NEVER ask "May I Help You?"

You’ve heard it a million times:

“May I Help You?”

No thanks, I’m just looking”.

There is no faster way to lose a customer. When someone walks into a store, especially for the first time, the last thing he wants is someone trying to sell him...and by asking May I Help You, you are basically saying “Can I Sell You Something?”

Then to add insult to injury, the salesperson says “I will be over there, just call me if you have a question”...and proceeds to go hang out with other store employees.

You want your sales clerks to be on top of their game. Some type of incentive helps a lot here… Contests with good prizes, bonuses, commissions, etc. The average employee needs more motivation to be their best.

If an employee recognizes a customer when he walks in, they should go over right away and say “Hi, I’m glad to see you again”. The most important thing you can do in your business is build up loyal customers who come back again and again. They should be treated like the gold nuggets they are.

Having a strong base of regular customers will mean the difference between profit and loss….between success and bankruptcy.

Always have a few items you can guide your regular customers to which are “Preferred Customer” specials. These are items which are not marked by any kind of special sale tags...More like a “secret sale”.

As far as a standard process for greeting and handling new customers, you will need to really train your salespeople. Here are some of the scripts I used for my jewelry stores which increased our sales by almost 200% innediately:

“Good (Morning, afternoon, evening), how are you doing today?”

“Great...Is this your first visit to our store?”

“How did you happen to find us?”

“Is there something in particular that you are looking for?”

“Are you shopping for yourself or a gift for someone?”

“What kind of price range did you have in mind?”

“Did you see our specials advertised (In the paper, on the radio, on TV)?”

“May I show you the specials we are running now?”

By asking open-ended questions you tend to draw the customer in and are more likely to discover what he is looking for and help him find it. Keep smiling and keep the conversation going. It will pay off big-time.

By smiling and being friendly and sincere, you can get the customer to drop his defensive shield and become interested in the items you are showing him. This makes It easier for him to buy and for you to sell.

Always remain courteous and friendly toward him or her… They are the lifeblood of your business.

There is nothing a customer hates more than being ignored. You’ve seen it...the sales girl on the phone with her friend laughing and giggling while the customer searches through the merchandise or waits for the sales girl. The salesmen hanging out in the corner telling jokes and wasting time.

If your sales people understand how critical their role is in your business, and they are trained properly, and given the right incentives, you will build a winning team and a super-successful business.