Skill-Development--InStore-Promoter/C2/Interacting-with-a-customer/English-timed

Time	Narration
00:00	Hello and welcome to this Spoken Tutorial on Interacting with the customer.
00:06	In this tutorial we will learn
00:09	the communication skills required for effective selling
00:14	to improve listening and questioning skills
00:17	the steps required to sell merchandise to a customer
00:22	to demonstrate and promote handsets on display
00:26	influence the walk-in customers to buy the product.
00:31	For an effective communication, the Store Promoter has to focus on four important things. They are:
00:39	Understanding the customer’s communication style
00:44	Clarity in communication
00:46	The Art of Listening
00:49	The Art of Asking Questions
00:51	So, let's begin with a typical scene at a store.
00:56	A customer walks in and begins to browse through the display counter.
01:00	What should a Promoter do at this time?
01:03	First, allow the customer to see the products and examine them on their own.
01:10	At least for 2 mins, the Promoter should not interrupt or disturb the customer in between.
01:17	Tolerating silences means giving time to customers to feel comfortable after they enter the store.
01:25	Now the Promoter can open the sales call.
01:30	The Promoter should indicate sincere interest in helping customers satisfy their needs.
01:36	This can start with a SMILE.
01:39	And a simple question such as *“What kind of phone you are looking for?” OR
01:46	“Are you looking for a particular brand of phone?”
01:49	When communicating, it is a good habit to switch to the customer’s preferred language.
01:55	For eg: if the customer is speaking in Hindi, communicate in Hindi.
02:02	At all times, the Promoter must not let the customers feel uncomfortable.
02:07	Direct eye contact and hand movements help the customer to feel at ease.
02:14	Good voice and speech habits are critical at this stage.
02:19	Starting with simple questions, will facilitate the customer to give helpful information to you.
02:26	The Promoter always needs to listen carefully to the customer.
02:30	If a customer says he wants a “fancy” phone, find out what “fancy” means to that customer.
02:36	This is called “active listening”.
02:40	One way to demonstrate “active listening” is to repeat or paraphrase what customer has already said.
02:48	This creates a positive image in the mind of the customer.
02:53	The Promoter can also ask questions like-
02:56	What do you use your phone for?
02:58	What are the features you looking for in a phone?
03:01	What is your budget for the phone?
03:04	Do you prefer touch screen phones or qwerty keypad phones?
03:10	Features, advantages and benefits help the customers to “see” the merchandise better.
03:17	Features are a product’s qualities or characteristics.
03:21	Customers buy benefits, not only features.
03:26	The Promoter can guide the customer to the right product which will satisfy his needs.
03:32	He/she can clearly tell which of the needs expressed by the customer will be satisfied by the product.
03:40	So, the Promoter can greatly help in identifying the type of product the customer is looking for.
03:48	For Eg: All products available in the price range or brand the customer is considering.
03:56	Questions like:
03:58	How the customer plans to use the phone?
04:01	Whether the mobile is for self or is a gift for someone else?
04:06	Help in quickly narrowing down the options.
04:10	Sometimes, the customers have reservations about buying a product.
04:15	This may be because he or she isn’t satisfied with
04:19	the price, the product,
04:22	the store and its service, or the Store Promoter.
04:27	Reassurance works better than pressure with indecisive customers.
04:32	The best approach for handling reservations is to relax and listen.
04:39	Allow customers to verbalize their feelings completely and then respond.
04:46	First, agree that the customer’s reaction isn’t unusual.
04:51	Then proceeds to turn the objection into a benefit.
04:55	Price reservations are best handled with a two-step approach.
05:00	First, the Store Promoter should try to look at the reservations from the customer’s viewpoint.
05:07	For eg- the Promoter can ask
05:10	“Are you aware of other brands which have a similar model at a lower price?” OR
05:16	“You say you saw this model at a lower price in another store.
05:21	Can you please tell me if it was the same model with same features?”
05:25	Remember, all customers want to buy a less expensive product.
05:31	But customers will pay a higher price when additional benefits are pointed out to them.
05:37	Such as- durability of the product
05:41	Service provided by the store
