MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

MobeePlanet

Sales Manual

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Table of Contents MobiPlanet .............................................................................................................................................. 1

Sales Manual ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Approach Customer ................................................................................................................................ 3

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3

What’s in the Name? .......................................................................................................................... 3

Initiating Customer Contact ................................................................................................................ 4

Non-verbal Messages .......................................................................................................................... 4

Gathering Customer Requirements ........................................................................................................ 5

Probing the Customer ......................................................................................................................... 5

Guidelines while Probing the Customer ............................................................................................. 5

Highlight Benefits .................................................................................................................................... 6

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Needs of the Customer ....................................................................................................................... 6

Product Knowledge ............................................................................................................................. 6

Basic Queries ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Sources of Information ........................................................................................................................... 7

Product Knowledge Benefits ................................................................................................................... 7

Inform Customer about the Product ...................................................................................................... 8

Handling Customer Queries .................................................................................................................... 9

Handle Objections ................................................................................................................................... 9

Organize Objections .......................................................................................................................... 10

Resolve Customer Objections ........................................................................................................... 11

Close Sale .............................................................................................................................................. 12

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 12

Handling Hesitant Customers ........................................................................................................... 12

Maximize Sales Opportunities .............................................................................................................. 13

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Up-Selling .......................................................................................................................................... 13

On-Selling .......................................................................................................................................... 13

Complementary Offers ..................................................................................................................... 13

Follow-up .......................................................................................................................................... 13

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Approach Customer

Introduction Customers have their own personal identity. When the sales staff approaches a customer, the

customer should feel worthy of himself/ herself and worth the product that that staff is marketing.

What’s in the Name? Identify customers by name where possible. A name is a representative of various aspects of the

customer’s personality – gender, religion, cultural affiliation etc. To address a customer on name

basis is to acknowledge to the customer that you know him/her on a personal basis, that you know

their likes and dislikes, their preferences, their requirements. For that you should develop a rapport

that enables the customer to have a comfort level with you.

This clearly is an indicator that a new employee cannot right away address customers by name. It

also means new customers cannot be right away addressed by name. Far from indicating a personal

rapport, this can indicate an attitude of intimidation and lack of respect.

Do’s • Learn how to pronounce the customer’s

name properly. In many languages, a mispronounced name can have an entirely different meaning and even a derogatory reference than the name pronounced in the proper way. If necessary, know the spelling of the customer’s name. If it is unfamiliar and you are unsure how to pronounce it, ask the customer to help you with the right pronunciation. If that is not possible, you can ask colleagues of the same cultural background to help you pronounce the customer’s name properly.

• Address the customer by name in a tone that communicates the exclusivity you attach to the customer.

Don'ts • Do not automatically address all

customers by their first names. Informality should indicate warmth not a taken-for-granted attitude. Prefix names with Ms. or Mister. Use surnames if the customer identifies with the surname in a more positive way. Use professional prefixes such as Dr. if the customer has a strong identification with the title. First names may be used only if the customer insists on it. Even in those cases, maintain a tone of respect and address the customer as per the protocols of the store.

• Do not use your knowledge of customers’ names and the facility to address them by names to stereotype their personalities. Do not presume that names of a certain region, religion, culture, gender will have a set of unchanging preferences and that you can directly cater only to those preferences. Knowing names of customers and addressing them by their names should nowhere dilute the quality of service.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Initiating Customer Contact To initiate contact with a first-time customer, the staff has to deal with the customer’s natural

inhibition and reluctance to speak with a stranger. An effective way to deal with such reluctance is to

start the conversation with the reason that caters to the customer’s preferences rather than your

need to sell.

You can engage with the customer in the following ways.

Exhibit interest: Be genuinely interested and enthusiastic while conversing with the

customer.

Inform through multiple channels: If the store has added, changed or improved its services,

inform customers promptly and clearly. Not all customers refer to every form of

communication. So it is advisable to use multiple channels of contact. You can use leaflets,

print advertisements, postcards, audio-visual media for propagation, web announcements,

e-mails, social media networks etc.

Do not engage in gimmicks: Resorting to gimmicks may attract a few customers initially but

does not have a lasting impact. Once customers see through the gimmicks, your reputation

can suffer long-term damage.

Communicate clearly: Do not be overtly emphatic or aggressive. Be specific. Listen

attentively. Exude empathy. In case of any miscommunication on your part, apologize

unhesitatingly and genuinely.

