Chapter 2

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Opening the Sale

The most critical step in selling may very well be your opening line.

I have heard and read little on the subject of opening the sale. It seems like every lecture or book on selling talks about closing or objections, and glosses over what I feel is the major downfall in retail selling—opening the sale.

Opening the sale encompasses two major components: art and science. The science part consists of the things we absolutely know about opening the sale from experience, and the art is your own personality. A plastic surgeon can fix your nose (science), but there is no guarantee that it will look good (art). Let's first take a look at some of the facts we know about opening the sale.

People Behave Reactively

When you have had a very bad experience in your life, it is stored in your mind. When something happens to remind you of that bad experience, you may react without ever being aware of what you are doing.1 Here are six examples of how that might apply:

1. A little girl fell off a horse when she was 4 years old. She is now 30 and doesn't want to go horseback riding with her friends.

2. I bought a Ford car when I was 16. I spent a lot of money fixing it up. I had trouble making payments. I am now 35, and I go to look at cars. Not Fords.

3. My mother forced me to finish dinner when I was young. The meal happened to be fish. I won't eat fish now.

4. I dived into a pool headfirst. I hit my head on the bottom of the pool. It's five years later, and I still don't dive into pools.

5. I went into a retail store looking for a special suit for a very important occasion. The salesperson was weak on product knowledge and was very pushy and aggressive. I don't like retail salespeople anymore.

6. I was shopping for insurance. The salesperson seemed to give me good advice. I checked with a friend and found out the salesperson did not give me the best advice. I now distrust retail salespeople. (This is not a mistake—think about it.)

There are some very good scientific expressions that support this entire theory:

Causing a Negative Reaction from the Beginning

The game is to avoid stimulating a negative response from your customer. I have asked this question in thousands of lectures and seminars on selling: “How many of you have had a bad experience with a salesperson, and how many of you generally don't like salespeople?” People do not like salespeople. (Doesn't it make you feel good to know people don't like you—and they don't even know you?). Here are some of the reasons salespeople are not liked:

It's a shame, but all of these examples are true and evident every day in the world of retail selling. You don't need to be qualified or have a license to get on the floor and bring havoc to the lives of people. And because these things are true, it makes opening the sale that much more difficult. Your job now becomes getting past all of the resistance, so you have an opportunity to develop a relationship and make a sale.

The Primary Goal of Opening the Sale Is to Get Past Resistance

What happens when a salesperson greets a customer when negative feelings about salespeople are stored in the customer's mind? Do you think you can predict the response in 90 percent of all these contacts? You bet you can: “No thanks, I'm just looking.” It's amazing how many salespeople hear this and never seem to figure out how to get beyond that reply. I'm not talking about how to handle it once you have heard it—I mean how to avoid getting that response to begin with. I was in a store recently where the salesperson said, “Are you looking for anything in particular, or are you just looking?” Talk about sleeping on the job! I had the irresistible desire to smack him across the face and tell him to wake up.

Establish a Person-to-Person Relationship, Rather Than a Salesperson-to-Customer Relationship

A person-to-person relationship is the opposite of what I refer to as clerking. Think of the last time you were in a store. Can you remember the kind of relationship you had with the salesperson? Or how about doing this exercise: Write down the stores and the salespeople you can name that you go back to time and time again because of the personal relationship and the terrific service.

This entire process begins in the opening of the sale. Take the few extra seconds in the beginning, and you will have a customer who not only enjoys the process but might spend a lot more money.

Opening Lines

If you greet a customer with a business line, then you will get a reactive and resistant response, such as “I'm just looking” or something similar. What is even more amazing is that most of the time, the customer doesn't even know she is saying it. It's a spontaneous reaction—but the customer also knows that it works. It sends salespeople away—thank you very much.

I'm sure you would agree it would be nice if we could go up to the customer, be helpful, and say, “What can I do for you?” or “How can I be of assistance?” Well, folks, here is the truth. It does work—with 3 out of 10 customers who know what they want, or with people who go to McDonald's. But not if you want to sell to the majority of the people you talk to in a retail store, where people really don't need what you have. Therefore, rule number 1 in creating an opening dialogue would be:

Opening lines must have nothing to do with business.

