What can I do?

[victor]

If you don't know, don't lie. Caught bullsh**ing once and that’s the end. Say I don't know but I will find out and get back to you, and then do it.

Keep a small notebook in your pocket to remind you of people, questions you have to look up etc.

Remember customer’s names. It makes us feel much more important. Remember what they have bought or asked about. Have they used their new purchase yet, if so how did it go, any problems, did it do what is said on the box?

If they asked a question last time check that they understood the answer and that you answered the right question. You would be amazed at how often people answer the question they think they hear not the question the customer really wanted to ask.

Remember the customer is not always right however it is their money and they do not have to spend it in your shop.

Have fun and learn

 

[KaBoOm]

Never assume that the person you are talking to can't afford the best equipment in the store. Sometimes you just can't tell how much money a person has by their apperance. I've had this happen to me as a customer and I've seen it happen to others where the salesman tells the person not to get that gear because it's too much money.

 

[MPR]

Lots of great advice here. The knowledge will come; make sure you are proactive in gaining the knowledge not waiting for it.

Don't be afraid to say "I don't know" and don't hesitate to get the correct answer back to the customer quickly. You can't know everything right away.

Never bad mouth your competition. If other shops are bad mouthing your shop and gear, ask the customer why and would they trust someone whose only sales tactic is to put down other gear. For you, rather than pointing out the negatives of other shops/gear, point out why yours is superior. Talk about the equipment. Be specific and positive.

DO NOT try to BS your way through an answer. It comes through loud and clear and tells the customer to run away as fast as possible. "I don't know, but I will get that answer for you quickly" is music to the ears. Your knowledge will come.

Finally, do not judge a book by its cover. This will bite you every time. I don't care if they are young, old, woman, man, anything.
An example of personal experience. My best friend wanted to by a 911. We went to a dealer in flip flops, board shorts, and a t-shirt. We could not get attention from anyone, not even the sales manager. Everyone was "tied up". So we proceeded to drive across town to another dealer where he wrote a check for the entire amount. Every time he took the car into service, he made sure he went to say hello to the sales manager.

Smile, be friendly, and most importantly have fun!

 

[merlin7896]

If a customer walks in and asks for a specific item...sell them that item. Even if you think you have another peice of equipment that YOU think is better, sell them what they want.

If, on the other hand, the customer only has some general ideas about what they want, then present them with options, never more than a total of 3. If after that three, the customer hasn'tfound what they are looking for, dont just start grabbing other ones. Choose another 3, and start over again. Its important to keep the customer focused, and not to present them with information overload. It will kill a sales quicker than task loading can kills divers.

The best way to make the most out of your limited time with the customers limited attention span is to talk/sell/present, then LISTEN. Never drone on and on, by the end of your monologue the customer won't remember what the start of it was about. You are informing them, which means they need to process what you are saying and incorporate it into what they had thought before talking to you, its no instantaneous, and many people are resistant to changing their preconceptions, it takes a few seconds.

After you have presented something concisely, listen to what the customers concerns, or questions are. It will be different with each one, and no one likes to be lectured on what they already know, as if they don't know it. However, conversely, people LOVE it when they have an opinion and you say something that confirms it.

You'll get customers that come in and want to shoot the breeze. Don't try to sell them something untill they are done with their story, and if they are looking for something, they'll then let you know. It's like a mating dance, don't rush it.

NOTHING in your store is crap, it all has to be sold, so find something good about it.

There is probably more, but that should be a good start. I suppose the most important single thing is to remember each customer is an individual, so you should take the time to treat them as such.

 

[Bobbin-along]

Excellent information for the new store rep. And for some fine tuning after you become an equipment genious.

Honesty and a genuineness about yourself will do wonders, as those are traits that the consumer will recognize and feel that they can trust you while helping them.

Scuba diving is an activity for many that is recreation, as such buying gear should be FUN not a miserable experience. As a sailmaker told me once, "Buying new sails should be a fun experience, if it's not fun you won't enjoy the sail nearly as much". Same goes for all recreational equipment. If you as a sales guy make the evolution unfun, it makes it harder for us to come back to you.

