In today's business environment, almost every conversation seems to begin with skepticism. "What's your agenda and why are you really being nice to me?" seem to be the first reaction to any interaction between staff and customers.
My interviews with the staff confirmed that a large part of their success is built on how they approach and treat the customers. Unlike many furniture stores, they don't wait at the front door to pounce on you. They do ask if they can help, but if you want to browse you are welcome to do so alone. Almost all shoppers immediately reply "no, thanks", and when asked why, most admitted that they didn't want to be "sold on something I don't want or need". Think about the hard-sell approach you may have experienced in visits to retail stores (and car dealerships) where the commission-driven salesperson hovers nearby, even when you ask them not to do so.
I wasn't surprised at this fact, but was blown away by how successful this small furniture store has been by using these three simple principles when dealing with customers:
1. Ask and listen.
2. Take time with the customers, even if they aren't buying today.
3. Be a resource.
Listening has become a lost art.
Too often, our listening is really an opportunity to think about and plan our next response, even before you have heard everything. Too many companies (especially ad agencies) are on "Send" and not "Receive".
Even when you are trying to listen, you must be careful how you respond. Years ago as a junior account manager, I would try to anticipate potential questions or objections before making a recommendation to my client. I would discuss those questions and potential answers with the art director/copywriter/account planner, or whomever I was working with at the time. When my client raised a question, I was there with a ready response.
One day, my client erupted and said "Dammit Don, why do you always have a quick answer to every question I ask?" My dumbfounded and innocent response was that "I thought you might ask that, so I discussed it with the art director/writer/planner/etc. and this is why we are recommending this particular action". I learned a valuable lesson that day. You must not only listen, you must make sure they understand that you are listening.
Spending time with a customer/client sends a positive message.
In the case of my furniture store client, they not only listened, they encouraged the customer to understand all of the pros and cons of each brand and item they were shopping for by spending time with them to field questions and offer suggestions. Even when they didn't purchase, or intend to purchase that day. As the owner explained to me, "the average customer makes 2-3 visits before they purchase. If we treat them this way, and they visit a competitor who doesn't, we've won a customer and potentially everyone they come in contact with from now on".
I saw how smart that approach was firsthand, when I visited his two biggest competitors and was basically ignored (even though no other customers were in either store at the time and I had acknowledged that I didn't know a lot about the brands or their benefits). In one of those stores, I asked some specific questions about two brands and asked for some information to take home to my wife. Her response was a pre-collated handout of materials for brands and products I had not asked about.
Be a resource, and not just a commodity they buy.
One staff member said to me in our interview "I feel great when a customer says "thank you" and I know they really mean it because I helped them make a smart decision". There is no question that it takes more time to listen to your customers and spend the time needed to understand their needs so that you can help them understand how your product or service can meet those needs. But if you build a relationship that they trust, they will reward you with their business. And by telling their friends.
Maybe to many of you, this is nothing more than a BGO (blinding glimpse of the obvious). To me, it was a strong reminder of how important trust and service have become in a world where both are in short supply.
