by Greg Milner | Aug 6, 2019 | Sales Prevention, Selling Salon Products, Uncategorised
Have you ever had that sinking feeling, after you’ve spent time enthusiastically explaining a service or treatment to a client…
…and you stop, and wait, and she says…
“Thanks…I’ll think about it….!”
And that’s where you go “oh, damn, lost that sale…”
You can have the best marketing on the planet – the right offer, the perfect Facebook page, a website that dazzles, a salon that screams quality, happy and accomplished staff…but if you haven’t worked out how to actually get the sale once all that marketing has created an inquiry, it’s all for nought.
The late, great American sales mastermind Ziglar was fond of saying “poor sales people have skinny kids”, and he’s right.
So many of the businesses I consult with have great marketing, but they also have what I call a finely tuned “Sales Prevention Department.”
I bet you’ve heard sales people say it’s all about “handling objections,” right?
John Blake is an accomplished sales trailer of my acquaintance, whose business is helping business owners increase their sales.
This is what John teaches about “handling objections”:
“For a start, If you are getting objections, especially at the tail end of your sales process, what it means is that something is broken at the start of your sales process and most times, it’s happening way before you get to the end or to the “closing” part of the conversation.
What I find when I work with clients on their sales process is when we fix the front part of their process for handling new enquiries, we rarely if ever get objections at the end.
So what are your options if you haven’t had your sales process optimised and this does happen to you…
1.If it’s a question, you can simply answer it
What can also be really useful is to know in advance how to better answer common questions in a more powerful way. What I normally suggest is a list of frequently asked questions or FAQ’s but also a list of questions that people who are in the market for your product should ask which are called SAQ’s
This will go a long way toward keeping a sale on track.
2. If it’s a mis – understanding, you can dissolve it by simply clarifying the point in question
Often an objection can be dissolved simply by doing this.
3.If it’s a stall or a decision to postpone the decision
What I normally suggest and do myself, is to ask “when would you like to continue the conversation?”
This effectively does two things, it puts the onus back on your prospect and makes it their idea as to when to talk again. And because it’s their idea, when you do contact them again, you are doing so on the date and time that they said.
Never do this:
Where sales people get into trouble is when they try to trick people into buying by using “linguistic binds” that attempt to force someone into a pressured decision. There are sales training programs that teach these things and whilst they may get you some short term sales, long term they end up being toxic to your business
Here’s why
1.Potential clients hate it (and will go tell the world how “pushy” you are)
2.Even if they do become a client they will be the client from hell (I know because yep I’ve tried it)
3.If they do become a client and they actually stay, they will never refer or subject anyone they know to the torturous process they went through with you to become a client.”
Good advice, don’t you think?
If you want to know more of John’s work, check out his website here.
Speaking of websites, is YOURS functioning like the best ‘unpaid salesperson’ it should be?
If it’s not, we’ve got a FREE tool for you – our brand new Website Analyser – just enter your details below, including your website’s address, and you’ll be send a FREE, 30+ page report that you can send to your website designer and say “fix these please!”
by Greg Milner | Nov 24, 2016 | Advertising Tips, Beating the Competition, Sales Prevention, Uncategorized
I stopped at a local Starbuck’s with a friend last week and had the most wonderful server at the counter. A welcoming smile greeted us and an uplifted voice asked us for our order. She then explained that they were introducing their new “coffee” blend and would we like to experience it.
After placing our order she told us to find a seat and she would bring our order to us. When she arrived with our coffees she also had a sample of the new blend for each of us to take home. Again, a lovely smile and a gracious attitude. I was struck by the overall feeling of well-being the experience left me with.
These are the aspects that intrigued me:
- Her smile and welcoming attitude,
- Her method of introducing the new blend to us and the use of the word “experience” in describing a new product,
- She brought our coffee to us rather than make us wait at the counter where the barista makes it; you know as well as I do, they don’t do that!
- She brought us a sample of the new product to try it out at home.
Each of these aspects seem small on their own, but put in a total package from the coffee shop perspective, this was exceptional customer service!
Now, if anyone knows me – they know I’m a fanatic about Starbucks. I love the green mermaid cafe. But this experience just topped it all.
It made me realize that exceptional customer service is in the small things we do for our clients. If customer service is in the small things we do for our customers then let’s look at those small things individually, then add them up to that exceptional customer service experience:
The Greeting; introductions are important, so introduce yourself. The Consultation; whether it is for the first time or repeat client, a consultation is an important aspect of the customer service experience within the salon:
- The Service; make it about them, their hair, their fashion, their color, their world!
- Presenting Retail; an extension of the service you offer in the salon.
- Re-booking; take care of your client’s hair future.
- Check-out; graciousness and courtesy throughout!
- Problems; ditto!
And shall I say it? Smile, smile, smile, through the entire transaction; from greeting to check-out.
What else can we do to bring an exceptional guest experience to our salon clients?
I think we have a tendency to sometimes take our clients for granted. We have an established relationship with them so perhaps we stop seeing them as new and fresh when they come in to the salon on a regular basis.
Ask your client how you are doing! Again, this will gather valuable information for you will have to analyze and make adjustments. Make sure you document all of this valuable information on your client file within your salon software!
Finally, it is important to establish a written customer service policy for the salon. Every aspect of our clients’ experiences needs to be in writing within your policy manual. That way, your customer service policy is part of the systems you have developed for the salon. It will actually make your life simpler when the plan is laid out and in writing.
So let’s get out there, romance our clients and watch our retention and re-booking figures grow in an upwardly motion! Don’t believe me? Try it for 6 weeks, and watch the remarkable differences in your business….
