The Selling Technique That Grows Your Business

Whether you own a local small business, a home based business or an online business, the method you use for selling your products or services matters.

It's your responsibility as the store owner to teach your customers about the products you sell. Let's take that idea to another level: you OWE it to your customers to teach them the proper use of your products, because if you don't teach them, they could be hurt.

Sound extreme? Maybe not.

Let's say you sell fabric. Fairly safe, right? Bits of material can't hurt anyone, right? So what if a customer buys a yard, or ten yards? There's no selling technique involved here.

Well there's a lot involved in buying fabrics. Depending on the type of project your customer is doing, choosing the right fabric is critical. If your customer chooses 100% cotton, you must coach him to wash and dry the fabric before using it.

If you know what kind of project he's doing, you can also make suggestions about backings, the right kinds of zippers or closures, or child-safe buttons.

Consultative Selling Technique 101

When your customer walks in the door, if you or your sales team says "How can I help you?" it's safe to assume that you've lost tens or hundreds of dollars.

It's more than a matter of selling more items to each customer. It's a matter of properly serving your customers. This is consultative selling at its finest. And practicing this selling technique with each and every customer will bring you success.

Your sales technique will determine the relationship you have with your customer from day dot.

When you walk into my fabric store, I'll great you with a different question. I'll say "What's your project today?" To the customer who's arrived at my store with a project list, I'll help her to fill that list and make suggestions of goods that compliment her purchase.

To the customer who arrives with an idea, I'll help him create his list. I'll show him how different pieces of his project fit together, or even consult about the project flow.

Is it worth it? Is all of that time and effort worth it to sell two yards of fabric, a spool of thread and a box of pins?

No.

If all you're selling is those three things, I'd suggest that you just close your doors now.

What you're really selling is value. The real value of what you're offering is in the information – the partnership you can have with your customer.

What you're really offering is your long-term relationship with your customer.

If your customer does 5 projects a year, perhaps you've sold 20 yards of fabric, 4 patterns, 30 spools of thread, 3 packages of batting, and a pair of shears. And every 8 years, perhaps a $595.00 sewing machine, which he'll buy from you because his first time in the store, you asked "What's your project today?" instead of pointing to the dust-covered patterns on his first trip in.

So – what are you?

Are you a sales clerk?

Or are you a consultant?

Consultative selling technique is all about knowing the value of your time, your inventory, and the life-time value of your customer. But don't think of the value of your time regarding your bottom line, think in terms of your customer each time she walks in the door.

If you're ready to implement this or other strategies you find here at SiteSOHO.com, we're available to assist. Please see our Services and Fees page to find the level of service that's right for you.