Finding The Right Sales Person
Thanks - I'm Just Looking!
One of the hardest parts about making an investment in a new piece of digital gear
is finding the right Sales Person! The Sales Person will most likely have a very
significant effect on what you purchase. In many cases you may even walk into a
store with a very specific product in mind, but walk out with an entirely deferent
item because of the Sales Persons input. The question is did he help you or him?
Two types of Sales People.
Commission and Non-Commission. Is one better than the other?
This is more of a personal preference and depends on what kind of a sales
experience you are comfortable with.
Commission Sales People may come across as being a bit
more aggressive but are also more motivated in making sure all of your questions
are answered so you can make a buying decision. Commission Sales People make
more money when they sell more, to sell more they need to know more. This can
benefit you the customer. This type of sales force is usually well staffed so getting
help is usually very easy. Commission Sales People will try to avoid the Tire
Kicker, if they sense a lot of questions followed by a "I'll think about
it" then you more than likely lose their attention while they scope out the
next buying customer.
Non-Commission Sales People tend to be more laid back
but in some cases can be less informative. This is because Non-Commission Sales
People usually have other tasks to do like stocking shelves, cleaning, ordering etc.
you may not be their number one priority that day. Non-Commission Sales People
are usually hired based on their product knowledge and less for their sales skills,
they can be very informative and are more willing to help you with something even if
a sale seems unlikely to them. This type of sales force also seems to be
understaffed meaning you may have to wait for assistance.
So what is going on in a Retail Sales Reps mind?
One tool that is common to both Commission and Non-Commission
Sales People is what is called the "Spiff". The
"Spiff" is an incentive that can either originate from the
company that makes the product or even the retail store itself. It can sometimes be
cash or a prize for the most sales of a specific product. Not all products have the
same amount of commission to the Sales Person, two similarly priced products can
have different profit amounts, more profit means more commission to the Sales
Person.
How does this affect you the buying Customer?
You need to establish a good relationship with your Sales Person,
this way they will be more likely to sell you what is best for you, not them. A good
Sales Person knows that a happy customer will come back time and again and will
be willing to make a bit less on one sale in return for another sale down the
road.
What makes a good Sales Person?
- A good Sales Person will ask a lot of question so they can
determine what is best for you.
- A good Sales Person will be knowledgeable and if they don't
have the answer can get you the answer.
- A good Sales Person will give you good follow-up support to make sure you
are happy with your purchase and get the most out of it.
- A good Sales Person will be open minded to a variety of
products, not every product fits every person.
- A good Sales Person can adapt to different personality types to
make the customer more comfortable.
What makes a good Customer?
- Are you the kind of customer that will ask a thousand questions
and then go and buy the exact same product from another store or Sales Person just
because you got it for $5 less? Do you really think the original Sales Person will give
you the follow up support on a product you bought from someone else? No way!
Every store price-matches these days so buy from the Sales Person who was the
most informative.
- Be nice to the Sales Person, it's not an easy job and can be very
draining especially when customers treat them like disposable product brochures.
- If you are not ready to buy a product be honest with the Sales
Person and give them your time frame, more then likely they will spend the time you
need to get a good start on figuring out what product is right for you.
What about the extended warrantee?
This seems to always come up at the end of a sale and can be a bit
uncomfortable. It is true that Sales People make a part of their income from
extended warrantees but do I really need one? It's all about peace of mind, is the
price worth it? It only takes one repair and your warrantee can pay for its self. On
the other hand, are you the kind of person who will be re-buying an newer updated
version a year later, you may not get back your investment value for the remainder
of the unused warrantee on resale.
The bottom line.
You need to be comfortable with a Sales Person, personality types
are important. If possible make all of your purchase through the same Sales Person;
this will improve your sales experience. Your Sales Person should give you excellent
pre-sale and follow-up information. Remember a good Sales Person usually has a
lot of customers and can be very busy so be prepared to wait a bit for their
assistance, it will be worth it.
Michael Kaye - founder of http://www.DigitizeMe.info
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