Find out what Mitchell’s Flowers and Events did to re-vamp its consultation process and how it turned around the Chicago retailer’s wedding business, in SAF’s Floral Management.
The next time you and your team meet with a bride but fail to land her wedding, try asking yourself three questions:
Did we shut down the consultation too fast?
Did we try to co-create, rather than sell?
Did we follow-up in the right way?
Those three approaches can be the difference between thriving and struggling sales, according to members of the Forbes magazine Coaches Council, a group made up of expert business and career coaches.
The group recently shared its take on “modern sales skills” that can make a real difference to small businesses. Among their tips:
Say Yes. “Most entrepreneurs try to close the sale too quickly,” said Greg Faxon of Greg Faxon Enterprises. “Instead of making a proposal before the person is ready to invest in what you offer, try using the ‘Yes Test.’ After you’ve gotten clarity about their problems and desires, gauge their interest in your product or service by asking, ‘How are you feeling about this so far?’ Only if they give an eager response should you try to close.”
Give the customer creative ownership. “Co-create solutions with your prospects,” suggests Debora McLaughlin of The Renegade Leader Coaching & Consulting Group. “State your understanding of their problem and the outcome they are expecting to achieve. Next, ask them, ‘Where shall we go from here?’ Your prospect, now understanding your capabilities, will begin to outline the solution that fits their time frame and budget. Now they are waiting for you to say, ‘Yes, let’s get started! Here is the first step.'”
Follow up smarter. “Eighty percent of all sales are made after the fifth contact, yet most entrepreneurs stop after one,” says Michel Scism of Decisive Minds LLC. “Follow-up is simply a strategy. First, keep a list of the prospects you need to follow up with. Second, keep good notes. When did you call? Did you leave a message? What did you learn about the prospect during the call? Third, choose the date you will call them next and put it on your calendar.”
Find out how one flower shop revamped the way it woos brides, here.