You really shouldn't go any further in this book until you understand that your opening salutation cannot be about business. It's as if you have a neon sign over your head that reads, “Don't trust me, I'm a salesperson.” If your opening cannot be business related to be effective, then it holds true that the most used and written-about technique, the “merchandise approach,” would also be ineffective.

The Merchandise Approach Is Ineffective and Rude

My brother calls me on the phone and tells me that he has just purchased a $500 tennis racquet. I think, “That's reasonable—for someone who is nuts.” I don't like tennis, and I find what he is telling me a little difficult to understand—particularly since he isn't that great a tennis player. I am, however, a scuba diver, and I need a new mask and snorkel. As I enter the sporting goods store, all excited about getting a new mask, what should be on display in the front of the store? You've got it—tennis racquets. I stop and pick up—guess which one? You've got it again. A $500 racquet, just like the one my brother purchased. As I'm looking to see if it has a motor or some built-in parts to help his game, out of nowhere, a salesperson comes over and says, “It just came in—isn't it a beauty? I'm sure that no matter how well you play the game now, it will help improve your game.” Any guesses about what I'm thinking? “Get off my back, you idiot. I don't want a racquet.”

A very talented salesperson in Florida told me about the first time she was on the selling floor. She had just been promoted to the floor from a clerical job. She eyed a customer coming in and started the long journey of making her first presentation. The customer had his head buried in a ring showcase in the front of the store. She walked over and started the conversation by saying, “I see that you are interested in our beautiful rings.” His simple reply? “No, I'm the carpenter, and I was told the case needed repair.”

First, how could you possibly determine what the customer wants or why he has come in by what catches his eye or where he just happens to stop? Second, it's rude to have someone come into your store, where you spend a major portion of your life, and not even say “Hello” before you start your presentation. The merchandise approach is lazy and can ruin more relationships than it helps.

However, if you are inclined to sell to only 2 or 3 out of the 10 people that come in, use it, because there will always be 2 or 3 who know what they want and won't let even you deter them—no matter how hard you try to mess things up.

So, here are the five worst opening lines in selling:

1. Can I help you? (How may I help you?)

2. Are you looking for anything in particular?

3. Can I answer any of your questions?

4. Do you know about our sale?

5. We just got that in. It's really great, isn't it?

From reading the customer service points in the previous chapter, you know the importance of getting your customer to open up and talk. Therefore, rule number 2 in opening the sale would have to be:

Opening lines should be questions to encourage conversation.

Person-to-person conversations are the key ingredient in the process of breaking down resistance. Short and quick statements do not get you anywhere. Have some fun. Make your questions interesting. But don't forget to make your initial greeting a question.

It must have been 15 years or so ago that a lady came into the store with a child in a stroller. You might think I would have said, “What a beautiful baby!” Sound good? No way. It's not a question and doesn't get you past the resistance that may be there. This is what I did say: “That's a beautiful little baby. Where did you get it?” Now, I know you might be laughing, but the truth is that I used that line then and have been using it ever since. It has never failed to get a terrific response.

It's not a requirement, but it's also a good idea to keep your questions as open as possible, as opposed to closed questions that encourage a “yes” or “no” response. Try using who, what, where, when, why, or how.

A closed question:

Salesperson: Is it still busy in the mall?

Customer: No.

An open question:

Salesperson: How's the traffic in the mall?

Customer: Well, when I got here this afternoon, it was like a zoo, but it started to thin out a little, and. . .

Have you ever wondered why customers say, “I'm just looking,” after you ask them, “How's the weather outside?” Simply put, common, expected, and uninteresting opening lines by salespeople aren't enough to cause a personal conversation. Therefore, the third rule in opening lines must be:

Opening lines should be unique, sincere, or different enough to cause a conversation.

