A sale is the art of convincing the customer. Convincing requires information. As a sales person, who has information about the product you will always be more successful. Customers do not buy the product; they buy what the product can do for them. In other words: Customers buy the benefit that is provided by the features of the product.
A product cannot be sold only by explaining its features to the customer. The benefits to be provided to the customer by the product and its features should also be expressed. For instance, a dress to be bought by the customer being woolen is a feature and the fact that this dress will keep the person warm is its benefit. Product information includes also: package, maintenance rules, dimensions, sizes, guarantee period, raw material, contents, year of production, exporting country, price and payment terms, stock and delivery status, areas of use.
There are several sources for obtaining product information: by studying the instruction manual of the product and the product package, or just simply by touching the product, by benefiting from the catalogues and brochures published by the producer of the product. You can also learn a lot about products from the on-the-job training provided by the company, or by receiving assistance from senior employees and executives of the firm. You can also learn a lot by visiting trade-fairs, or by keeping up with the fashion and trends from daily publications (newspapers, magazines, etc.)
11.5.1 Presenting the product
As a sales person who is presenting the product to the customer, you should present it by valuing the product and showing this value to your customer. Your customer will realize this value best by letting him touch, try, smell, and taste the product. For example, if you are presenting a wardrobe to the customer you should open and close the doors of the wardrobe carefully without slamming. You should create a desire in the customer to own that product and to include it into her/his life. You should direct the consumer to buy by activating her/his feelings of interest and by comparison.
The sides of the products facing the customer should be supported with internal combinations and accessories and the customer should be enabled to reach the product more easily. The products should be placed in the stand in a way that the customer can easily take the product into his hands and put it back into its place. The products should only be put on sale with accessories that belong together. Any alarms should be applied on the sides of the products facing the wall, inside seams, and in a way not to damage the product. There are various ways of coding products. The most popular one is the barcode. It is a mathematical system with the ability to distinguish millions of products from each other. It provides quite a lot of information.
Labeling includes the information and pictures written or printed on the product or the package. Labeling has various functions: A label identifies the product and the brand, it protects the vendor against unfair competition, it helps in grading the product, it ensures the security of life and property of the consumer and prevents the consumer from being deceived, it facilitates the promotion of the product with its chart, and it provides various information about the product and the package. Labeling also provides information about selling and expiring dates. Every product must have a price tag: it catches the customer’s attention. Remember that price tags should always be up-to-date and accurately labeled.
Case: The importance of product information
A customer is buying a pair of shoes from Alma´s shoe store. She asks Alma if the shoes are real or artificial leather. She also asks how to take care of the shoes. Where can Alma find this information? Is there a possibility for Alma to do additional sales?
Tips: If you want to be a successful salesperson, you have to offer:
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the right product
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to the right customer
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at the right time
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at the right price
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in the right way
- through the right
channel