Last week I was in the City of London working with a Stock Broker client helping their salespeople get more business using the phones. Impressive environment it was. Exciting, positive, energetic, fast-paced. And I just adored the myriad of computer screens everywhere showing stock figures and enormous amounts of data. Their job was just so cool.
On my way home I dreamt of being a real life Stockbroker but as I arrived in Gloucester, reality hit me and realised the closest I’d ever get would be having more than one computer screen in my office.
So the next morning, I put my revised ambition into action and headed down to PC World to buy a second monitor. In its glorious 22 inches it was surprisingly inexpensive. I rushed to the checkout.
I always feel for the checkout operators with their targets to sell add on insurances and warranties. The problem with selling add-ons is…well they’re add-ons, and no one wants costs added. The checkout is not the place to do selling either, queues and finger drumming customers. Until I reached Naomi.
“You’ll be wanting the 3 year Warranty… won’t you?”
“No thanks”
“Are you sure”, she replied with a genuine look of surprise. She contorted her face and mirrored shock and astonishment; she’d obviously practised this many times in the training room.
“These monitors can go wrong after the manufacturers warranty and you’d be missing out on a free fix for another two years if it goes wrong…are you sure?
She was very persuasive and what a clever little strategy.
So if you or your team sell “add-ons” at the checkout or counter and they’re often busy and harassed, follow Naomi’s example.
- Use the Yes tag…”you’d like…wouldn’t you?”
- When the customer says no…look genuinely surprised, “are you sure?”
- Give a benefit they’d be missing and try again.
Brilliant. I levelled with Naomi and told her I was a sales trainer and asked her how successful she was. Very, was her reply. It was inertia that encouraged the customers to go for the add-on, a few took it straight away but more reacted positively to the “are you sure?”
My office looks great with the two monitors as I dream of being a Stock Broker. At least my time management has improved, it really has. You ought to try two monitors but beware of Naomi at the checkout.
