“Open the customer up, then close them down” is a phrase used all the time during Adam Hankinson’s (Furniture Sales Solutions) sales training. “It’s an idea that’s incredibly simple once you know how to do it, but there’s also a lot going on behind this simple phrase,” he explains …
So, what do we mean by ‘opening up’ the customer? Firstly, I think we can all agree that a lot of our customers enter our store feeling any one or a combination of the following ways: fearful about being pressured into making a purchase – they may have experienced pushy salespeople in the past and they are scared of being pounced on; overwhelmed or confused by the sheer number of options in styles, materials, and price ranges on show; or uncertain or doubtful about their ability to pick the right product – furniture is a big investment, and they don’t want to regret their choice later down the line.
These emotions make the customer behave more ‘closed’, and holding on to these feelings hinders their buying experience. They’re less likely to make a properly considered buying decision and more likely to avoid salespeople (even ones who are genuinely trying to help).
Not only is this bad for the customer, but it’s also bad for business. If we can’t help the customer overcome these negative feelings, then we’re likely to experience less customer engagement, lower conversion rates, and reduced customer loyalty.
If a ‘closed’ customer is created by these negative emotions, then to open a customer up, we need to address these emotions and create a set of more positive emotions.
How do we improve this ‘closed’ demeanour? Let’s think again about those negative emotions that the customer often has as they enter our showroom and, in each case, the opposite positive emotion that we want to create instead:
‘Fearful’ becomes ‘confident’
Rather than focusing on approaching the customer within a certain time, try vacuuming or tidying near the entrance. Doing a non-threatening activity like this allows you proximity to the customer without looking like you’re waiting to pounce.
A friendly welcome, followed by, “Let me just give you a couple of pointers, then I’ll leave you to have a look around and catch up with you in a few minutes.” As long as the information is genuinely helpful, you can decide on this yourself. It could be as simple as letting them know that all sofas you’ve got on display come in different sizes and combinations.
‘Overwhelmed and confused’ becomes ‘composed and clear’
Offer select knowledge that helpfully informs their buying decision. Rather than dumping every tiny detail you know about a product onto the customer, play ‘ping-pong’ with them – for example, you notice a customer trying out a leather sofa, running their hand across the material. You approach with, “Just to let you know … this sofa comes in several other leather options, as well as fabric options. What material did you have in mind?”
‘Uncertain and doubtful’ becomes ‘certain and assured’
As you work through the sale, ‘nail down’ key decisions. For example, “You mentioned earlier that you were worried about the dogs damaging the sofa, but you’re happy with this darker-coloured leather, which will hold up to them jumping on the sofa. Is that right?”
Confirming smaller decisions along the way makes the big decision to buy at the end a lot more manageable.
Creating confident, composed and assured customers gives them a much better chance of making the right buying decision, it gives salespeople a better chance of making bigger sales more consistently, and it builds a dedicated following of loyal customers for your business.
