A Greeting is Worth $1,000

Could getting the sale be as simple as just asking for it? You bet it can. Let me give you an example. I was recently in need of new cell phone equipment that included 2 phones and a Blackberry. Not huge but not a bad sale either. I had done some research and pretty well knew what I wanted. The Blackberry alone was $500, not to mention two more phones and all the accessories. It should have been an easy sale.

I stopped into a local wireless store that carried everything I wanted. When I walked in the door, two sales people were behind the counter and I was the only other person in the store. I wasn’t greeted or even acknowledged, which I found irritating but proceeded to look at their equipment, thinking one of the sales reps would come over and help me.

10 full minutes went by and I had covered the entire store. Still, I was never even acknowledged. Having been in sales and training sales people for years, I decided they didn’t deserve my business. I refused to beg them to take my money and left. As I walked out the door, they didn’t even look up. There went approximately $1,000 of equipment and three expensive monthly service plans.

Wanting to stick with the same service provider, I went to another one of their stores to see if I would have a different experience. It was different alright, the other store had five salespeople, I was one of two customers in the store, and still I was never greeted. I finally decided to bother one of the reps with a few questions and getting answers was like pulling teeth. I walked out, and they too lost my business. After wasting far too much time trying to buy what I needed, I went to the cell provider’s corporate website, called one of their service reps who was extremely pleasant and helpful, and ordered the whole thing over the phone. Two independent dealers could have earned my business and profited but they chose not to.

If you’re wondering why you lose business take a close look at your customer service at every level. As a sales person, NEVER expect people to beg you to sell to them, it will not happen and you are just not that important. As a business owner or manager, spend some time observing everyone in your organization that interacts with clients and prospects. Make sure your company delivers a better experience than is expected. If you don’t, business will keep walking away from you until there is none left.

The experience I had is all too common and consumers at all levels are growing tired of putting up with it. Now is a great opportunity to set yourself apart. Take advantage of it. subscribe to our newsletter for monthly tips on rapidly growing your business or click here to learn more about selling.

Steve Watts
CEO
Bold Approach, Inc.