How RSA Need To Control And Close A Mattress Sale Efficiently?

Retail sales associate [RSA] needs to possess a specific pushy and aggressive personality for closing a sale. However, only a few are born to be successful closers.

The RSA in the mattress department is just like a physician. They need to be aware about ailments and treatments connected with the best mattress. They need to have deep knowledge about all the beds, comfort levels as well as the costs.

Customers are like patients, who know about their ailment symptoms-only. Customers allowed to browse around the mattresses will not be able to select the right kind of treatment by him or her.

Doctors do not give patients a medical journal to look through and select the one they like. He listens to their symptoms and discusses a couple of treatment strategies along with their advantages and drawbacks.

Non-pushy RSA attitude

RSA's must not allow the consumers to flow in while thinking, 'Let them discover what they came looking for. If it is available in the store they will certainly find it. If they have questions, I will make myself available'.

This is the wrong attitude. The RSA's main objective is to achieve a closing sale. This depends totally on the RSA to maintain control over the consumer or vice versa. The final selling has to be to the customer and not the sales person. If customers leave the store without sale means the sales associate possibly surrendered sale control.

The non-pushy RSA failed in his duty to resolve the customer's home furnishing issue. As the consumer's problem is unsolved, he/she leaves your store not feeling happy. [Even if the customer has not met a pushy RSA, he/she is unhappy].

'A Sale' includes five crucial steps

Step 1 - Meet and Greet

Step 2 - Quality the up

Step 3 - Selection

Step 4 - Presentation

Step 5 - Closing of sale

The last step is not possible without the first four. Without the last step no one is happy. Not the sales person, customer or the store. The RSA has ruined the whole process for everyone involved with his timid performance.

Non-pushy RSA will need to remember closing of sale is not an unconnected performance but is a finale of the sales cycle.

What is meant by control in the sales cycle?

Control of sale does not mean pushing, browbeating and dominating, out-telling or high pressurizing consumers. It is like guiding a sale using communication skills to keep consumers engaged and focused.

The goal is to achieve sales and resolve consumer's issue. To reach this goal RSA will need to learn, analyze, and identify consumer's issues. It is due to this issue they visited your shop for resolution, after all.

RSA preparation for sales encounter

How does RSA gain and retain control over sales encounters? What do you do if the RSA loses control or is not able to gain control from the start?

Just like any profession, RSA needs to be trained and primed for this career. This does not mean they need to memorize some script or rules.

Confidence is the first step to qualify. Control of sale is effective, if the RSA has confidence in him/herself and products to be sold. Being systematically prepared is the one way to feel confident, which gets projected towards consumers. Confidence is infectious. A confident RSA passes this confidence to consumers and a self-assured customer will more possibly buy and feel happy with their purchase.

Remember - If a consumer follows RSA means RSA has control but if the situation is opposite then imagine who will not make a sale!

Why does the RSA need to control the sales process?

Timid RSA that allow consumers to go with flow most often fail and consumers walk away empty-handed. The reason is that they are not aware of what they are seeking.

The key reason they entered your mattress store is to resolve their issue. RSA's sole aim is to resolve that issue. 'Control of sale' includes a purpose to resolve consumers' problems and if a non-pushy RSA ignores this then the customer will go to another RSA in the store down the street, who will confidently take control and resolve the problem.

How and when RSA can gain control?

Now, the confident RSA is prepared to take an 'Up'. The prepared and confident RSA will not allow consumers entering the store to go with the flow but start control with a greeting.

Meet & greet

Meet and greet does not mean saying, 'Can I Help you?' or 'Welcome, sir'. Such opening lines will not grab consumer's attention towards the RSA. They are good greetings but there is a need for an opening line, which consumers don't expect. Something that grabs their attention allowing RSA to gain control of sales.

RSA needs to be creative and come with an idea that will wake the customer and unconsciously force them to pay attention. Here are some examples, which can alert the consumers.

● 'Folks, one-day special is being offered, where everything in our store will be financed for 60 months without interest.'

● 'Folks, luckily you have arrived on time to buy our king size mattress at the price of a queen set. This offer is for the next 2 hours only!'

Statements that will help consumers save money alerts them about the things happening in the store, which they were not aware of. Make sure to change the opening line frequently. It must not be canned but sound spontaneous. Consider -

● What special store has planned for the day?

● What product is being promoted?

● What special funding options store is offering?

● What new products are displayed on the floor?

The customer will feel at ease and show interest, which gives RSA a much better chance to control the conversation.

Qualify to maintain control

Asking consumers qualifying questions to know exactly the kind of sleep issues they struggle with. It will help to solidify RSA's conversation control. Qualifying analysis consumer issues and offers RSA a chance to establish bonding with them.

Skilled and concerned RSA probing to know consumer's needs helps to build customers' trust in the RSA [Starts to look at the sales person as an expert, who will help them]. The moment a genuine rapport gets established, it becomes simple to maintain control.

Selection to maintain control

In this step the RSA's preparation about product knowledge is put to test. If a store is merchandised correctly with a plethora of products then RSA will confidently locate the right product to suit consumer's needs and budget.

Selection process is tricky because consumers can start wandering away. You don't wish to allow this hard-earned control to disappear and lose the hope of closing. Consumers need to be kept engaged.

This is the moment when RSA presents educational facts about sleep and ways to sleep better to engage customer's attention [RSAs can read blogs like Newsweek to get updated information regarding mattresses of different kinds].

The selection stage is successful when the consumer finds the preferred mattress and is eager or willing to purchase it.

Control at closing

Closing process includes pitching bed and also called 'presentation'. RSA will request consumers to lie on the bed and try it. He reaffirms their smart decision telling about the mattress supported features and benefits. This is the point where control of communication comes naturally but be careful because it can even be lost.

Say the customer is lying on the bed and RSA has attained the final stage of the sales cycle, so go ahead and ask the customer a closing question.

Simple phrases like - 'Would you wish to go ahead with this one?' sounds a little pushy. You can phrase in a creative way, for example -

● Do you wish to move on and take this one tonight?

● Would you prefer this one to be set up for delivery?

● Do you want to set this on our monthly instalment plan?

If the answer is 'Yes' then everyone is happy but if it is another objection or a "no" then back off and analyze why they said no. Obviously, there is more work to be done.

Why did the consumer say NO?

Some main reasons the consumer said NO even after giving obvious buying signals.

● Fear - Customers are terrified to make a decision, while RSA is afraid to ask for sale. Easing consumer's fear of making wrong decisions is a huge part of closing a sale.

● Contempt - Lack of trust is connected with fear. It is an open fact that customers are suspicious of sales associates. RSA needs to work hard and prepare himself, so as to impress consumers with his skills that can rapidly dispel contemptuous attitudes.

● Hate - Many people hate mattress shopping because of negative repute of sales staff, bogus pitch, confusion in selecting, etc.

● Get a better deal - Deal seeking consumers never buy from stores having one-price policy? It seems as if bargaining is their right and they combat face-to-face with fearful and unprepared RSA.

There is a lot to learn about customer control and closing of sales. In stores, where sales people are in control and make a successful closing then customer, store, and mattress-manufacturer wins.