This is the hard part. This completely separates the clerks from the professionals. All over the world, I have trouble getting this across. I hope I can now, with this explanation.

People find shopping to be either entertainment or one big pain in the neck. People are generally not indifferent to going into retail stores. Wouldn't it be fun if you could create an environment where your customer has a great time and spends lots of money? I believe you are in control of how the entire presentation goes. And it all starts with the quality of your opening line.

If the process of getting into a conversation with a customer were easy, everyone would be doing it, and there would be no need for this type of information. People find it difficult, at best. In fact, people find it almost impossible. It's partly because they don't want to put in the time that's necessary to do the job. And it also seems that salespeople forget to act the way they do outside of work. You can't be successful being one kind of person in life and another kind of person on the sales floor.

In rule number 2, I talked about using a question to encourage conversation. The third rule is to be unique, sincere, and different. Although these are pretty good guidelines, I could never give you your opening lines. Opening lines are to retail selling what fingerprints are to your personal uniqueness.

My style happens to be humor. I have a lot of years under my belt telling everyone I meet a joke or making people laugh in everyday conversation. Marlene Cordry, president of The Friedman Group, also worked for me in retail many years ago. Her style is I'll get you, because the look on my face is so helpful and nonaggressive that you can't resist letting me talk to you. Everyone is different, and just like a singer, you have to develop a style that suits you and that you can be comfortable with. At the end of this chapter, you will find 42 opening lines. All of these lines have been used and have worked. The only reason I don't put a guarantee on them is that you are the only one that can bring them to life.

Opening Moves

The secret word in opening the sale is schmoozing. I'm not sure, but I think the word schmoozing is Irish! It means small talk. But don't think just because it's small talk that it's small in importance. The whole concept of breaking down resistance and establishing a relationship with your customer is best described as schmoozing. Throughout the remainder of the book, when I refer to schmoozing, I'm really referring to the use of all three rules for opening lines as stated here (non-business-related, questions, and uniqueness). Don't forget, you can't lose when you schmooze.

Please do not bypass this information as another chapter to briefly read. It is important. The quality of your opening dialogue with your customer is everything at the beginning of your presentation. Of course, if it isn't good, you really don't have to worry about the rest of the presentation because you either won't have a customer to talk to or you may find yourself rushed or, heaven forbid, completely out of control.

Opening the Sale Is as Physical as It Is Verbal

Have you ever walked near a customer without even mumbling a word and still heard, “I'm just looking”? You think to yourself, “What did I do?” The point of the customer-to-salesperson resistance is proven again.

Or how about this: You're working on a display, and there are two or three other salespeople in the store. Who does the customer come to? You, of course. Why? Because you are busy and don't appear able to be pushy or aggressive. Customers feel they can interrupt you, get their question answered, and move on unharmed.

Violating the Customer's Perceived Personal Space

People need and want personal shopping freedom. The way you approach a customer may be seen by the customer as a violation of that space. As you approach the customer, one of three things may happen:

1. The customer goes off in another direction to avoid the contact.

2. The customer gives you a reactive line, such as, “I'm just looking,” before you even say a word.

3. The customer tells you what she wants or asks you a question.

The space in front of the customer is perceived as hers, so any approach in that space is a violation. You can cross it and say your hellos, or you can walk parallel to the customer and say your hellos. Just try to stay out of her direct path. Of course, you may think I'm nuts, and I am. But after practicing this technique, you will also be a believer.

The 180-Degree Pass-by

When making your approach, you should have something in your hand. This gives the customer the impression that you have something on your mind other than slamming him up against the wall and taking all of his money. Looking busy has always been a key strategy in opening the sale.

The 180-Degree Pass-by is the best technique I have ever developed to open the sale. It merely involves walking near the customer, saying “Hello” or “How are you?” and then walking past him. Then, after taking three or four steps, turn around at a safe distance, and, with a quizzical look on your face, say something like, “May I ask you a question?” Most of the time, the customer will turn around, take a few steps toward you, and say, “Sure.” Of course, the big problem is, what's the question? Here's where you're on your own. I couldn't possibly give you an opening line that fits you and your style exactly. What works for me might not work for you. For those of you who are not as creative as you'd like to be or have difficulty coming up with opening lines, don't despair. At the end of this chapter, you will find 42 of them you can steal.

