Isolated business coupleWhen someone walks into your showroom, is your first thought, “What promotion are we running right now”?  Or are you running through the list of product lines you need to sell this quarter while trying to wipe down the vignettes? As much as we’re hoping those aren’t your first thoughts – maybe not even your second thoughts – we know that it’s still happening in showrooms.

Not everyone who walks through the door is going to buy a kitchen that day, and we definitely know that not every salesperson gives 110% to the sale, but  it’s a whole heck of a lot easier to lead a prospect to sign on the dotted line than you think. How, you ask? It’s very simple, just pay attention to some of these tricks and you’ll have it down in no time.

Using your listening skills

The most important step in the entire process is to listen to the prospect.  Stop talking, turn off the wheels that are spinning in your head and LISTEN to what the customer wants. You need to hear their wants, needs, hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, and everything that comes with those.

Before you start suggesting options and whatnot, understand the entirety of the project, or you’ll find yourself revising the design multiple times, making you frustrated with the client. But in all reality, if you let the customer get a word in edgewise, you wouldn’t be in that situation.

Educate them to choose you

After you’ve had a chance to listen to the real reasons behind the remodel, it’s time to guide them through the decision process. This doesn’t mean be bossy or pushy with products. Lead them to make educated choices so they will be happy later on. You’re not selling cabinets here; you’re providing them with information to further educate them on their purchase.

Tell them first how you would go about solving any issues in the space, and then move on to the products you might use to do that. Potential clients like to know that you have the knowledge to solve their space and design and that they have many options.  When you pigeon hole a customer into one particular line just because that’s the one you want to sell, they lose their confidence if it’s not creating a solution for their home.

Trust in the process

Imagine this: Your potential buyer is ready to make a decision, and they start to move forward to signing the dotted line. You’ve gone to their house, started the design process but how do you get them to really feel like they made the right choice?

You do that through creating a trusting relationship.  It’s the only way you’ll get them to sign the contract. How do you build this trust you ask? Well, you should work on this from the moment they find your company (whether it be through your online educational blog, or when they set foot in the showroom) and build upon it through every step.

When presenting final designs, talk about past projects where there were similar concerns and how you worked to make the experience a pleasant one for them. Let them know that you will be there through the entire process to make sure that each piece of the puzzle works together correctly.

The rest of the project from there out will no longer be about comparing prices or getting the best deal. It’s about how you and the customer interact on their decisions. You’ll have won them over with your ability to listen, educate and provide a feeling of security.