Never underestimate the consumer. If you look at our cars or clothes to determine if we have the funds to spend, you may surprised. Many of us have more polar fleece and swimsuits than regular clothes in our closet, women may be sporting the latest salt water hair styles, we may wear cheap go-aheads, drive cars that we pick for practicality rather than statement, and we may moan a bit about pricing, but we have the ability to drop a couple thousand dollars in a day and it won't make us have to each mac and cheese for a month. MPR's story is so typical.

Women are never to be considered as helpless. Did you know that women actually are more likely to research before shopping for major purchases compared to men? That's right, when women walk into the store to buy (rather than browse) there is a chance they know more about the details of the product and other lines similar products than you might. It's OK, it's what women do, learn to be comfortable with it. With that we also know what the msrp, your competition's pricing, and the minimum sales price probably are no matter how innocent we might seem. We will be a smart consumer, rarely led to emotional buying when it comes to gear.

Learn how to tell a browser from a buyer. And learn how to tell when a brower is ready to buy. trailing behind browsers is generally annoying, and will turn them off of buying if something catches their eye. Be mindful, watch them, be available, and be discrete.

Remember faces, and do your best with names as you get to know the clientele. Keep a little notebook so you can remember the likes and dislikes of key clients, and any relevant details.

Remind people of the events that the shop puts on. Our LDS had a 20,000 Leagues movie event at a restored theatre. 7$ got you in and we all watched the movie, played around with vintage dive gear from the dark ages, had snacks and beverages. Had the rep not mentioned it when I got my tanks filled, I wouldn't have known and would have missed out on a fun night.

Help think of the little things. If someone is in to buy a BC and trying it on with just a t-shirt, check to see if that's the same level of clothing they will have on while diving. If not, have them try gear on with more clothes. Here in the NW we dive in far thicker clothes than shirtsleeves and it can make a big difference in fit. If someone wants to try on a wet suit and they are new to it, offer a skin for them to quickly don before putting on the wetsuit. It lessens wear and tear on your store product and makes their experience nicer. have people testing gear wear gloves to see if they can still push the various necessary buttons, or adjust regulator knobs, etc. Those little details make a big difference in the buying experience and make you come off looking like a thoughtful pro.

Good luck with the new job!

 

[Diveral]

If you don't know, don't lie. Caught bullsh**ing once and that’s the end. Say I don't know but I will find out and get back to you, and then do it.

Remember customer’s names. It makes us feel much more important. Remember what they have bought or asked about. Have they used their new purchase yet, if so how did it go, any problems, did it do what is said on the box?

If they asked a question last time check that they understood the answer and that you answered the right question. You would be amazed at how often people answer the question they think they hear not the question the customer really wanted to ask.

Remember the customer is not always right however it is their money and they do not have to spend it in your shop.

Have fun and learn

Sage advice there. You are going to get a mixture of customers including old fossils, old guys, people that took a dive class 10 years ago and dive once every 3-4 years, and newbies. Some of us have been diving and have equipment that is still in use older than you. You will need to develop a flexible approach to assist all types of divers and not be condescending to anyone. Even the old guys and fossils will need assistance with the newer equipment but most will not be willing to admit it.

AL

 

[Irene]

Another item I haven't seen posted yet:

When a customer comes in to buy a specific manufacturer's product (ex. Henderson wetsuit) and you know you don't carry Henderson stuff because that manufacturer requires way more sales than your shop could ever afford, don't bash the manufacturer because you've lost a sale. Remember the earlier post about women doing a lot of research? And most importantly, don't try to tell them that the brand you carry is SO MUCH BETTER.

We know it's not better and then we think you are a liar. You could say instead, "Henderson makes a great suit, I wish we had what you wanted. We do have a product that is SIMILAR to the Henderson and offers blah, blah. I know its not exactly what you had in mind, but we've had customers who have been very happy with this one...and it IS 30% less expensive. Let me know if you'd like to try one out...you might find it suits your needs."