Psychology of communication with customers in a retail store. Communication with clients: secrets of successful communication

1. Smile

It's free and it prolongs your life. And, perhaps, it works most effectively. If you are in different sides computer, you can still smile at the client: in a friendly tone in a letter, website, social networks. Politeness is the key to anyone, even the buyer of a concrete mixer! :)

Imagine that you are creating a shopping cart in your online store. In one case, the site tells the buyer “Thank you! We have received your order, today we will collect it and prepare it for shipping. Our courier will call you in advance to coordinate delivery time,” and in the second, “Order No. 123 has been sent.” What text do you think is written with a smile?

2. Ask

Just don’t even think about asking the question “Can I tell you anything?” An emotional person may think to himself, “Am I blind? I can already see everything!” Of course, he won’t say this out loud, but he may be left with the impression that he was looked down upon in this store. The same goes for other phrases: “Do I need help?” - “Am I completely weak?”, “What interests you?” - “If I had known, I would have bought it right away”, “Have you already chosen the right product?” - “If you are in a hurry to sell me something, then I will go to another store where they will not pester me.” Of course, we are exaggerating a little, but main idea did you understand. This also applies to online sales: intrusive pop-ups and direct messages repel, rather than push to purchase. It’s better to ask who he is buying the product for, clarify the details of the order, packaging, and delivery. Ask the buyer questions that he will be happy to answer.

3. Be hospitable

This is more difficult than it seems, although you can say: my salespeople or myself are always friendly, what more do you need? But buyers always sense feigned politeness “for show,” and distinguish it from true hospitality. Imagine that each of your clients is an old acquaintance whom you have not seen for a long time. You will immediately feel a friendly attitude towards him, but it is difficult to hide it.

4. Ask for feedback

The client will be happy to spend a couple of minutes with you to tell you what he likes about the product and what he would like to improve. It’s the same with social networks: users are more willing to repost and answer questions under photos and videos if you directly ask them to do so. This way you can more effectively collect information about products and improve them.

5. Be proactive

Immediately inform everything regarding the order: terms, price, special conditions delivery, lack specific model in stock. Most orders in a store follow a well-trodden path: a person finds out the price, delivery and payment methods, and then makes a decision to purchase or postpones it. Don't make him pry every detail out of you.

6. Respect the visitor's decisions

The client is uncomfortable communicating with you on the phone in work time and is it much easier to respond to messages in the messenger? Great! Don’t miss out on a regular client just because you’re not used to communicating with clients, for example, on Telegram.

7. Pay attention Special attention to those who doubt

The most common reason is price. A person thinks: “Is this product worth the money they are asking for it?”, but not everyone dares to openly say that it is expensive for him. Offer him a similar product, but cheaper, ask what the buyer’s expectations are from the purchase. Remember that the final decision is always up to the buyer, so give him the opportunity to choose.

8. Don't judge the buyer

Especially in appearance - it can be very deceiving. The worst thing is when the seller’s attitude towards the buyer, his politeness and willingness to help directly depends on this. Be caring and attentive to any buyer - this will help reinforce in him the desire to make a purchase from you.

• 1 Possible forms of communication with clients
  • 1.1 Individual negotiations
  • 1.2 Email
  • 1.3 Cold calling
  • 1.4 SMS messages
  • 1.5 Webinars
• 2 How to communicate with a client correctly?
• 3 How to resist arrogance and rudeness?
• 4 How to maintain communication with regular customers?

The most valuable asset of any company is its established customer base. No matter how popular the products or services, it is almost impossible to achieve successful business development and increase profits without building trusting relationships with consumers.

Sales managers must not only be able to interest people in the company's activities (the final product), but also help maintain its image. It’s easy to guess what exactly regular buyers of goods or consumers of services commit the lion's share purchases, thereby bringing a stable profit.

Do not forget that increasing the number of potential clients. They need to be interested and converted into regular customers. The more loyal consumers a company has, the higher its profits. To succeed, you must comply simple rules communicate with clients and be able to competently offer effective options solutions to their problems.

Possible forms of communication with clients

Let's consider the basic forms of communication with clients.