Use of coupons, discounts and sales: Most customers work with a fixed budget and almost

all customer like to buy products at a prices lesser than the fixed price. Coupons, discounts

and sales provide a welcome option for such customer.

Non-verbal Messages Interaction with the customer is not limited to words exchanged. Messages are also conveyed in an

implicit way in these interactions regardless of whether they are intended or not. Factors like tone

and pitch of voice, hand gestures, body language, facial expressions, distance between the

communicators come under non-verbal messages. These non-verbal signals can give clues,

additional information and meaning over and above spoken (verbal) communication.

The sales staff too is required to exhibit the appropriate non-verbal cues. After all, the customer is

also observing and evaluating the sales person at the level of non-verbal communication. For

example, if a sales person is verbally welcoming a customer but is furrowing his/her brow, folds

hands to the chest and moves away from the customer, the non-verbal message that the customer

receives is negative and this does not encourage the customer to interact further. On the other

hand, if the sales person’s verbal welcoming of the customer is accompanied with a warm smile, a

slightly forward leaning gait, relaxed expression and alert posture, the customer is likely to consider

a purchase.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Gathering Customer Requirements

Probing the Customer Gently probe the customer and listen attentively to understand the needs and requirements of the

customer.

Open questions

Begin by asking the right question in the right way. You can begin by asking the customer

open questions. For example – What features are you looking for in a phone? Open

questions help to begin conversation. They allow detailed descriptions in answers. The views

and opinion of the customer are easily reflected in answering an open question.

Question Funnel

Once the customer has warmed up, you can seamlessly move on to funnel questions. This

would involve moving from general requirements to focusing on specific requirements of the

customer by asking for more details at each level. For example: Would you like the phone

with a good camera? Do you want an Android phone?

Probing questions

Probing questions help you gather additional information in greater detail. They help to

clarify evasive aspects. For example – How often do you charge your phone? Do you want a

phone with a long battery life?

Leading questions

At the end you can use Leading questions. Leading questions should appeal personally to the

customer. It should give the feeling to the customer that he/she has more than one choice

and that it is he/she that is making that choice. For example – Since you prefer a phone with

an excellent camera, would you like to buy the PiFon brand? If you do not want to exceed

your budget, would you like to buy the Bravo brand that is available at a discount or prefer

the Game brand that lets you pay in instalments?

Guidelines while Probing the Customer Follow these guidelines when asking questions:

• Give the customer sufficient time to deliberate and respond to each of your questions. Base

your next question by listening carefully to what the customer has to say. Do not use

phrases like – I already explained this to you. What you are asking is not relevant.

• Do not check your e-mail, look at the clock, do not talk on the phone, do not read something

else while the customer is talking to you. This indicates a lack of interest as well as lack of

respect for the customer.

• Play back the conversation at regular intervals with the right phrases like – Sure, I get it, Of

course you are right etc. On the one hand, this will ensure to the customer that he/she is not

being neglected. On the other hand, it will ensure that you have fully understood the

customer’s point of view.

• Do not fake attention. Be genuinely interested in the customer’s point of view. Attentive

listening can help you extract accurate and relevant information regarding the customer’s

requirements. It helps to develop a rapport between you and the customer. This would

further help in decision making and problem solving.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Highlight Benefits

Introduction A customer primarily considers a product for purchase because he/she is likely to benefit from the

acquisition and use of that product. Selling the benefits of the product ensures the sale of the

product.

Needs of the Customer Establish a clear link between the needs of the customer and the relevant products and services. The

following steps are what establish the link between needs of the customer and the products offered

by the store:

• Determine your customer’s needs

• Tailor products and services to suit your customer’s needs

• Sell products and services as a response to your customer’s needs

• Highlight the benefits of your particular product as the most relevant choice for your

customer’s needs

• Convey information about the features and benefits of the product in a lucid manner to the

customer

Product Knowledge It is essential for all staff members should know the about the goods and/or services provided by the

business. What is equally important is that such knowledge should be developed and updated. The

staff should be able to answer the customer’s question about the product confidently.

Basic Queries Some basic questions that customers ask staff about the product are:

• What is this (the product)?

• What does it do?

• How can I use it?

• What is it made up of? (material, ingredients, components)

• How expensive is it?

• How is it better than other brands?

To answer these and other similar queries the staff has to work on the following three aspects of

product knowledge:

• Latest information and know-how about the products

• Find and acquire such information

• Using the information to answer the queries of the customer

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Sources of Information The staff’s product knowledge should be accurate and reliable. For this it is important that the staff

gathers product information from appropriate and relevant sources. The following are the most

practical as well as reliable sources of product knowledge.

