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No, Your Customer Can't Put Off the Purchase!
If you can't find the energy to explain why waiting is not an option, you'll never make a sale in this economy. And the more expensive the item is that you have in your mind can be "wait-listed" the truer this becomes.
July 14, 2010 by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor
Do you sell one of the products customers can "wait" on?
Like a new mattress?
Maybe a new refrigerator?
Or a how about a hair cut?
Just about any product or service business can say, "Oh, I'm different, my customers can put off purchasing a new ___ or fixing the ___; they can wait."
But that's the problem isn't it? They CAN'T wait.
It's not like that Star Wars DVD you place on the shelf and it will still be there, exactly as you left it.
What happens if you put off that new mattress? The mattress you are currently using continues to deteriorate. Your back gets sore. Your legs get more restless. You toss and turn. Your deep sleep declines. You wake up more grumpy. Less rested. Less happy.
Oh sure, you can take something like Dream Water, Unison or prescription strength Ambien. But those don't solve the problem, do they? In addition, you might have trouble waking up until you drink 5 cups of coffee which just compounds the problem when you try to get to sleep that night.
You see where I'm going?
No different than the dentist who told you to get a new crown. You think, "Oh, I can put it off." And you do.
So you chew your mom's delicious buttermilk fried chicken only on the left side of your mouth. You wince when you take a drink of cold water. Meanwhile the decay continues.
When you finally are ready to return to the dentist, you find you need a root canal. So could you really wait?
If you can't find the passion to explain why waiting is not an option, you'll never make a sale in this economy.
And the more expensive the item is that you have in your mind can be "wait-listed" the truer this becomes.
That means you window covering dealers who have bought in to that idea customers can, will and should wait. You need to find be able to convince them how it is a savings, not a cost.
That means you motorcycle dealers who have employees who are waiting themselves and commiserating with potential customers on your sales floor instead of having them go for a test ride.
That means you flooring dealers opting for peel & stick over hardwood or tile because "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
That means you reader of this blog - what are you "waiting" for?
Can you tell if your employees have bought into the waiting game? Look at what they are showing to customers. If they start and end with what is the cheapest - you're sunk.
Don't wait any longer! Get your hands on sales training or bring the Retail Doctor to your business.
Otherwise, you'll continue to use the recession as your excuse to do poorly.