Individual negotiations

One of the most effective tools In promoting the company's product and increasing the customer base, individual negotiations are essential. First of all, the sales manager should clearly define what he wants to convey to the person and correctly draw up a clear communication plan.

The seller must be able to build a dialogue with the buyer in such a way that the latter understands that his needs will be fully satisfied and he will receive certain benefits from cooperation with a particular company. To do this, a sales specialist must be able to:

• listen to your interlocutor, take into account his requirements and wishes;
• quickly determine the characteristics of a person’s personality (psychotype, cultural and social level, mood, disposition to communicate);
• tune in to the wave of the potential client;
• behave confidently during communication;
• focus on the dialogue and not be distracted by extraneous conversations.

It is known that it is the first meeting that creates the buyer’s impression of the seller, and it depends on this whether he agrees to cooperate with a particular company in the future. First of all, you should choose comfortable spot to communicate with a person. To do this, you need to invite him for negotiations (for example, to the company’s office) and create all the conditions so that the potential client would like to return there again (of course, as a permanent one). If the meeting takes place on the buyer’s territory, then the question is posed somewhat differently: the seller must be able to clearly identify the needs of the interlocutor and, in an unobtrusive manner, offer him favorable terms of cooperation.

In any case, it is extremely important to make it clear to the client that they are showing attention and respect to him, and are not trying to sell anything at the first meeting, then he himself will be interested in an open and constructive dialogue.

The appearance of the seller is of great importance, so it is necessary to maintain business attire, be clean and tidy. The seller must make it clear to the interlocutor that he is interested in an honest and productive conversation. To do this, you should look into the person’s eyes while conducting a dialogue with a certain amount of attention, and the gaze should be confident and open.

When meeting, the sales manager must be the first to introduce himself and briefly inform about the company he represents. During the meeting, you should shake the potential client’s hand, which will make him more inclined to further communication.

At the negotiating table, the seller should behave casually and openly so as not to provoke negative emotions. During the conversation, it is important to observe following rules business communication:

• do not interrupt the client and listen carefully;
• speak the truth about the company, product and terms of cooperation;
• briefly express your thoughts;
• do not speak in bad taste about competing companies;
• do not use slang expressions;
• control your emotions.

When communicating with a client, you need to listen carefully to what he says and remember key points in order to avoid disagreements during cooperation. As practice shows, potential consumers themselves strive to communicate with managers and company management to resolve a number of organizational issues. For this reason, you should exchange business cards to agree on contact details.

Every manager who will communicate with clients must remember that they should not embellish the quality of the product and the capabilities of the company. This will further negatively affect the company’s reputation, and the buyer may refuse to cooperate.

Important: The seller must value his time and the time of the potential client. Many business people prefer information to be presented to them briefly and clearly. Therefore, before starting negotiations, you need to draw up a specific plan that will convey the essence of the commercial proposal without water.

The manager must own basic knowledge psychology of communication with clients in order to be able to direct negotiations in the right direction. The main thing that needs to be immediately highlighted during negotiations is the needs of the interlocutor, his desires, goals and existing problems. The ability to unobtrusively offer their solution and tell a person about the benefits that he will receive from cooperation with the company (purchasing a product, ordering a service) will allow the buyer to make a positive decision and conclude a deal.

Email

Among the tools that allow you to effectively and correctly sell products from various companies, you should highlight sending letters by email. Let’s immediately make a reservation that this method of communicating with potential and existing clients has nothing to do with spam.

Any company can send emails to people who have volunteered to receive information and become mailing list subscribers. To do this, you need to create a special form on the website in which visitors will leave their data (mail address and name).

How to talk to clients via email? First of all, you should know that sending letters should contain exclusively useful information and free value (no offers to purchase the product at first). An exception may be cases when customers are invited to take advantage of various promotions, discounts and other commercial offers aimed at increasing sales volumes. You cannot offer the buyer a direct offer to purchase a product or order a service.

Many books for sales managers contain information that people like to buy products from people, and not from “faceless” sites. This suggests that the potential client needs some kind of communication and more information about the company’s products. Through electronic mailing, contact is made between the seller and potential buyer. A person should be invited to familiarize himself with the features and benefits of the product, create videos with training material and show other “useful things” that will solve his needs.