Manufacturer’s manual

This literature can be accompanied with the product or even sent to the sales staff

separately to enable them to know the product and handle customer queries. These can be

in the form of sales manuals, sales bulletins, sales portfolios etc. Manufactures can even

organize trips to the factory to help sales staff to know about the manufacturing process.

Trade exhibitions, industrial fairs also help the staff to develop their knowledge about the

product.

Seniors and colleagues at work place

Product knowledge can be developed through consulting senior staff members and

discussions with colleagues. This is particularly useful for new recruits who are in probation

periods.

First-hand experience

All the knowledge that staff gathers about the product can be fully understood and

internalized only through experience. Personal experience can also mean using the product

personally and understanding it through the experience of its use. Wherever possible, many

manufacturers provide samples of the product to the sales staff to help them to experience

the product.

Other literature

Books from the library, trade journals, online information and feedback about the product

are some other sources through which the staff can develop product knowledge.

Advertisements and information about the product through audio-visual aids also help in

developing product knowledge.

Training programs

Orientation programs, training sessions, refresher courses can be organized by the employer

to equip the staff with product knowledge. The same can also be used to bring the staff

about the latest development in the product.

Product Knowledge Benefits Some of the ways in which sales staff can help customers with product knowledge are:

• Good product knowledge helps the sales staff to present the product with confidence

• Product knowledge helps you understand the various features of the product and the

benefits of its use

• You can explain to the customer everything about the product so that the customer is saved

from needless hours of search for information

• Knowing the product well helps in smooth demonstration of the product

• Negative comments and objections can be smilingly and convincingly overcome if you

possess the knowledge of the benefits and advantages of the product

• After sales queries and problems can be redressed right away by the sales staff who have a

complete knowledge of the product

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual In applying product knowledge, it is necessary to follow the principles below:

• Do your homework. A salesperson who does not even understand the questions the

customer has about the product, is not likely to know anything about the product.

• Do not exaggerate. Be positive and optimistic. But do not go overboard and make tall claims

about the product that is not true.

• Prioritize the needs of the customer over the need to sell the product. Product knowledge is

to help you to help the customer, not trap the customer in buying the product.

• Be honest. If you do not know about an aspect of the product that the customer asks about,

own your shortcoming. Do not lie.

• Do not use your bank of product knowledge to look down upon the customer. Your product

knowledge is to serve the customer’s need to know about the product.

• Turn it into a participatory process –Talk to the customer and let the customer tell you about

what he/she is looking for in the product. Find out if they are working with a budget. Use

your product knowledge to present the product to the customer in a manner that relates to

the customer’s needs.

Inform Customer about the Product To present a feature as a useful benefit that concretely answers the customer’s need, you will have

to present the feature as a use that will improve the lifestyle, health and well-being of the customer.

Apart from uses, the customer should also be informed about the safety requirements of the

product. Safety requirements are requirements that the customer should comply with to use the

product safely.

These requirements for each product should be communicated to the customer during the

demonstration of the product as well as the sale of the product. The sales staff should ensure that

the customer has fully understood all the safety requirements.

Printed manuals that describe the way to use the product should also include the safety

requirements in the use of the product. These should accompany every product piece sold to a

customer.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Handling Customer Queries Customers can have a range of questions depending on the product that they are considering to buy.

While some of these questions seek more information, most questions are to reassure themselves

that they are buying the right product. Questions can be about the usage of the product, the

durability of the product, the options of other brands of the same product, working an equation

between the product’s cost and the customer’s budget etc.

The nature of customer queries indicates the preferences of the customer, areas of dissatisfaction,

products that the customer is curious about etc. The kind of response that the customer receives for

his/her queries has a significant influence in turning the customer into a long-term customer.

Some customers may sound cynical or pessimistic while assessing the product. Do not react by

getting defensive or aggressive. Without getting confrontational, answer the valid question behind

the cynical attitude. Several times, if the answer is accepted by the customer, the cynicism vanishes

away.

Keep the following guidelines in mind when responding to routine customer questions:

• Keep your body language as well as verbal language positive. Do not interact with an air of

dismissal. Convey to the customer that his/her questions are of great value and that you are

genuinely pleased to respond to them.

• Be sincere and honest in your responses. Exaggerated statements not only dilute your worth

but also tarnish the image of the product and the organization.

