Sales Start from Deals

07 Aug 2015/CTW

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On many occasions, our sales work stop when a deal is reached.


Next comes the after-sale service. This might work in other industries. However, in the ceramic industry, it is anything but appropriate in either channel expansion or terminal retailing.


As sellers, we sell our products and concepts while the clients spend money on buying satisfaction and benefits. While selling something, we are selling “ourselves” and “ideas”; In other words, customers are buying “feelings” and we are selling “benefits”. It is mainly the customer’s feeling that decides whether he or she buys the ceramic tiles or not. And this feeling is invisible, untouchable, hard to grasp, and aloso illogical unlike an equation. Generally speaking to the point, if any deal is made, it is to say this customer is feeling barely good instead of very good. because the customers might feel unsure and worried about the committed benefits and guarantees that are not carried out. This is when the real sales begins – to strengthen this uncertain feeling.


During my business trip, I saw many shops launching promotional activities in the building material market, such as “gift presented to a walk-in” and “buy a required minimum get a TV free” etc. In this case, it makes the customers focus on the gifts rather than the ceramic tile itself, which could be a success of promotions as well as damage to a brand.


These promotional activities are undermining the reputation of brands in the long haul. Some garment brands such as Lacoste and Leonardo Di Gasun, are offering clearance sales all the year round. Low prices and gifts are used as bargaining chips for reaching a deal, which for sure can increase the chance of making a deal and the achieve the value of a brand. However, this is anything but a sustainable development strategy. Let alone sacrificing the basic profits, it degrades the brand image in the mind of consumers. Besides, it reflects the brand's weak bargaining strength.


I had communications with some shop owners on upgrading several showrooms in east Hunan Province, among which a brief conversation could be a classic case on sales training.


Mr. Zhang just placed an order and paid the security deposit. After having some words with the shop manager, he was about to say goodbye and leave the shop. The shop manager stopped and told him there was a gift (a heater) in order to thank him for his support. The smile on Mr. Zhang's face revealed his surprise on what they had done for him.


The customer is easily attracted by sales after deals and becomes loyal to the brand. The shop manager succeeded in obtaining Mr. Zhang's order with his expertise in home decoration and then firmly grasped this marginal consumer by surprising him with a promotional gift. Let's think a little further. If Mr. Zhang has a friend consulting him on home decoration, which brand will he incline to when recommending to his friend?


Let me take another example. I once saw a wall where many photos were displayed. Many big or small photo frames made this wall very individualized. The photos were not about either landscapes or mottos. Instead, they were about the scenes of their clients' families after ceramic tiling. On the lower right corner of each photo it was marked with information about the client's name, gender and address. This is sales after reaching a deal.


This wall makes work much easier. If a customer happens to live in the same residence community on one photo, won't they be impressed? After seeing so many examples on home decoration, will the customers remain worried about the products? As the matter of fact, after every customer has finished tiling, there will be a salesman from this company bringing a gift and visiting him. With the customer’s approval, photos are taken and this visit helps a lot for the future deals.


Never think that sales are tricks and deals mean the end.


This above is important and cannot be neglected. After a deal is reached, the salesman should be responsible for selling “himself” and strengthening the “idea” he has sold, and consolidating the good feeling developed by the customer in the beginning.


As an outstanding salesman, deals are only the starting line. 


(by Chen Shiyu, the Regional Manager of Barton Antique Tiles)


This is the 1st issue.

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