I recently had the opportunity to watch a so called good salesman in action. By the end of the day I was appalled at what I’d seen.
To sell for the sake of the money is plain and simply wrong. But it happens all the time. Honesty, ethics, and integrity, why do these words seem to be non existent?
How many times have you gotten home and realized what you bought was really not a good buy after all. Maybe it didn’t look good or fit right or wasn’t really useful. But the salesperson at the store did a very good job of convincing you that it was. Then when you want to return it, you find the store has some bogus return policy like in store credit only, or no returns past a certain time frame, or simply no returns period. This goes on each and every day in the world of sales. And let’s face it, if the customer is always right, according to Og Mandino, author of “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, then why are you gambling with that. Because if you think they’re not, you as the salesperson stand the risk of loosing sales over time. However, if you are selling with ethics and integrity, and making sure the person doing the buying is going to be 100% satisfied after they make that purchase, you are setting yourself up for more sales.
If your in sales and you haven’t figured this one out yet, let me give you something to think about. If you make sure that your customers are happy, they talk. If you don’t care about your customers and you just sell for the sake of the sale, they still talk, but you don’t want to hear what their saying.
When you sell with ethics and integrity, you will generate on the average 3 times more sales in the long run than if you are just selling for the sake of the sale. 3 times more. Over the course of one year you can increase you sales by 36%. And that number triples each year your in business. But you have to manage the sale with honesty, ethics, and integrity, and do your followup. Thank the customer for their business and when they come back, remember them and give them a little something for nothing once in a while. And if there is ever a problem, fix it. Do what you have to do to keep that customer coming back. You won’t go broke, on the contrary, you’ll increase your income because you honestly care about your customers.
Let’s say that you have an average retail store selling apparel. You greet the customer when they come in the door and make sure they know of any specials you may have going on. You watch to see what their interest is, shoes, clothes, accessories, etc. Always help them with the racks and assist them with finding their size. If it is something like a coat or a pair of shoes, help them try on. What person doesn’t like help putting on a coat? If you don’t have their size, don’t try to sell them something that doesn’t fit. Offer to order their size. If they say no, then guide them to a similar item to see if you can spark interest with something you know you have in their size. If it is a matter of money, find something in their price range. Offer to discount an item a bit if it’s not exactly what they had in mind, but never never try to sell them if whatever you have is not just right for their taste or use. If you don’t have anything else they’re interested in, simply thank them for coming in and ask them to come back. If they make a purchase, always remind them that if there is an issue with the item when they get home that they can depend on you to rectify the problem, even it that means you return their money. Never give them a reason to bad mouth you because you are doing business unethically or with bad character. That will ensure a reduction is sales over time.
This is all stuff that I would think is a no brain-er for any good sales person. But it seems more and more that business owners and their staff are just after the sale and not the return customer and referral sales. New sales are great but the return customer is your bread and butter, and your source of referral business. And referrals don’t cost advertising dollars. Duh!
Take an assessment of your sales practices. Can you honestly say you have never told someone that a particular item looked good on them when you knew it didn’t? Or can you say you’ve never sold something that was just not quite the right size but convinced the customer it was. If you can do that, then pat yourslf on the back. If not, be prepared for the consequences. Remember, Do Unto Others … You know the rest.
So get out there and sell like God is watching and make sure your customers are happy with what they buy from you, and don’t forget to say in one way or another, “Are you completely satisfied? Is there anything else I can do for you while your here?” A great salesperson has good customer service that starts with complete honesty. If something isn’t a good fit for your customer, don’t tell them that it is. Be honest, if they still buy the item, you win. If they don’t you still win. Because customers feel good about salespeople that tell the truth. We all feel good about people that tell the truth. Too many people don’t.
Honesty, Ethics and Integrity, three qualities that are hard to find these days. Be the salesperson that wins in the long run. Sell in a way that when you go to bed at night you can honestly say you made your sales honestly, and know you’ll get a good night’s sleep because of it. If you do that, tomorrow, there will be more business than yesterday and the day after that and the day after that. What goes around comes around. So make sure what comes back around to you is Great. Be the store that’s being talked about in a good way. Let truth, honesty, ethics, and integrity carry you all the way to the bank. Do the right thing, and go to the bank more often.
For more on the subject of ethical practices refer to http://www.businessballs.com/