Let's Review a Little

You spot a customer coming into the store. You put something in your hand and start the approach, walking parallel to the customer. You have a huge smile on your face, and as you get near, you say “Hello” or “How are you?” You wait for a reply as you continue to walk and pass her by. You make the turn and say, “May I ask you a question?” The customer responds, “Sure,” and you say something like, “I can tell by the number of packages you have that there must be some great bargains out there. What am I missing by being locked in the store today?” The customer will generally respond with comfortable conversation. For example:

Salesperson: I can tell by the number of packages you have that there must be some great bargains out there. What am I missing by being locked up in the store today?

Customer: Nothing, really. I just had to pick up some gifts for a party we are going to.

The big decision now is whether to get right into business or keep schmoozing. You guessed right! Keep on schmoozing. The extra 30 seconds you spend in schmoozing will result in watching the pain, resistance, and terror drain out of the customer's face as you develop a relationship.

Salesperson: A party! That sounds like a lot of fun. Wouldn't it be even more fun if the party were for you?

The Process of Hanging Out

Any time you have the opportunity to hang out in a nonbusiness conversation with your customers, take it. They want it. It makes them feel special. And it's fun. People like it when other people take an interest in them personally. Nobody wants to be treated as if they were a number or just another customer.

Here are some more examples with the potential of hanging out:

Salesperson: I saw you early this morning, when the mall first opened! How long have you been shopping?

Customer: All day! I have relatives coming in from out of town for a visit, and I want everything to be just right.

Salesperson: Oh, relatives! That always makes for a busy schedule. When do they arrive? (and on and on)

Salesperson: That's an enormous box of cookies! Who are they for?

Customer: I have a daughter in college who I send care packages to.

Salesperson: Great! You know, I always looked forward to those brown paper packages from home. What school is she attending? (and on and on)

Salesperson: So, it looks like the whole family is along today! What are you all up to?

Customer: We're power shopping! We just closed on a brand-new house and wanted to start decorating it right away.

Salesperson: How exciting! It's been a lifetime dream of mine to buy a house. What area did you decide to buy in? (and on and on)

Salesperson: Have you had a chance to make it to the polls this morning?

Customer: No, I've been shopping all morning for some different earrings. I just got my hair cut short last week, and all of my old ones look funny.

Salesperson: A haircut! Looks great! What made you decide to cut your hair? (and on and on)

Getting into Business: The Transition

After a few moments of person-to-person conversation, it's time to get down to business and move into probing. After all of the experimenting and research I have done, I keep coming up with the same transition question: “What brings you into our store today?”

That does the job beautifully. Variations such as, “What brings you into Harry's?” or even, “What brings you in?” are also workable. This question is superb, as it is not only open-ended but is as broad a question as you can get to open people up. Since you want your customer to communicate and tell you things, lines like, “Are you looking for (item)?” could never be as effective.

If, after schmoozing, you use the transition question, “What brings you into our store today?” and you still get a resistant response such as “I'm just looking,” now what?

Shoppers are smart. They know exactly how to get a salesperson to leave them alone. They're very practiced at it. With a quick resistant line and a stern facial expression, a customer can get any salesperson to walk away. What's the line? “I'm just looking,” of course. Here are the top five conversation busters of all time:

1. I'm just looking.

2. I'm just browsing.

3. I just wanted to see what you have.

4. I'm just killing time.

5. My husband (or wife) is next door shopping.

At this point in your presentation, you really have to take a look at what is happening. You have done the pass-by, you have schmoozed, you have used the transition question, and you are still getting the reaction? Yes, and it's common. The customer probably doesn't even realize she's saying it. It is a defensive shield that has become a workable solution and automatic reaction to the queries of salespeople. It really hit home one day when Marlene Cordry and I were touring stores in a mall together. As a salesperson approached her, she said, “I'm just on my lunch break.” I asked her why she said that, and she said, “Said what?” She then told me it was an excuse she had used when she worked in a mall, and it worked so well that it became a habit.