• If you are not sure about the right answer, seek guidance from a colleague or a senior. If the

problem is beyond your capabilities, direct the customer to senior sales staff who will have

more resources at their disposal to address the queries of the customer.

Handle Objections In many ways, the real test of the sales staff is in handling objections of customers. The expert sales

person looks at opportunities in objections – opportunity to better the product, opportunity to

access customer feedback, opportunity to turn a disgruntled customer into a loyal customer. An

effective sales person can make the most out of customer’s objections.

The foremost apprehension of the customer who raises an objection is that he/she may not be

acknowledged and the objection dismissed. Anticipating such reaction from the sales staff, the

customer who raises an objection often takes an aggressive stance. A simple yet effective way to

prevent such aggressive attitude is to recognize and admit objections of customers.

LAIR

Remember the acronym – LAIR – Listen, Acknowledge, Identify objection and Reverse it.

Listening attentively, admitting the objection of the customer, recognizing the exact nature

of the problem constitutes 75% of work of handling objections. Listen to the objection

without being influenced by the defensive or aggressive tone of the customer.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

After listening attentively to the problem, acknowledge, admit and accept not just the

objection but also the customer. Soothe the apprehension of dismissal by acknowledging

that the customer has a right to object.

If you have not fully understood the objection, be honest about it. Assure the customer that

you are trying your best to understand the objection and that not understanding it fully does

not invalidate the objection.

By accepting the customer who raises the objection you earn their trust and let them believe

that you are both on the same side desiring to solve the problem. More often than not the

customer feels obliged to cooperate with you in solving the problem rather than accusing

you of the problem. Most of this requires very little verbal communication. A lot depends on

your body language and the attitude that you exude.

Organize Objections Organize objections from customers in categories of price, time and quality.

Price of the product

Objections under this category refer to the price of the product. It is felt by the customer

that the product is too expensive. When encountering such a complaint do not look down

upon the customer as someone who cannot afford the product. Empathise with them telling

them that you understand in these days when most of us are working within strict budgets,

it is difficult to pay a high price. Convince them that they are making good use of their

money. Tell them that the product they are buying is worth the money they have to spend

on it. Explain to them that the product is a good investment and that in the future they will

be glad that they bought it.

Time

The objection of time can be of three possible types:

o The customer does not have the time to hear you make a sales pitch. Seek an

appointment to call at another convenient time.

o The sales staff does not have time to address the customer – This usually happens in

big stores. One reason may be the presence of many customers at the same time

and not enough sales staff. In such a situation acknowledge the customer and

politely request them to wait so that you can attend to them properly. Another

reason may be a bias to serve certain types of customers over other customers. For

example, the sales staff may cater to richer customers or well-dressed customers

over regular customers. In latter situations, you may actually lose customers who

are more likely to buy. The customer is the king – applies to all kinds of customers.

o Late delivery of products – A sale is not complete with convincing the customer to

buy the product. Late delivery of product is as bad as not delivering the product. The

customer may decide not to place any repeat order if the product is not delivered on

time. In case of unavoidable delay, call the customer and explain the reasons for the

delay.

Quality of the product

o The quality of the product can be a basis for customer objection in two possible

ways – the product is defective, the product is not what the customer expected it to

be.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

o In case of product defect, accept the problem. Apologize sincerely. Tell the customer

that you will repair or replace the product. Also tell them that this does not usually

happen. Ensure them that they will not have to face this for any products that they

buy in the future.

o If the product is not what the customer expected it to be, do not tell the customer

he/she did not understand what he/she was buying. Remember the quality of the

product is not what you sell but is what the customer buys. Probe gently and try to

find the customer’s objection. Show them your sales data of satisfied customers

who have bought the same product. Reiteration of the product’s value can be

sourced from big numbers of other satisfied customers.

Effective categorization helps to arrive at the root cause of the problem. It is of tremendous help in

identifying the problem. A solution can be worked on only after the problem has been identified. In

a way, categorization of objections is the initial step towards resolving the objection.

Resolve Customer Objections Prompt resolution of customer objections can turn objection into opportunity. To resolve an

objection promptly, it is important to train sales staff to handle and solve basic objections.

Most objections can be resolved through clarifications and very little level of expertise. Convince the

customer to alter their perspective. You can persuade them that the issue that they are viewing as

an objection is actually no more an objection. You can give in to their point of view. Once the

customer feels you agree with his/her point of view he/she may be more willing to hear your side.

