Mantra 1=Ask Fewer Questions, Give More Advice
In the floral industry, we use what I call ‘convoluted customer service’, meaning that we have the best intentions to help customers but go quickly and horribly off the rails! And asking too many questions is a classic example. For example, we ask, “Would you like some delphinium in the hand-tied?” They have NO CLUE what delphinium is and are forced to awkwardly ask, “What do you think?” That’s my point. Over the typical conversation with a customer you are asked at least 3 times, “What do you recommend?” or “What do you suggest?” You’re making customers work too hard to buy flowers! They recognize you as the expert. They want your advice. They don’t want to answer a million questions!
Here’s your new approach: Put your brain two steps ahead of your mouth and ask yourself, Do I need to ask this as a question or can I leverage my position as the trusted expert and offer my professional guidance to the customer to make their shopping experience easier?
OLD: Do you want me to add a pink ribbon? NEW: I recommend a pink ribbon to complement these beautiful roses! OLD: Would you like the flowers arranged in a vase? NEW: I suggest arranging her flowers in a vase for a finished look. It's just an extra £5.
Start to integrate this first mantra into your salesmanship and you’ll see a big difference in customers’ reactions and the amount of time you’ll save on every sale.
Article written by Tim Huckabee, FSC – Floral Strategies