Salespeople who are trying to salvage the presentation at this point may make another error in trying to be helpful. As a response to the defensive shields given by a customer, salespeople often say the following:

Here's how a customer hears what you just said:

My name is Harry, the SALESPERSON, and I'll be right over here, where SALESPEOPLE stand, in case you have any questions for a SALESPERSON, who only wants to SELL you something you don't want.

Let's face it, customers put up defensive shields because they don't like salespeople. The solution to those defensive shields couldn't possibly be to remind them to hate you more. There is a better way.

The Takeaway

The takeaway is a technique used to defuse the defensive shields used by your customer. It involves two parts:

1. Agreement that it is OK to look.

2. An exact repetition of the customer's defensive shield, phrased as a question.

Here's the takeaway to handle each of the top five defensive shields:

Transition: What brings you into our store today?
Defensive Shield: I'm just looking.
Agreement: That sounds like fun.
Takeaway: What are you looking for?
Transition: What brings you into the store today?
Defensive Shield: I'm just browsing
Agreement: I love to browse, too.
Takeaway: What are you browsing for?
Transition: What brings you into our store today?
Defensive Shield: I just wanted to see what you have.
Agreement: Well, great!
Takeaway: What kind of things would you like to have? (Put a big smile on your face for this one!)
Transition: What brings you into our store today?
Defensive Shield: I'm just killing time.
Agreement: We all need a little more time to kill.
Takeaway: What are you looking for while you're killing time?
Transition: What brings you into our store today?
Defensive Shield: My husband's just next door shopping.
Agreement: So, you're on your own for a while.
Takeaway: What are you looking for while he's shopping?

You are going to be so delighted with how effective this technique is! In the majority of cases, your customer will open up, and off you go into probing. However, I must caution you that “What brings you into our store today?” is a probing question, and it works better after schmoozing and a transition question. When used as an opening line, it becomes “Can I help you,” and the takeaway very rarely works.

If, after you have schmoozed and used the takeaway, you hear “I'm just looking” for the second time, there are only a couple of things you can do at that point. One is to turn over the sale to another salesperson; another, if you really have the spirit, is the Fun Takeaway.

The Turnover

It's a fact of life: some customers will have a problem with how you look, talk, act, your color, height, weight, or the fact that you remind them of their dreaded Uncle Louie or Aunt Alice. These are all things out of your control. After the second “I'm just looking,” you should merely say, “Enjoy!” and walk away. Choose another salesperson who looks completely different than you, and have him reapproach the shopper.

The Fun Takeaway

I hate to lose an opportunity to sell, so I have developed a few ideas for times when I hear “I'm just looking” a second time.

When I ask, “What brings you into our store today,” and the customer says, “I'm just looking,” I use the takeaway, “That's terrific! What are you looking for?” The customer says, “I'm just looking.” Then, I take him over to an item that has a price tag with “I'm just looking” printed on it, and a reduced price. I say, “Aren't you lucky! It's on sale today!” Or sometimes I walk them right over to a printed sign that says, “As of March 1, 2011, it is now legal to look.”

Another one of my favorite memories of “breaking the mold” was while working in a client's jewelry store. I was “up” when an older lady walked through the door. No doubt you've seen someone just like her. She had blue hair and one of those animal shoulder wraps with the head still attached! By my estimation, she had been drinking for two or three weeks straight. I was at a loss for an opening line. What do you say to her? Then it hit me. I walked right up to her and asked, “So what do you want to do right now?” She replied, “Dance!” I grabbed her and proceeded to waltz around the store while I hummed. She was a sweet old lady who happened to love the attention. My next move was something I can only get away with when dancing with drunk, blue-haired ladies. I asked, “What do you need to make you even more beautiful than you are now?” “Earrings,” was her answer.

