Many years ago there was a path to finding lasting success in retail that was set in motion by our predecessors. This path to lasting success was built by conducting business with the core principles of trust, honesty and integrity. It was this business practice that helped create a unique bond of trust between sales associates and their customers. In those days there were no sales tactics needed to manipulate or deceive customers into purchasing. Selling in retail was certainly more simple and trusting. It was kind of like Mayberry on “The Andy Griffith Show.”
As the world evolved, we as an industry began to find ourselves straying from the path set before us that leads us to this lasting success. This allowed silent enemies, named Selfishness and Greed, to take root and slowly spin a web of deceit which disconnected us from our customers. Thus began the era of bad sales tactics fueled by greed and selfishness. We exchanged our truth for a lie and this is why selling has become more difficult in today’s world. The bottom line is that the customer who walks into your store for the very first time simply does not trust you. The time has come for an awakening to see the deep truths that have been hidden from us and turn our attention back towards impacting our customers lives in a meaningful way.
I would like to start by exposing the misleading ways that some sales associates are trained. Many of the trainings they receive are based on ways to manipulate their customers into buying a product. No longer do we talk of ways to impact our customers’ lives in a meaningful way. The sale has become more about us and less about our customers. This has led us to a disconnection from the customer because the bond of trust has been severed, which interrupts the flow of communication. The sales process has now become more difficult than it need be.
Our success as an industry was originally based on serving our customers, meeting their needs and looking out for their best interests. By straying from this truth many sales associates lead unfulfilled sales careers with no true happiness. The sales floor has become a grind and many are left looking for answers. Why am I never satisfied with my current success? Why are customers so difficult to deal with these days? Will I ever be able to find the joy in selling I once knew?
Today I am here to share with you a message of hope that will transform your life and sales career. What if I told you that there was an easier way to sell and find success? If I could help you get to the close quicker, would you listen? Modern Day Selling will offer you many new truths and lead you back to truly connecting with your customers and make selling fun, easy and almost effortless. It is time to get back to teaching the core principles of trust, honesty and integrity in selling your customer.
Today, I will share the first insight to help you find true and lasting success. We will start by focusing on the sales tactics that you use when selling. There are good sales tactics and bad sales tactics. Have you ever stopped to think about the way you are selling your customer? There are a few questions that will help you discover which sales tactics you are using. Do the methods you use to conduct business leave you feeling satisfied and energized? Are you truly looking out for your customers’ best interests, or are you focused more on commission dollars? These are the questions you must ask in order to determine what type of sales tactics you are using.
The proper use of good sales tactics can be easily identified based on two main principles. First, does it benefit your customer? If it benefits your customer then it is a good sales tactic. If it does not benefit your customer, the tactics you use are most likely fueled by greed and selfishness. Many sales associates are shocked when they take the time to examine the sales tactics they are using. That little light bulb comes on and they can see with clarity where they were led astray in the sales tactics they were taught.
Secondly, do you find it easy to connect with your customer and take care of their needs? Sales professionals who use good sales tactics close more efficiently and effectively because they have connected with their customers. Sales associates who use bad sales tactics often have marathon sales and very little repeat business. Sure they may close a sale here and there, but the process is much harder than it needs to be.
In closing, I challenge you to examine the sales tactics you use to sell your customers. Many sales associates have simply sold the way they have been taught. They never took the time to examine or question the methods in which they sell their customers. Look within yourself and ask the tough questions to help expose the true intentions in the sales tactics you use. Some of you may be shocked in what you discover? I encourage everyone to implement good sales tactics in your sales presentation and watch your sales become easy and almost effortless in time.
When you take the time to implement good sales tactics you will find a more rich and rewarding life as a sales professional. To those of you who have already discovered this truth, I commend you and encourage you to share your success with those around you. Impact your store environment in a powerful way that will bring change to the sales floor. For more insight you can visit my website www.moderndayselling.com.
Brian Barfield is a two-time published author, worldwide, who specializes in offering fresh new insight in retail sales training. Modern Day Selling offers a unique perspective in teaching sales associates how to reconnect with their customers and how to achieve greater success in their sales career. For more information please visit his website www.moderndayselling.com. Brian also offers in-store sales training and can be reached at brian@moderndayselling.com.
