What Is The Role Of The Retail Salesperson?

Do you want to know what sales people do for a living?

I'm back in the sales game.

Let me let you peak behind the curtain.

The inner workings of a salesman.

Decision Making

Sales revolves around the prospect making multiple decisions: the main one being whether to buy or not.

Think of yourself when you choose a product.

You are opting to not choose the other possibilities. You have decided what is a priority and what isn't.

Information Gathering

We cannot help the customer unless we get the full picture.

To illustrate this, I was on the phone with a lady wanting to buy a camera.

She was asking for ones that don't need batteries.

Perplexed, of course all cameras charge! They don't need AA batteries.

My later question was what was the budget. Around $200.

I listed a bunch of products.

Then, she mentioned,

"I want to see the kids when they come home from school."

Oh! You mean a security camera?

*Laughter followed misunderstanding*

Without the full picture, we cannot help the customer guide towards the best decision.

Why suggest gaming headphones when someone intends to travel on a plane?

You might suggest it's malpractice to not ask questions. That is what we are. doctors of sorts.

Diagnosing customer problems and prescribing solutions.

We are problem solvers at heart.

Guiding The Sales Conversation

When someone asks,

"What is your recommendation?"

If you're a good salesman, you'll ask follow up questions.

Because, he who asks the questions controls the sales conversation.

I had a guy who was deciding between a 42" OLED TV and a desktop monitor for his gaming set up. We compared the specs.

Both 4k; 144 hz vs 240 hz; 0.01 ms vs 1 ms response time, respectively.

He kept asking what I thought.

As a salesperson, I can see which one gave me more commission, it was the TV. Out of my own ethics, instead of concluding, I kept asking questions back.

"What kind of set up do you have? Desk or tabletop? What TV do you have at the moment? What console are you playing at the moment? What kind of content will you watch as well?"

Even though salespeople are there to persuade the customer to make a decision...

The right answer will reveal itself when you ask the right questions.

Caring About The Customer

"He who cares most about the other person wins the sales conversation. – Alex Hormozi

Ultimately, having genuine care and curiosity about customers are what make for great salespeople.