05:43	Credit availability
05:45	Return policy
05:47	The assortment that enables a customer to purchase an entire outfit in one store.
05:53	The second way to handle reservations is by suggesting products with a lower price.
06:00	How can the Store Promoter know that the customer is ready to buy?
06:04	Buying signals are verbal or nonverbal communications from customers indicating they’re ready to buy.
06:11	Facial expressions often show when a customer isn’t ready to buy.
06:16	Customers who frown or seem to be puzzled., may be indicating they aren’t thoroughly sold on the merchandise.
06:25	Customers’ nonverbal signals that indicate a Store Promoter should attempt to make a sale include:
06:33	Resisting a Store Promoter’s attempt to move merchandise out of the way.
06:38	Intently studying or re-examining the merchandise, handling it, and looking at it from different angles.
06:45	Smiling or appearing to be excited when looking at the item.
06:51	Handling or using a product for the second or third time.
06:56	Closing a sale occurs when the seller and buyer agree to the conditions of the sale
07:02	and the buyer makes a firm commitment to the transaction.
07:06	Closing the sale should be a natural ending of the sales process.
07:11	Throughout the sales process, leverage the technique of the “trial close”.
07:17	This will ensure that you have the customer’s buy-in at the end of the sales call.
07:24	Examples of “trial close” are -
07:27	“Sir, are you confident about your choice?”
07:30	“Shall I demonstrate all the features once again?”
07:34	Using the trial close near the end of a meeting gives you control over the sales process.
07:40	Now phrase the“closing question”:
07:43	“Shall I take this product for billing?”
07:46	OR “Will you pay by cash or card?”
07:49	OR “Will you make a complete payment or you want to avail the instalment scheme?”
07:56	Ask only one question at a time and wait for the customer's response.
08:01	There will always be some tension in the moment when a question is asked.
08:06	Wait patiently till the customer thinks and answers.
08:12	Thank the buyer, Reassure them that they have made a great choice
08:16	And move on to discuss service, etc.
08:19	If the customer is undecided, then listen to the buyer.
08:24	And ensure that the lines of communication stay open.
08:28	That way the Store Promoter will develop goodwill in the customer's eyes.
08:34	The customer may not make a purchase this time.
08:37	But will return the next time when they want to buy.
08:40	It is increasingly important for Store Promoter to build long-term relationships with customers so they’ll return to the store.
08:50	Goodwill is the value of customers’ feeling or attitude toward the retailer and Store Promoter.
08:58	Methods for building goodwill include:
09:01	Keeping the customer’s interest paramount,
09:04	Reaffirming the customer’s judgment,
09:07	Ensuring proper use of the merchandise,
09:09	Handling customer complaints and
09:11	Providing “above and beyond” service.
09:16	After the purchasing of products comes the billing process.
09:20	Billing process is required to transit customer smoothly from the sale counter to the billing counter.
09:28	Effective Sales Promoters suggest additional items before the sales transaction is completed.
09:36	Pushing for add-on sales is the responsibility of the sales Promoter, as he/she is the one who interacts with the customer.
09:45	Such items usually compliment the main product.
09:49	For example, Extended warranties, extra batteries, extra storage, covers, accessories, etc.
10:00	Assure the customer that the add-on items are really helpful items.
10:05	Finally proceed the billing.
10:08	After billing, hand-over the product in its casing along with all the add-on items to the customer...with a smile!
10:18	With this will come to the end of the tutorial
10:22	Let us summarize, In this tutorial we learn how to listen actively and to communicate with the customer
10:29	Handle customer's doubts and objections and
10:33	Influnce the customer to buy the product and addon items
10:38	The video at the following link summarises the Spoken Tutorial Project.
10:44	Please download and watch it.
10:46	The Spoken Tutorial Team conducts workshops and gives certificates to those who pass our online tests. For details, please write to us.
10:57	Spoken Tutorial Project is funded by NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.
11:04	This tutorial has been created exclusively for the Telecom Sector Skill Council. This is Nancy Varkey from IIT Bombay signing off. Thanks for watching.

Contributors and Content Editors

Nancyvarkey, PoojaMoolya