When the buyer understands that no one is “brazenly” selling him anything and he gets a solution to his problem (“pain”), a desire to buy the product will appear. Email marketing is one of the most powerful ways for online companies to attract targeted traffic and grow their customer base.

Cold calls

To properly communicate with customers during the first telephone conversation, you should know that the main task of the seller is to obtain their contact information and information about their interest in the product. The seller is obliged to observe communication ethics during dialogue, as during real negotiations. It is worth considering that a person does not see your facial expressions and gestures, but he can clearly feel any changes in intonation.

It is recommended to start communicating with the client by phone with the computer turned on. If necessary, the manager can always clarify the information of interest through a search engine, so as not to demonstrate his incompetence to the client.

The sales manager must prepare for telephone conversation, for which it is recommended to draw up step by step plan conducting dialogue. As in real communication, during “cold” calls you need to clearly and concisely convey the essence of the offer to the client.

You cannot “recruit” a person in the morning and after the end of the working day. It is best to call between 10 am and 5 pm during the day. Many managers prefer “cold” calls, because they allow them to not be embarrassed by the interlocutor and speak confidently with him.

Despite the fact that the client does not see the seller, it is necessary to smile during the conversation. As practice shows, the interlocutor feels a change in intonation and positive emotions of the manager, which ultimately has a positive effect on the outcome of the conversation.

At the end of the conversation with the client, it would not be amiss to voice joint agreements on further communication or cooperation. You also need to remember to thank your interlocutor for the constructive dialogue and direct him to the next contact.

SMS messages

SMS messages allow you to receive a fairly large percentage of feedback from potential clients. Communication with the client base using this tool allows the manager to increase sales by:

• notifying customers about upcoming company promotions and discounts;
• invitations to webinars and training intensives;
• familiarization with the company's new products;
• invitations to offline sales events (fairs, exhibitions);
• proposals for favorable conditions cooperation.

Important: messages cannot be sent to people who have not consented to the use of their number mobile phone. The newsletter is sent only to the database of clients who voluntarily left their contact information.

Webinars

Today one of the popular and effective ways communication with clients and maintaining their interest in the company’s activities is to conduct webinars - online classes on various topics.

Before the event, the manager collects a client base through advertising and personal appeal to people. This scheme works great in communities social networks, where information is distributed between users at lightning speed. The company creates its own public page or group, where new members will subsequently come. The manager fills the public with interesting content and periodically conducts webinars, the essence of which is to provide free material.

The webinar allows you to conduct a visual demonstration of the product, talk about its advantages and benefits from use. If a company specializes in providing services, it is necessary to select a narrow topic for classes and present this material in such a way that people want to return to online lectures again.

As practice shows, webinars that do not serve the purpose of subsequent sales of goods significantly increase the efficiency of the company and the demand for services. This happens due to the fact that a person is aware of taking care of himself, receives valuable advice and recommendations on using the product, solving his problem, so he has a desire for close cooperation (shopping).

The consumer also understands the value of free material, which he can experience for himself, and realizes that if he purchases a certain product, he will receive much more benefit. Thus, proper communication with the client through webinars can significantly increase the number of new people and maintain the interest of regular customers (clients).

How to communicate with a client correctly?

Some sellers do not know how the culture of communication with clients should develop, and because of this, companies lose a considerable percentage of profits. There are standards and principles of negotiation that must be adhered to in order to obtain good results and increasing the consumer base. Let's look at them in detail:

