A retail showroom has several distinct advantages over a website – chief among them the opportunities for physical interactions, which stick in the customer’s mind far better than a written or spoken pitch ever could. So, asks our US correspondent Gordon Hecht, why don’t more furniture salespeople get hands-on with the product?
I hope you find the information in this column to be valuable. It’s a shame that you’ll forget about 50% of the content 10 minutes after reading it.
It could be worse. If I spoke the written words to you in person, you’d forget 80% of the content in the time it takes to brew a pot of java.
However, if I could get you actively involved in performing tasks in the column, you’d see a marked increase in retention. Adding practical application to written and spoken word can increase recall up to +80% of the information that is presented – only 20% of the information is forgotten.
Training, whether in the schoolroom, sales bullpen or warehouse is most effective with a combination of reading, lectures, and hands-on activity. In sales that means roleplay (whether you like it or not).
This is not, however, a story of training. It is a story of transferring knowledge and enthusiasm. We also call that a sales presentation.
It’s only in the retail showroom that you can show it and tell it. You can put it in the shopper’s hands and get them to become an active participant in the path to purchase.
Buying merchandise online has affected us in the retail world. But for all their fancy graphics, pop-ups and endless aisles, those online sites can never touch the potential of shopper interaction on the retail floor.
Your showroom can be a delight to all the senses. No website can provide that. Sure, they can show a demonstration video or show reviews of how thousands of strangers “love” the product. But they can never have an eye-to-eye conversation with a shopper.
And they can’t give a shopper a comparative comfort test. Or let the shopper feel the difference between a flat mattress and Zero-G relaxation. Only in a retail shop can they touch the component parts of a mattress. You know, using those handy demo kits your rep brought you earlier this year. Squeeze the spring, caress the fabric, experience the cooling action of the foams.
Here’s a challenge for your next (or first) roleplay sales training session. Have your sales team give a sales pitch. But they can’t mention price, warranty, or financing. They can only talk about the merchandise and component parts. Along with each feature, they have to encourage a hands-on interactive demonstration.
Some sales people dislike having to perform for their peers. You might give them a couple of days to prepare their pitch. Training good habits is always difficult. Don’t let them off the hook until they get it right. Practice does not make perfect – only perfect practice makes perfect!
A near-perfect demo will be unforgettable. It will include features, benefits, and their advantages to the shopper in front of you. That same demo will build value in the product and how it can improve your shopper’s life. Done well, price is no longer a hurdle.
Tell the story, show the product, and encourage the feel to close the deal.
Gordon can be reached at [email protected].