I tangoed with her over to a case with our most expensive pearl studs, about $500. I brought them out of the case and urged her to try them on. “But that's against the law, you can't try on pierced earrings,” she said, concerned. The truth is, it isn't against the law and never was. Retail salespeople have just been too lazy to allow their customers to do so. All that's required is cleaning them with alcohol afterward, for health reasons. I could have told my blue-haired lady that, but I wanted to make her stay with us more exciting, so I whispered, “I know—let's break the law!”

I ended up selling her the $500 earrings, and she left feeling quite special. The postscript to the whole story is that she happened to be on a tour bus with 50 more drunk, blue-haired ladies. We made our year that day.

This lighthearted approach is a lot of fun, but I caution you: if you don't think you can do it, don't. Turning it over to another salesperson will be just fine.

Once You Get the Customer Talking

People are more comfortable when they are talking to other people who seem genuinely interested in what they have to say. It is far more important for you to get the customer talking than it is for you to carry the conversation.

The more customers speak with you, the more they begin to feel comfortable with you as a person, not a salesperson. Recall the last party you attended, and anybody you met at the party for the first time. Chances are, the people you like the best among your new acquaintances were those who asked you questions and seemed to care about what you had to say. Your customer will be no different.

Personalizing Your Remarks

There are several different signals to watch for to help you personalize your remarks:

What If You Have No Clue?

Often, people walk into your store who do not immediately present you with an idea to start up conversation. To avoid having no opening line, prepare some general topics that have universal appeal. The more opening lines you have in your back pocket, ready for use, the better.

100 of Your Own

You should sit down and write at least 100 of your own opening lines. In case you have trouble getting started, I've provided a list of 42 opening lines below. This list is best used as a take-off point. No one can come up with your opening lines. You have to develop your own. They have to be by you, because you may not be comfortable saying what someone else would.

1. We're thinking about putting down new carpet; which sample do you like?

2. (Walking by with several small boxes in your hand) Could you do me a favor? Could you push that top box back a little? You know, when one falls, they all fall!

3. Boy, I'm starving for a new joke. What's your favorite one?

4. I'd like to take my wife out for a great fish dinner. Do you have any recommendations?

5. I noticed your daughter has her ears pierced. My little girl is about her age. How did she react?

6. I see you're wearing a tour jacket. Did you go to that concert last night?

7. May I ask you a question? Do you think women prefer candy or flowers on Valentine's Day?

8. I noticed you walking out of the hair salon across the way. Who do you use over there?

9. It looks pretty hot out there today. Would you like something to drink?

10. It looks like those bags are heavy! Would you like me to hold them while you look around?

11. I couldn't help but overhear you and your friend talking about the new movie. I was planning on seeing it. How is it?

12. Could you do me a favor? My mother wants a picture of her boy hard at work. Could you take a picture of me over by the counter?