1. Question answer. Clients often send company managers (especially in the initial stages of cooperation) letters to email, which contains a large number of all sorts of questions. It is very important to study them, arrange them in the order in which they were received, and give a comprehensive answer to each of them.
2. Quick specific answer. One of the basic rules of communication with clients is that a person should receive a specific answer to his question as quickly as possible. It is considered a rule of good manners if the customer receives the information he needs no later than 2 hours after sending his letter. If for a number of reasons the manager cannot answer it immediately, it is necessary to inform the client of the time when his request will be satisfied.
3. Demonstration of competence. The seller must understand that the client is not at all obliged to understand the characteristics of the company’s product and various features cooperation. The manager must show his competence, tell the person about the details of the work, and if necessary, then sort everything out several times. For example, a potential client is interested in what benefits he will receive from opening a self-service car wash as a franchise. A specialist in the sales department of the franchisor company must explain to the potential franchisee that he will be provided with all possible assistance in building a business, conducting advertising campaigns, attracting clients and solving organizational issues, visitors to his enterprise will be able to relax while their cars are washed, receive some discount on regular service, and even buy coffee to go. Thus, customers will be satisfied with the quality of service and will begin to recommend the service to their friends, while the company’s profit will become stable.
4. My client is my friend. Don't be too zealous about using a business style of communication. Sometimes officialdom is extremely tiring for both interlocutors, and as a result, the desired result may not be achieved. This rule suggests that you need to learn in time to move from a business style of negotiation to an informal one. It is enough to imagine that the client is a good friend with whom you can easily discuss exciting issues. Of course, we are not talking about familiarity and disdain for people here, but healthy humor and friendliness will not be superfluous.
5. Real cost of the product. When, during negotiations, a client is interested in the price of a product, it is necessary to justify it. This is especially true for enterprises providing various services. It often happens that managers do not agree on certain points, which results in an inflated price. It is definitely worth specifying the terms of service, since the client has every right to know what to expect from cooperation with the company and what to pay money for.
6. Maintaining constant contact with the client. The manager must remember that communication with clients should not consist only of ordering a product and checking payment for its implementation. It is necessary to call the person, inform him about the results of the application progress, and also resolve any organizational issues. If a client asks to perform any work in relation to cooperation, his request should be granted (of course, if this does not go against the interests of the company) and a report on the results should be provided to him.
7. Professional problem solving. It often happens that an order cannot be completed for a number of reasons. Under no circumstances should a client, especially if it is a large customer, even guess about possible disruptions in the company’s work. It must be remembered that the result is important to him and he is not interested in the reasons why the application may remain unfulfilled. A professional manager will always find a way out of this situation in order to maintain the relationship with the client, because if the customer learns about the difficulties in the company’s work, he may simply refuse further cooperation.

When communicating with a buyer, the seller must be able to tune in to his wavelength and predict the interlocutor’s train of thought. You need to try to understand the potential client, know his needs and be able to offer what he needs in a timely manner. Professionals always try to look at clients' problems through their eyes. This allows you to quickly find effective mechanisms for solving and concluding deals.

How to resist arrogance and rudeness?

Arrogance and rudeness of clients, unfortunately, are quite common occurrences that interfere with constructive dialogue and the conclusion of a deal. We will give several recommendations that will allow the seller to understand how to negotiate with aggressive people.

First of all, when talking with a person, you should maintain a polite attitude towards him and a smile on your face. This allows you to neutralize aggression and direct communication in the right direction. It is extremely important to remain calm and listen carefully to the client.

It is important to learn to ask unobtrusive questions that will allow you to understand the reason for a person’s rude behavior. Often, rudeness and aggression on the part of the client arise due to the fact that he was deceived, he was treated unkindly, or he was dissatisfied with the quality of service (service, product) in another organization.

To neutralize inappropriate behavior the client, no matter how strange it may sound, needs to apologize to him and also convince him of full agreement with him. To do this, the seller just needs to tell the person that he regrets the cause of his upset, as well as the bad experience of working with the company with which the incident occurred. This behavior will allow the client to understand that he is being listened to attentively, sympathized with, is sympathetic to the problem that has arisen, and is ready to provide support. However, it should be remembered that the seller should not admit his guilt (if it simply does not exist), this may affect the image.

It happens that rude clients insult their interlocutor. A professional will never allow himself to get personal and say obscene things about his opponent. When communicating with an aggressive person, it is unacceptable to raise your voice and give vent to your emotions, as this will lead to swearing and failure of the deal.

To avoid this, you should maintain a neutral tone during a conversation, breathe evenly and be calm. Don't interrupt the client. He should make it clear that such behavior and rudeness do not bother you. You need to listen carefully to what your interlocutor is saying. This will allow you to quickly identify the cause of aggression and resolve the trouble that has arisen.