Objections that are beyond the expertise and authority of sales staff can be directed to senior staff.

Assure the customer that any delay this may cause is because you are taking their objection

seriously and want to resolve it by the right person.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Close Sale

Introduction Closing sale is the final step of the selling process. When the sales person has succeeded in selling

the product to the customer with the desired outcomes, it is referred to as Closing Sale.

Broadly, the two kinds of methods to clinch the closing sale process are:

The Ben Franklin close or the balance sheet close

This method of closing sale is relevant for the rational customer. Even after the customer is

emotionally pleased with the product, he/she tends to weigh the positive and negative

aspects of the purchase. The sales person’s role is to factually present both sides of the

purchase while skilfully listing more positives then negatives.

Appeal To Emotions

Most purchase decisions, even the seemingly rational ones, are based on emotions. A good

sales person will appeal to the customer’s emotions without manipulating the customer.

Lines like – ‘This toy will light up your child’s eyes’, ‘This bedspread will really brighten your

bedroom’ – appeal to the emotions of the customer.

Buying signals are usually not verbalized. A customer communicates that he/she is seriously

considering buying the product by exuding strong non-verbal signals. An adept sales person should

be alert and be on the look-out for such signals. Monitor the signals for consistency and level of

involvement and respond at the appropriate moments.

Handling Hesitant Customers Identify the hesitancy area in the customer’s buying signals. In other words, look for that aspect of

the customer’s personality or evaluation of the product that is blocking closing of the sale. Without

being invasive address that aspect directly but politely. The hesitation point is usually not about the

product per se. It is often about the price, or logistics like delivery, free after sales service etc.

Hesitation indicates that the customer has not completely rejected the product. The possibility of

purchasing the product still exists. The sales person can persuade the customer about the worth of

investing in the product. To convince the customer, the sales person may even have to lower the

price of the product or facilitate an easy pay option. Once the product price is lowered, often

customers are willingly to spend more than the money they had mentally allocated for the purchase.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual

Maximize Sales Opportunities

Introduction According to several studies, acquiring a new customer costs five to ten times more than retaining

existing customers. Also, a repeat customer is likely to spend much more than a new customer, up to

67% more than the new customer. Strategies to maximize sales is best applied to existing customers,

though it need not be limited to existing customers.

Additional sales is about selling more to each customer than selling to more customers. Selling is

convincing the customer to purchase a product or service that he/she needs.

Up-Selling The sale can be effected by selling the product at a higher price than the customer had decided to

spend. This is called up-selling.

On-Selling Selling additional products and services apart from the product that the customer intended to

purchase is called on-selling. Customer interest in the additional product is generally sparked by the

customer’s need to buy the primary product. In that sense, the additional product should relate to

the customer’s decision to buy the primary product.

Complementary Offers Sales can also be maximized by offering complementary products and services, discount schemes,

free delivery incentives, better marketing and advertising etc. The key term in complementary

products and services is the term ‘complementary’. Complementary products and services

complement each other. Some of the complementary products complement each other out of

necessity. For example – a phone and charger.

Give the customers a choice of complementary products. What is free need not be imposed. For

example, a phone and a blue tooth headset or car charger, etc. You can also include more than one

complementary product with the primary product and offer an attractive discount on the

complementary products. This is called bundling. The customer feels happy about purchasing several

products at a lower price and you end up maximizing sales.

Follow-up Once the sale is effected, do not wash your hands off the customer. Keep in touch with your

customers. Thank them for giving you the opportunity to serve them. If there are any complaints,

address them. If necessary direct the customer to the appropriate department to redress their

complaint.

MobeePlanet – Sales Manual Convey a positive impression to facilitate long-lasting ties with customers. A positive impression of

the store and the staff on the customers not only increases the possibility of sale, it also significantly

improves the probability of retaining the customers and ensuring positive publicity for the store.

A positive impression goes beyond first impression. Many a time, sales staff work a lot on the first

impression and even manage to attract repeat customers. However, the positive first impression is

often not sustained either because of slackness on the part of the sales staff, or a taken-for-granted

attitude with regard to repeat customers. According to a study, in 2013, 62% of global consumers

switched service providers due to poor customer service experiences. Absence of sustained positive

impression can have a negative effect on a major chunk of the customer base.

Approach repeat customers every time with the same enthusiasm as you would approach a first-

time prospective customer. Remember, your customers are better informed and have more choices

for goods and service providers today than ever before.