Yesterday I had a meeting with an executive at a huge East Coast retail chain. We were talking business, selling techniques and practices, when he said something to me that really resonated.
“When I’m in the store and I see our customers loading their carts with a particular item, I let them know if we have upcoming sales on those items before they purchase them.”
Wow.
Have you ever purchased something just to find a few days later that it went on sale? Being the avid shopper that I am, I find that this happens way too often, and is especially frustrating when consulting with a sales rep.
Wouldn’t it be nice if a store or company let you know in advance that the item you were purchasing was about to undergo a price cut?
While this may seem like a preposterous idea for some business executives, this is an honest selling technique that is sure to gain your company repeat and loyal customers.
The executive’s logic is that he has earned the customer’s trust and ultimately their repeat business, and that will be much more valuable in the long haul than if he hadn’t informed the customer of the sale and lost their respect or continued business because of it.
So the next time your company has specific products planned for a mark down, encourage your employees to tell your customers. Shoppers like me, will appreciate it — and reward you with more shopping!