The company manager must make an effort to neutralize the client's overtly rude behavior. Don't comment negatively on his behavior. In this case, it must be said that the interlocutor is valuable as a person (or his integrity is valuable). After this, it is worth offering the client cooperation and letting him know that this is important for the company.

How to maintain communication with regular customers?

The company's regular customers, as we already know, bring most profits, willingly purchase new products, and also inform their friends and acquaintances about it. They are, in fact, a free channel for attracting new consumers who buy goods (order services) based on recommendations.

Why is it worth making efforts to retain loyal customers? The fact is that new customers, if they are satisfied with the quality of the product, will purchase it and, most likely, will want to buy something else. However, it is extremely difficult to find out what exactly attracted a new buyer and why he decided to re-order. As practice shows, companies spend many times more money and effort on attracting potential customers compared to maintaining good relationships with regular partners.

To collect contacts, you can offer clients, for example, “discount” cards (free) in exchange for their addresses and phone numbers. Within a very short period of time, a large number of people will gather with whom you need to constantly work and whet their interest.

Letter from the sales manager:

Yes, indeed, not all clients are happy. Some of them are capricious, and sometimes inadequate. This is a given and must be accepted. There is a rule for choosing a profession: if you don’t like to communicate with capricious clients, deal with papers, digital technologies or go work as a watchman. But if, after all, you want to work with people, love a capricious client.

We all sometimes find ourselves in the role of sellers, and sometimes in the role of clients (not necessarily at the collective farm market, it also happens in everyday life). The “seller-client” relationship is similar to the “gentleman-lady” relationship. A lady has the right to be capricious, but a gentleman is always gallant. And if the seller answers the client: “Look at yourself!”, then he makes a mistake, because he shows unacceptable weakness (not to mention the fact that he loses the prize for which he goes to work). A good salesperson always remembers that the customer is always right, even if he is wrong. And if the client comes across as a redneck, the seller will be at his best if, nevertheless, he adequately resolves the situation without rude manners and violence.

And further: a good seller does not push the product, but satisfies the needs of the client.

Certainly, useful rules There is a lot of communication psychology, but there are four main ones that are relevant when working with clients:

1. Be a good listener

Although everything has been said and written about the importance of listening, inability to listen is a common problem. The ability to listen is important in any communication. And in sales, the ability to listen is sometimes more important than the ability to speak.

“I once interacted with an angry customer. He made claims and cursed continuously. At first I tried to object, but this turned him on even more. Finding no more arguments, I simply shut up and began to listen. When the client spoke out on the main issue, he then began to talk about abstract topics. I listened to him and expressed understanding. As a result, he calmed down and renounced his claims.". (From a speech at the Public Speaking Courses).

Indeed, sometimes it is enough to listen to a dissatisfied client, and his aggression evaporates.

The trouble with talkers is that they don’t like to listen, so, firstly, they let it pass important information goes unnoticed, and, secondly, they irritate the interlocutor, who has the thought: “What the hell am I doing here?” Therefore, it should be understood that We listen, first of all, for our own good.

The ability to listen presupposes the ability hear, and not just pretend to listen. Some interlocutors only pretend to be listeners, while at this time they themselves plan their further speech - so-called dialogues of the deaf occur. The ability to hear helps to correctly understand the speaker’s words, and not interpret them in one’s own way, and also to understand him emotional condition and impulses.

Listen actively. You should not behave like a mannequin that only knows that it is silent and does not move. While listening, react: sometimes nod your head, insert relevant remarks and change your facial expressions as a sign of understanding the interlocutor’s speech. Ask questions if something is not clear. Active listening satisfies the interlocutor, because he understands that his speech has an impact, and is not in vain shaking the air.

So, be an attentive listener, do not interrupt your interlocutor- this is the first rule.

2. Don't argue

Despite the fact that they say that truth is born in a dispute, it is not always born there, because an argument is different from an argument. And often the dispute is not a scientific discussion, but a rough polemic in which each side, first of all, wants to defeat the other side, and certainly not to discover the truth. Therefore they also say: whoever argues is worthless.