13. Do you have an update on the game?

14. I noticed your shoes. Do they really give more support?

15. I just bought some fresh coloring books! Would your kids like to break them in?

16. What do you think of this hat on me?

17. I'm planning my vacation today. Where have you been that's exciting?

18. Your little boy talks so well. Is he going to school yet?

19. What a great haircut! Where do you have it done?

20. So how is the high school doing in basketball this year?

21. I see you're driving a Honda. How does it perform?

22. Did you have a chance to see the activities in the center court?

23. Aren't you glad the weatherman was wrong today?

24. Well, it's almost tax day. Are you the early bird, or do you mail yours off at the last minute?

25. Twins! Double trouble, double fun! How old are they?

26. How did you celebrate yesterday's holiday?

27. What a great outfit! How long do you suppose it took to sew all of those sequins on?

28. Your hair looks beautiful French-braided. How long does it take you?

29. Some little person has been to McDonald's today! Were your kids born wanting McDonald's, too? Mine were.

30. Can you believe we've been so long without rain? Have you started the water conservation mandate?

31. I see you wearing a Lakers shirt. Do you think they'll make the playoffs?

32. I've been stuck in the store all day. What's the news on the space shuttle?

33. This is a three-day weekend, isn't it? How's the traffic out there?

34. What a great tan! Are you lucky enough to always look that way, or have you just returned from vacation?

35. The lottery is up to $62 million. Have you bought your ticket yet?

36. Did you see the Grammys last night?

37. Wow, those are brand-new skis? Where are you going to use them first?

38. You really loaded up at the bookstore. What books did you buy?

39. Can I ask your opinion? The buyer just ordered this model; do you think we should order in this other model, too?

40. Look at that cast! What happened to your arm?

41. Six kids! Do they all belong to you?

42. We've been having a little discussion. When do you think we should put our holiday decorations up here at the store?

Working Two Customers at Once

What happens when there are more customers than salespeople? In many retail selling situations, particularly with small, high-priced items such as jewelry, security measures must be taken into consideration. You should not physically wait on two customers at once in those situations.

Suppose, however, that you are working with Customer A and Customer B enters the store. You have to acknowledge Customer B. If you don't, he may leave without anyone's saying hello. This represents a loss in potential business and is rude. Yet, your allegiance is to Customer A.

The Verbal Contract

How do you excuse yourself without angering Customer A? With a lot of love and care. You ask Customer A, “Would you do me a favor,” to which the person always replies, “Yes.”

“Can you hang on for just a moment, while I say hello to that customer? I'll be right back. Will that be OK?”

You will actually hear Customer A say, “Yes.” In a sense, customer A has contracted with you to stay put.

Now you walk over to Customer B and say, “How are you doing? Can you do me a favor?” This greeting both serves as your opening line and sets up Customer B for a verbal contract. He'll give you a perplexed look and be thinking, “I don't know if I want to do you a favor; I just walked in the store.” Incredibly, however, the customer will almost always say, “OK.”

You then say, “Can you hang on for just a minute? I'm finishing with that customer over there, and then I'll be right with you. Will that be OK?” If Customer B says, “Yes,” which happens frequently, then he's made a verbal contract with you. He won't leave. He'll stay in the store because he told you he would.

Understandably, some customers will say, “No, I've got to get going,” or “I'm going next door, and I'll check back later,” or the like. But most will say, “Yes.”

When attempting to handle two customers, using the verbal contract yields far greater results than what usually happens in retail selling. The salesperson is serving Customer A. Customer B enters the store. The salesperson turns around to Customer B and says, “I'll be right with you.” Then he turns back to Customer A and, soon after, learns that Customer B has departed.

For review, let's walk through a verbal contract scenario:

Salesperson: We just need your bank information, right here.

Customer A: I always hate filling out these forms.

Salesperson: Oh, I know what you mean. (Spots Customer B) Could you excuse me for just a minute? I want to let this gentleman know that I'll be with him shortly. Is that all right?

Customer A: Sure.

Salesperson: Thanks. (Approaches Customer B) Hi, could you do me a favor? I'm finishing up with that lady right now, and I will be with you in just a minute. Is that all right?

Customer B: OK.

Salesperson: Thanks. (Returns to Customer A) Just your signature right here would be fine.

Here's another:

Customer A: I think my sister would really enjoy this tablecloth for her party.

Salesperson: From what you've told me, I know it will be perfect. Say, could you excuse me for one second? I want to let that young lady know I'll be with her as soon as you and I are through. Is that all right?

Customer B: OK.

Salesperson: Thank you. (Returning to Customer A) Let me just take down your driver's license number on this check, and you'll be on your way to that party!

The verbal contract works because you are asking people to grant you a small favor, using great courtesy. I'll bet you can achieve a favorable outcome the first time you use it.

How Have You Been Opening?

Opening the sale may be the most important part of the selling process, and it's the key to what transpires throughout the rest of your presentation. By effectively opening the sale, you can reduce resistance and enhance your ability to ask probing questions. Ask yourself how effective you have been in this area previously and whether you have given it enough thought.

