An unprofessional seller, unable to answer not only objections, but also to simple customer questions about the cost, configuration and discounts on goods is a fairly common occurrence. Also, there are often overly intrusive and illiterate “specialists”, from whom, like from a cornucopia, the characteristics of a product are flowing that are uninteresting to the buyer and do not meet his needs.
Key disadvantages of sales training
Furniture sales is one of the areas where employees undergo many trainings that are divorced from real sales technology and learn skills that only scare away customers. Obsessive and aggressive sales consultants make them want to refuse cooperation. The buyer needs clear answers to his questions, because incompetent consultants who do not understand the advantages of their product and who have not studied its elementary characteristics are also unlikely to be successful in their business. It is best to gain the necessary skills experimentally, studying the product and working with customers. It is also important to communicate with experienced successful employees and learn from them the sales technique on real examples.
Who should ask questions
There are many techniques for the effective sale of furniture, but their study does not guarantee the appearance of professionalism when working with people. Success depends primarily on the seller and his activity. It often happens that the client himself throws the consultant with questions, and he only answers, and often out of place. But the one who asks questions controls the conversation. Therefore, if a consultant or furniture sales manager does not ask a potential buyer anything, he is unlikely to be able to make a successful deal.
The market situation is constantly changing, so the seller does not have to wait until the client decides to purchase. Due to the wide assortment, constant sales, promotions and discounts and the opportunity to purchase used furniture on free classified sites at lower customer prices, it is becoming increasingly difficult to motivate a purchase. What can be done? What does a furniture seller need to know in order to manage his behavior himself, and not leave him alone with the goods?
Why do you need an individual approach to the buyer
Today, when working with a buyer, there are no universal schemes that are suitable for everyone and work regardless of the nature and preferences of a person. The approach to the client should be individual, and the seller’s behavior should change depending on who he communicates with. To understand how to sell furniture, at the initial stage of work, the consultant needs to study the main types of customers, sales techniques and work with objections. Currently, the usual sale of goods with a story about its advantages is ineffective, the seller should learn a customer-oriented approach.
Customer Focus: Key Steps
A customer-oriented approach consists of several steps that must be performed sequentially, one after the other:
- Training.
- Contacting a customer.
- Identification of his needs.
- Product presentation.
- Work with objections.
- Deal.
The first step is preparation. It consists of the following items:
- Product knowledge.
- Customer insight.
- The study of competitors.
- Appearance.
- Sales skills.
- Planning.
- Appearance.
The main principle of customer-oriented sales: “Do not sell goods to a client, but help him buy.” To do this, you need to understand the wishes of the client and be able to put yourself in his place. But how to do this and learn how to help the client with the choice of the product he needs?
The importance of product research
A seller who wants to figure out how to learn how to sell furniture should first of all thoroughly study the goods with which he works. It is important that the consultant can answer any question about him immediately, without hesitation and without asking anyone again.
The most common customer questions when buying furniture:
- Options - which items are included in the price, and what you need to buy separately. For example, is a mirror included in the price?
- The color scheme - the furniture is chosen for the interior, therefore it is important for the client to know if a suitable shade is available and, if not, whether it can be ordered.
- Manufacturer - most people prefer well-known companies that they have heard a lot about and that they can trust, as well as domestic brands. If the company is unknown, they want to know more about it.
- The possibility of additional equipment - is it possible to add or change something in the furniture set. For example, for sofas can be sold various options for covers that the client is ready to purchase in the future if the color scheme of his interior changes.
Discounts as a motivation to buy
When making a purchase decision, the cost of the goods is not as important as it might seem. According to market research, the average buyer is able to change his mind about the acceptable cost of goods for him to + 20%. The cost is always on the same scale with the goods, and the seller’s task is to make these scales sway in the right direction. But the client must clearly understand why he should pay more in this case.
Discounts are of last interest to customers, since most promotions can be repeated in other stores, so they are no longer an advantage. But they can serve as additional motivation for the purchase, if all other factors, except the cost, are satisfied. Having studied the goods, the seller needs to learn how to find out the needs of his client and become familiar with the main sales techniques in order to learn how to plan communication with potential buyers. Next, you need to study what similar positions competitors offer and how they work with customers.
Dress code for furniture sales consultant
At the next stage, even if the organization does not have a dress code or corporate uniform, the consultant must bring his own look into line with the standards of business clothes. Upon entering the store, the customer should immediately understand that he is facing a specialist who can be contacted with a question, and not the same potential buyer as he is. As a representative of the company, the seller must look appropriate and stand out, evoking the trust of the client with his appearance. How to sell expensive furniture if you yourself look unpresentable at the same time? Business style in clothes allows you to feel more confident and more comfortable.
How to get in touch with a client
Work with the client begins with a greeting. It is very important to choose the right form for him and not use the hackneyed phrases that irritate everyone, for example: “Do you have something to suggest?”, “Have you already chosen?”, “Can you help something?” etc. In the best case, the buyer will laugh it off, but most often such greetings cause everyone negative emotions and a desire to respond rudely and leave the store. The client will always find a typical answer to typical questions that does not lead to a continuation of the conversation.
Hot and Cold Clients
According to one of the theories, out of the total number of people, those who are ready to make a purchase right now will be no more than 5-10%. Such customers are called hot. Banal questions will make them immediately decide not in favor of the seller who asks them, and look for someone more professional. Doubting customers who want to buy, but have not yet decided on the desired characteristics of the product or its value, will be about 25%.