A dispute is a conflict, and the conflicting parties do not cooperate, but fight. They do not hear each other, because each of them is irritated by the very fact of the existence of the other side. Therefore, a salesman who engages in a polemical skirmish with his client makes a blunder.

So, be an ally, not an opponent, of your client - agree with him instead of arguing.

3. Don’t start your sentence in response to your interlocutor’s previous words with the word “no”

Oh, this rule is broken at every turn. It is ignored by everyone and everything: both mechanics and top managers, salespeople, lawyers, professors, honored artists, presidents, teachers, pianists and the list goes on. It is observed only by experienced negotiators and some sensible diplomats. Listen to how respected adults talk:

- No, I liked the borscht.
- No, it's really tasty.
- No, in fact, they cook it well here.
And so on.

The word “no” at the beginning of a remark in response to the words of the interlocutor means crossing out his words, isn’t it? But our interlocutor did not speak so that we would cancel out his efforts, so our “no” irritates him and, again, makes him want to oppose rather than cooperate.

Even when people agree with the opinion of their interlocutor, they manage to start with the word “no”: “No, I agree with you.”

So, eradicate the habit of starting to speak with the word “no”, if there is one.

4. Do not use the construction “you (you) are negative”

Statements such as: “You didn’t listen to me well” or “You don’t understand the topic” immediately turn on the interlocutor, causing him to want to defend himself or rush into a retaliatory attack, because touches a nerve. But if you offend your interlocutor, he won’t hear you. That's why, “You should never say: “You didn’t understand me.” It’s better to say: “I didn’t express my thoughts well.”(Robert).

These four rules of communication psychology are: minimum required, which every salesperson, telephone secretary, sales manager, as well as every person who respects himself and others should own. Their observance - business card a pleasant interlocutor. And if a specialist working with clients violates them, then this indicates his low qualifications and lack of professionalism.

Reproduction of article materials is possible only with obligatory links to the site (on the Internet - hyperlink) and to the author

So that the client wants to return to the beauty salon, so that he trusts his appearance to the specialists of this salon, so that he feels comfortable in psychologically - To do this, you need to build correct communication with him, correctly build the psychology of communication!

A beauty salon worker must be a psychologist to some extent. And to do this, you should know what types of clients exist, what are the features of each type and how to approach them.

It is at the training “Psychology of communication with clients in a beauty salon” that you will gain universal skills in communicating with your clients.

This training is necessary for workers in the beauty industry: cosmetologists, hairdressers, massage therapists, manicurists and beauty salon administrators.

During the training you will learn:

• how to build long-term relationships with clients;
• how to increase the number of clients;
• how to gain confidence in the quality of the “seller” of services and goods;
• how to master successful presentation skills;
• how to effectively deal with client objections;
• how to increase sales and services;
• how to increase financial results for the salon and its specialists.

Program

I. Effective work with clients

• Customer orientation
• Types of clients
• Visual psychodiagnostics
• Strategies and algorithms of behavior with clients according to their typology
• Building effective relationships with clients
• Features of working with different clients: women, men, children
• Reasons for losing clients. Preventive measures
• Methods and methods of winning customers.

II. Basics of conflict management in a beauty salon

• Conflicts in the salon. Analysis of typical situations
• Ways to effectively resolve conflict
• "Correct" vocabulary of specialists
• Dealing with client objections

III. Standard of communication with clients

• Workplace Organization Standard
• Client Meeting Standards
• Service standard
• Service provision standard

IV. Code of Ethics for a Beauty Salon Specialist

• Internal regulations of relations
• Standard appearance beauty salon employees
• Standard of professional etiquette
• Standard for promoting salon services

Reviews

21.03.2019Varygina Ekaterina Sergeevna
Teacher: Alina Orton

I really liked it, the lectures were interesting. Alina has crazy energy.

