No thanks, I’m just looking
Have you ever heard the objection “no thanks, I’m just looking.” and wondered what to do about it? Well let’s take a moment and take a look at it from a customer’s perspective. I hate shopping, I really do. I am the kind of person who likes to walk into a store, find what I am looking for within 10 seconds and quite honestly, I’m not even that fussy about the price, if it seems reasonable I’ll pay it and go on my merry way.
Secondly, I want a salesperson to greet me as soon as I walk into the store with a BIG smile and a genuine hello, and then I want you to leave me alone.
I am the world’s best buyer. If you see me walk into your store, you’re going to love me.
Or are you?
You’re going to hate me…
I’m also fickle, sometimes I actually walk into your store because I am bored, I’ve got some time to kill… Yes I hate shopping, but I do love to browse!
So what’s a poor salesperson to do?
There are several things you can do to as a retail salesperson to increase your chances of making a great impression on the person who comes into your store and is “just looking”.
The key in retail is to always appear busy. When a potential customer walks into a store you don’t want them to see the sales staff watching TV or hanging out at the sales counter.
Secondly, smile! Remember the old saying, “Smile and the world smiles with you.” You will also find when you smile your mood will be more upbeat as well. Position yourself ten to fifteen feet away from your customer, angle your body towards him or her, and make yourself busy stocking shelves or what have you; catch their eye and be smiling!
Talk to them as you would a friend who had just walked into the store. You can talk about current events: “Did you catch the fireworks last night?” or my personal favorite, “So how’s your day today, you having a good day or a bad day?” Or you can comment on something he or she is wearing. “Ah, I see a Canucks fan! Are they going to go all the way this year?”
Once you have established yourself as friendly and approachable, most people will take the logical next step and ask you for help. Remember, all the time you are keeping yourself “busy,” you can pause to chat with them casually or if their body language indicates they want to be left alone, let them browse the store unhindered.
Lastly, just as their leaving, catch them, “Excuse me sir, I just want to leave you with my business card. If you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods again ask for me and I’ll give you 10% off of your next purchase.”
Think of it as “planting seeds”. Even if the customer decides not to buy on this day, you can be sure you have made a very favourable impression, and there’s a good chance he or she will be back – and guess who they will be asking for!
Kevin Boyle
Author / Public Speaker / Sales Trainer and Coach
“The Secrets to Sales Mastery”
ps – Did you enjoy this post? Do you have any tricks or tips on how to handle the objection “no thanks, I’m just looking”? Please feel free to add your comments!
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