didn't have to ask.

Sales Tip #4:

Show the customer a deal. We all like to think we're getting a bargain. Show your customer what they are looking for, both the high end and the low end of the product spectrum, and then suggest something in the middle for the actually sales kill. Then, when the customer leans toward that middle product, you can plus sell the upper line that way by showing what they'd have to add to the midline product versus the next higher product that comes standard with those features.

It doesn't matter really WHAT you are selling to your customer, there is always something better and worse than that particular product, and the customer knows this too. So stay away from sales catch phrases that knowledgeable consumers have learned are nothing more than sales pitches.

Instead of: "Top of the line" you can use the phrase, "One of the best of it's kind". Not only is this a bit more accurate, but it doesn't appear pushy or built up, and the consumer will be more likely to BELIEVE this sales pitch than they will the other.

When the customer believes they are getting a good value for the money on a quality product, they are going to buy. It's your job to help them see that good value.

Sales Tip #5:

The only way to sell the customer something they don't want is to show them the things they do want. Plus selling is a concept that's foreign to many even good salespersons, but really is the easiest sell to make, if you think about it. It is much harder to sell something to a customer that doesn't want or need the item you are trying to sell than it is to ADD a sale onto a product the customer DOES need or want.

If the customer is buying a computer keyboard, plus sell a wrist rest for the keyboard or a can of condensed air to clean the keyboard so it stays like new, or cleaning wipes for the same purpose - or both!

If you're selling clothing, that outfit might just cry out for a belt and shoes for a woman or a jacket or tie for a man.

It's infinitely easier to sell additional products to a person who is already engaged in the sale, so start with selling the customer what they need first, then you can work on adding those things they don't need, once the customer is already in that purchase mode.

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These are just some basic sales tips to help you increase your sales potential if you are a new salesperson, but it never hurts to go back and remember the basics even if you are a veteran salesperson.