18.02.2019Christina

Good afternoon I don’t often write reviews, but this time I decided to! I trained as a personnel manager, excellent approach to each listener, you can ask questions on any subject, clarify everything, they will tell you everything with examples. A unique presentation of the material, live communication with the audience. Individual approach (even though I studied in groups). We often went to a meeting, everything was always solved, the main thing was to warn and then agree. Organizational issues were poor at first, but then everything went smoothly. I especially liked the theory teachers: Elena Aleksandrovna Tarasova and Elena Vyacheslavovna Godunova, the practical teacher: Galina Anatolyevna Usacheva. Thank you very much!!! I hope I won’t let you down in applying the acquired skills, especially practical ones!! Galina Anatolyevna, special thank youoooooo)))

07.02.2019Ignatenko M.G.

Thanks everyone! I would especially like to say Thank you! Tarasova Elena Alexandrovna. Informative, not boring, a lot of new things!

22.11.2018Shengareva Valeria Valerievna
Teacher: Alina Van Orton

A wonderful teacher! Explains clearly and takes his time. The homework is quite adequate in scope. The classes are very interesting. She is very sincere and friendly, and at the same time manages to give maximum knowledge in one lesson.

Before reading this article, answer yourself one question: “How often did you enjoy communicating with a salesperson in a store and wanted to return there?” The ability of staff to communicate with customers is one of the tasks of any business. It will help us solve it psychology of communication with customers. No, this does not mean being polite or having good communication skills. We are talking about the ability to establish contact from the first words, correctly identify a person’s needs and, most importantly, satisfy them correctly.

So, in the process of communication with the buyer there are 4 stages:

1. Contact
2. Identifying needs
3. Satisfying needs
4. After-sales service

Scheme of the 4 points described above

Stage 1: contact with the client

First of all, any seller needs to understand that by establishing contact, he is NOT selling anything, but only getting the opportunity for further communication and exchange of information. If the seller remembers this, then the dialogue becomes more productive, because we do not try to say in one first phrase all the advantages of the product or store and do not scare away the buyer.

Many companies have a common requirement to greet every client - but this must be done correctly and sincerely, or it is better not to do it at all. The greeting should show that the sellers are happy, but you should not jump up from your seat and immediately run after the client to shopping room. It is best when there is eye contact at the entrance and a greeting - maybe just a slight nod of the head. If for some reason you couldn’t say hello, don’t worry.

It is also important to ensure that you greet the buyer in the store only once (in case there are several sellers). To do this, it is easy to set a rule - the seller who is closest to the entrance says hello.

It is necessary to greet the buyer once. Let the seller closest to the entrance do this.

It is worth remembering an already established fact - the first impression of a person is formed in 7 seconds, and then it is only consolidated. There will be no second chance to make a first impression.

Stage 2: identifying needs

After the first contact, it is important to give the person the opportunity to get comfortable in the space and look around. The time during which you should not approach it at all is usually determined empirically. If the store is no more than 15 sq. m. – then one minute of calm study of the assortment is enough. At the same time, you don’t need to look closely at the buyer; there is always something small to do in the store - you can correct price tags, rearrange boxes, wipe down shelves.

Give the person time to look around and get comfortable in the store.

Let me give you an examplethe practice of one of the world's largest retailers - the GAP brand - at the entrance of any branded store there is always a table with various things, and near it there is staff who are always doing something - sorting, folding, laying out, wiping, cleaning, etc. The staff is there every second of working time - they change, go to lunch, but one of the staff is always there. So this seemingly strange character, who doesn’t sell anything in particular, plays very important role! It gives anyone entering the opportunity to define themselves in a new space and decide whether to go further and where. And this person, as if by his very appearance, makes it clear that he is always ready to help - to suggest, guide, listen.

When a customer spends the first minutes in your store, he in any case looks at the product that attracts him. And the seller can always track exactly where the buyer is looking in order to make a personal offer.

For example:

The man paused at the display case with sneakers. So the seller hurries to him and the person hears the usual: “Can I tell you something?” This question takes you out of your thoughts: “blue or black?”, and delays a positive purchasing decision.

But if the seller starts talking about the model that the buyer is looking at, “yesterday one boy begged for these exact sneakers from his mother, can you imagine? He begged so nicely - like a kinder, he really liked them.” - then he begins to talk about what the buyer wants to hear. If additional arguments are introduced into this story, then the purchase can be considered completed.

As a rule, a person entering a store experiences an unconscious fear of the seller, that now they will immediately offer him something and force him to buy, or that they will waste time and effort on him, and it will be inconvenient not to buy anything.

