Ugh, how many times do we hear this? Wouldn’t it be great if every new person who walked into your store knew exactly what they wanted and was ready to buy…from you? Okay, now its time to wake up, real-world here.
During many of my dealer visits, I get to observe this interaction and sometimes I cringe inside as the “prospect” simply walkout.
What does that statement actually mean? It means they want to look at something they want, they just are unsure how to ask, don’t want to be “sold” or just need a few minutes to settle in and get a feel for your dive center.
Virtually no one walks into a specialty shop if they have virtually no intention of making a purchase. It just may not be from you. When was the last time you went into a retail store and had zero interest in what was for sale?
Who is the looker? The “looker” is a prospect, an opportunity, someone who may become your #1 customer. Always, always treat the looker as qualified buyers and assume they want to buy from you. Consider the following:
- The buyer wants to learn to dive but has no idea what to budget
- Buyer may be looking to make a purchase but not for awhile
- Buyer as a vague idea in mind but doesn’t want to ask the “dumb” question
So do your job, provide help. Do not reply to the obligatory “I’m just looking” okay, let me know if you have questions and go back to your playing Candy Crush. I witness this all the time, unfortunately. So, consider the following:
Stop immediately greeting “prospects” with “Can I help you?”. Stop, stop and stop it. Try the following:
- “Hi and welcome to The Dive Shop (insert your dive shop name).” Then wait, don’t speak and make eye contact and wait for the response.
Now at this point, they will tell you to want they want OR you’ll get the “I’m just looking”. That’s okay, they are a little more at ease.
- Follow up the ‘IJL” response with “Awesome, we’ve got a ton of stuff to browse is there something specific I can direct you to or would you prefer to just browse?”
Now, remember you’re a salesperson and your JOB is to listen and recommend, consult and make a suggestion and obviously close the sale.
- So if they want to look at masks, take them to the mask and start with open-ended questions.
- If they just want to browse let them do so and check in with this a few minutes later and ask the open-ended questions such as “Are you going on a dive trip soon?”
This is a simple example, but it should give you an idea of dealing with the ‘IJL.”