The next time you hear one of your sales team members pick up the phone, ask yourself: Did your employee identify herself right away? Did she qualify the caller as a new or existing customer? Did she take the card message before launching into product and price options?
If your staff member skipped any of these steps, your shop could be missing out on higher sales, according to Tim Huckabee of FloralStrategies and a presenter at SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast on October 23 in Denver.
Huckbaee’s popular session “Build the Perfect Sales Script” challenged retailers to rethink what they say to customers — and when they say it. The goal? Stronger emotional connections with customers and higher average transactions for retailers.
Among his top tips from that session:
React. Florists deal in the business of emotions and witness the highs and lows of life almost everyday — but don’t ever forget that major milestones and life events are one-of-a-kind moments to customers, Huckabee cautioned. Remind staff to say “congratulations” when a customer calls in with an anniversary order or “I’m so sorry for your loss” when a sympathy order comes in. (Feeling confident your staff does this already? Don’t be so sure. Huckabee said in his years of experience calling shops and working with teams, it’s remarkably common to hear a card message go uncommented upon.)
State don’t ask. Customers are calling your store, and not heading to a grocery store or going to an order gatherer online, because they want your expertise. Train staff to dispense with statements such as “how much do you want to spend?” and instead confidently make suggestions based on that card message and occasion. Final totals, including delivery fees, should also be related in the same confident, declarative tone, according to Huckabee.
Run the card first. One of Huckabee’s big pet peeves as a retail trainer: Employees who don’t run the credit card and confirm payment while the customer is still on the phone. Again, he said, it happens more than most florists think and it’s an unforced error that could cost your shop time and money. Running the card is fast and customers are accustomed to waiting for that transaction to complete. If you hang up before the credit is approved, you risk having to track the customer down later in the day, when he or she may be otherwise occupied.