The rest of the people are “cold” customers who either shop around aimlessly or are simply not ready to make a purchase right now. A separate question is how to sell furniture over the Internet, when the client simply looks through offers, and does not communicate directly with the seller. Thus, most potential buyers are “cold”, but they are able to bring maximum profit to the store if the seller-consultant works correctly. Therefore, if they are asked a question in order to make them decide on a purchase for which they are not ready, it will only frighten off and seem to customers pressure.
How to greet the buyer
The seller, addressing the customer, must first greet him and introduce himself. Further, experienced sellers may act in different ways, for example, not to offer assistance in choosing right now, but to inform the customer that they can be contacted with questions about the product. Sometimes consultants continue to haunt the client on the heels and tell him about the characteristics of the product without waiting for questions. But in this case, the potential buyer still will not remember most of the information, and the sensation of communication with him will be unpleasant. People prefer to buy, but do not like to feel that they are selling something. Even customers who are ready to make a purchase are likely to leave the store without hearing the seller. Excessive obsession and the flow of information make you feel obligated to buy something, which causes discomfort. A conversation with a client should be a dialogue, and not a monologue of one of the parties.
Identify customer needs
Before selling furniture, the seller must find out the purpose of the client's arrival and in no case leave him unattended. Friendly communication without pressure and negativity is the optimal strategy of behavior. Unfortunately, very often before selling furniture, sellers instead of identifying the values of the buyer begin a thoughtless presentation of the goods or begin to list technical specifications dryly. Efficiency and obsession are two different things. The client should feel comfortable and be able to walk around the store without the close attention of the seller. It is important to use an individual approach, speak the language of the potential buyer and talk about what is relevant to him. The conversation should be about the client, his goals and needs. With a negative mood, the seller needs to retreat.
How to ask questions correctly
When working with a client, it is important to ask him the right questions. They can be of two types - open and closed. In the first case, the buyer will be required a detailed response, and in the second - confirmation or disagreement. Both options help identify customer needs and are one of the important components of sales techniques. For example, before you sell antique furniture, you can ask about what antiques the client already has. This will offer an option that will be combined with them.
Customers with high income prefer products created in a single copy. The identification of such a desire will be one of the answers to the question of how to sell handmade furniture. If the client answers the question with a question, the consultant can make a short presentation and talk about the benefits of the product, moving from general to particular. Then you need to take the initiative into your own hands again and ask an open-ended question. When the seller knows how to ask questions and effectively uses this skill, he will be able to quickly find points of contact with customers and respond to their needs. If you show initiative and activity, then there will be no problems and questions about how to sell furniture.
Product Presentation
Product presentation is an important component of sales techniques. Having identified several customer needs, you can go to it or first find out the details. Only laudatory reviews of the product cause customer distrust. Before selling upholstered furniture, the seller needs to look at it through the eyes of his client and find out what questions he may have. A presentation based on needs and not on characteristics is of great interest to the buyer. Talk about new furniture, used or just about the project should be in a certain sequence. First, its properties are described, obvious characteristics that do not raise questions from the client.
How to describe the benefits of a product
Before selling cabinet furniture or another product, the consultant needs to carefully study both their and non-obvious characteristics or advantages that distinguish the product from others. At the end of the presentation, the seller should talk about the benefits that the client will receive if he purchases this particular furniture. The properties of the product tell the buyer what exactly he is buying, the benefits - why he does it, and the benefits - what he gets as a result of the purchase. It is important not to forget that the client is looking for a product that is able to solve his problem. The seller only needs help in solving this problem.
In this case, the Maslow pyramid and focus on customer needs can help. For example, before selling old furniture, among its characteristics you can mention the natural materials from which it is made. This will satisfy the basic security need of the customer.
Work with objections
A common mistake of sellers is disputes with customers instead of revealing what is behind their objections. But the real work of a professional begins exactly when the buyer says, “No.” In order to understand how to quickly sell furniture, the consultant must understand how to work with objections and not be afraid of them. After listening to them, you should thank the client and provide additional arguments in favor of purchasing your product. If you again use the Maslow pyramid, then it is worth considering that when working on this system with a complex client, you need to transfer it to a level with higher needs. This will sell furniture more expensive. For example, from a basic need for safety and health, turn his attention to the need for belonging. If the client is not particularly concerned about their own safety, they will definitely think about the safety of their loved ones.
Make a deal
The final stage of work of any seller is the conclusion of a transaction. At this time, you need to act decisively and not overdo it, having discouraged the buyer from buying a product. The completion of the sale and payment is an important point when you can not be wrong. The seller should pay attention to the customer’s signals of readiness to make a purchase, stop the presentation on time and conduct it to the checkout. After confirming the amount of the order, you can offer additional goods and services, for example, an additional guarantee. It is also important to correctly draw up documents. Then the seller must thank the customer for the choice and conduct it, saying goodbye kindly.
If the customer is not ready to buy now
Another common mistake of non-professional sellers is to lose interest in a client if he is not ready to make a deal right now. At this moment, you can lose not only the future reward for work from one person. Offended by an inattentive attitude, the buyer will definitely use the word of mouth and share his dissatisfaction with relatives and friends, who are unlikely to decide to buy something in this store. Thus, the seller loses several potential customers at once. A professional will definitely give time to think, talk about additional discounts and bonuses in the future, so that the buyer leaves with a pleasant experience and returns again some time later. You can ask the client for a phone and offer to call him back later if a better offer appears. For an effective sale, the main thing is to do everything right, solve the client’s problem. Then he will definitely come back again and recommend the store to his friends.