How perky, interesting, and clever have your opening lines been? Have you built a rapport with each customer on a person-to-person basis? From kids to adults, with men and women, with couples and groups, have you worked on effectively opening the sale? If you'll take the time to write down 75 to 100 opening lines and practice them, you'll be at the cash register more than you have ever been before.

Hot Tips and Key Insights

  • To effectively open the sale, start with a great opening line, and avoid the trite, such as, “May I help you?”
  • The percentage of customers who are really “just looking” is so small that, as a rule of thumb, it makes sense never to believe any customer is “just looking.”
  • The Merchandise Approach, which involves greeting customers by commenting on a particular item they first looked at upon entering the store, originally was brilliant because it allowed the salesperson to demonstrate items to the customer almost immediately. Today, it is outmoded and ineffective.
  • Your goal is to avoid salesperson-to-customer relationships and instead develop person-to-person relationships, which pay off remarkably better.
  • The two keys to effectively opening the sale are to:

    1. Break down the innate resistance that the customer has toward salespeople, and

    2. Develop a person-to-person, not a salesperson-to-customer, relationship.

  • Realistically, if you introduce yourself as a salesperson, you risk encountering negative reactions from the customer. It is mandatory that you avoid behavior that traditionally has resulted in negative reactions from customers.
  • Effective opening lines have nothing to do with business and are best if posed as innovative, unusual, or clever questions that encourage conversation.
  • Avoid asking questions that can be answered by a single word, such as yes or no, because your chance of building any rapport from the exchange is slim.
  • If you tend to rush through the opening, slow down; the merchandise isn't going anywhere, and neither is the customer. There is no room today for clerks who ask mundane questions or hurry through opening the sale, thereby generating a fraction of the sales achievable had they taken the time to develop some effective opening lines.
  • If you use compliments, do so very carefully, as they can backfire on you. If you compliment someone's clothing, make sure it's something spectacular or unusual.
  • People are more comfortable when they are talking to others who seem genuinely interested in what they have to say. It is far more important for you to get the customer talking than it is for you to carry the conversation.
  • Use all available clues to personalize your remarks to each customer, noting the customer's children or vehicle, for example, or current events and holidays.
  • No one can come up with your opening lines; you have to develop your own. They have to be by and of you because you may not be comfortable saying what someone else uses. Devote as many hours to practicing openings as you do to learning about your products.
  • To overcome the customer's resistance to being approached directly, focus on how you can proceed in a friendlier, less threatening way. Assume that the customer doesn't want you to come too close to her personal space, and avoid walking directly at someone. Instead, use the 180-Degree Pass-by.
  • A customer may be drawn to the busy salesperson because she perceives that there will be no pressure, or that she can get a quick answer to her question. So act busy.
  • The most effective method for moving from opening the sale to probing is to use a broad-based transition question that makes the customer actually tell you why he's in the store, such as, “What brings you into our store today?”
  • To know if a customer is really just looking, you can apply the “Takeaway.” When a customer says “. . .just looking,” exclaim something like, “Terrific. What were you looking for?” This takes away the shield.
  • It's critical to spend an appropriate amount of time building rapport through “schmoozing.” Simply walking up to the customer and saying, “What brings you in today?” doesn't break through her resistance.
  • If you've gone through all the steps and still get a second “Just looking,” turn the sale over to another salesperson. Someone else may be able to get the customer to open up—it's not your fault, and there are other customers.
  • Use the verbal contract to serve two customers. Ask Customer A, “Would you do me a favor?” to which the answer is always “Yes.” “Can you hang on for just a moment while I say hello to that customer? I'll be right back. Will that be OK?” You will actually hear Customer A say, “Yes.” Customer A has contracted with you to stay put.
  • Opening the sale is the most important part of the process and is the key to what transpires throughout the rest of the selling process. By effectively opening the sale, you can reduce resistance and enhance your ability to ask probing questions.
  • If you will take the time to write down 75 to 100 opening lines and practice them, you'll be at the cash register more than you have ever been before.

Note

1. Hubbard, L. Ron. Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health. Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1950.