To avoid this, be relaxed

Seller's task– be relaxed and sincerely try to help resolve the issue. Intrusive phrases: “How can I help you?”, “Are you interested in something specific?”, “Can I be of help to you?” - they only scare you away, distract you from your thoughts and make you think only about how not to buy too much here.

Knowing this, we find the “right” phrases for the first communication, for example:

• “shoes with a bow are very popular this season”
• “a child can wear this model down to -30 degrees”
• "used here latest technology making insoles"

Phrases must be prepared in advance. If a person reacted to any of them, you need to know how to continue the idea and talk about the amazing properties of what you want to sell. You shouldn’t expect the buyer to respond to the first phrase, so after waiting a little, you need to voice the second and, if necessary, the third.

After short story about the product, your question should follow again - this way, control of the conversation remains on the seller’s side.

During the conversation, clients need to be questioned, “guided” on the topic of the conversation, and asked a lot alternative questions. At the same time, you need to understand that a person is not always interested in the product to which he initially reacted and the need is completely different. That is why, without fully identifying, including hidden needs, you should not move on to the presentation of the product.

Be on the same page with the client to understand what he wants

What to do if there are several buyers?

Often there is only one salesperson working in a store, and there are several customers, especially during rush hour. In such cases, it is imperative to establish contact with the second buyer, having previously obtained permission from the first. You can ask the first to give you the opportunity to greet the second, and, in turn, let him know that you will be free soon. Thus, verbal contact is established with both of them at once, and both of them are likely to continue communicating with you.

As you can see, this is not an easy task, so sellers must be well prepared to communicate. More interesting information There is an article on this topic:.

Psychology of communication with customers, stage 3: meeting needs

In fact, at this stage the presentation of the product takes place.

It has long been a known fact that “a good salesman listens as much as he talks.” I'm sure we listen a lot during the needs identification stage. Don't neglect this now. The more the salesperson listens to the client, and not just pretends to listen, the more successful the sale will be.

Know everything about the product and even more! Buyers don’t like it when the seller “floats”, cannot accurately describe the product, or, even worse, reads from the label. All the time while no one is in the store should be spent studying and memorizing the properties of the product. It may also happen that the buyer knows about the qualities of the product no worse than the seller himself - in this case, there is no need to compete with the client in knowledge, but it is worth discussing the advantages and leading him to the right conclusions.

It’s bad when the seller “floats” in knowledge and doesn’t know what to say

Customers often come to children's shoe stores with children. Be sure to say hello to the child, give a compliment, paying attention to the toy in his hands, the stroller, or clothes. It makes sense to please a child no less than his parents, because very often the choice of store is his.

You need to be interested in the client’s opinion, give him the opportunity to evaluate the proposal. During the sales process, in no case should there be a monologue from the seller - in 90% of such cases the sale will not take place.

It is important to understand that you cannot argue with the buyer. It is worthwhile to gently and unobtrusively discuss all the client’s doubts and objections, and through additional questions and active listening, come to a joint conclusion about the need for a purchase.

When identifying additional or hidden needs, don't forget to cross-sell or sell additional assortment - when else will you be able to do this, if not now!

Stage 4: after the sale!

The cost of attracting a new customer is much higher than retaining an existing one, so after-sales service is very important for any store.

Making a person loyal to your store and keeping him is an important task

Tell the buyer about all the ways to care for shoes, and even better, sell them special means along with the main purchase. Suggest interesting options storage This will give you a boost to your store.

Reveal to your client all the advantages of his new status! What do your clients get from the partnership? What privileges await them?

And in conclusion

It is very important to treat the buyer carefully and kindly both after making a purchase and in the case when he has not purchased anything. A polite farewell and a smile on your face should always be there. Remember, the purchase does not end with a receipt.

Shoes for children are bought several times a season, which means that very soon you can meet your buyer again; and from how they said goodbye in last time, depends on how you say hello again.

Today I own a retail store of children's goods - clothes, shoes, toys, transport - and two online stores. Ten years of experience in sales gave me strength when starting my business, but there were also many difficulties that I did not even suspect.