Build Your Retail Sales Basket by Using Exploring Questions to Uncover Hidden Needs

Retail Sales Trainers the world over speak volumes about the importance of asking open-ended “discovery” questions to help determine customer’s needs.  These include questions such as:

                     

There is no doubt that these, and other open-ended questions, are critical to understanding your customer’s needs and determining what products you will be recommending to them.  But there are other questions that you should be asking as part of your retail sales process.  We call these “Exploring” questions and they are designed to help uncover hidden product needs with your customer.  Unlike the questions noted above, exploring questions are closed questions that are part of a planned sales process that is designed to increase your ability to sell multiple items and add-ons to your customers.  Let’s look at some examples by retail segment:

Wireless Retailers – Do you want to sell more home and car chargers?  Then have retail associates ask your customers:

Footwear Retailers – Do you want to sell more polish or sundries?  Then have your team members ask:

Pool retailers – Would you like to sell more algaecide?  Get your retail sales representatives asking:

Auto Parts Retailers – You can increase the sales of jumper cables or emergency kits by asking your customers:

These questions are designed to encourage your customer to say “yes” and then allow you to present a quick solution to the problem.  So teach your team members to use exploring questions such as the ones above to create opportunities for new sales in your stores.

Are you seeking new ways to help energize your retail sales team?  Contact us for a free one-hour consultation or let us design a retail sales training program for you and your team!