The Secrets of Top Sales Professioanls

Here’s what’s happened. Twenty years ago, when a client was considering a kitchen or bath renovation, she would come to the showroom to determine what was available, how much it would cost and how long it would take from start to finish.  Fast forward to today, all of those questions are answered before most of your clients and prospects cross your threshold.  In fact, 70% of your clients have made the decision to buy before they come to your showroom.  When they arrive, it is your job to convince them that your showroom will best serve their wants, needs and desires.  This is accomplished by emulating what great brands do claims Denise Lee Yohn, author of The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest.

Step one:  Begin on the inside.  The best salespeople lend their market insights and customer relationships to help their showrooms merchandise the right products, develop marketing messages that resonate with clients and prospects and improve customer service.  Lesson for BKBG showrooms:  Ask your best salespeople what their customers want the most and what problems they want to solve.

Step two:  It’s not about a cabinet or countertop.  Today’s homeowners want to know how a renovated kitchen or bath will improve their lives.  The best sales professionals connect with their clients emotionally.  When this connection is made, price rarely becomes a decision-making factor.  Instead, the interaction involves relating to the things that clients most value and the statements that customers want to make in their homes.

Step three:  Ignore what’s popular.  The best sales professionals challenge customers to leave their comfort zones and to imagine the unimaginable.  They challenge the status quo by teaching customers something new and valuable.

Step four:  The best sales pros know that not everyone who walks in the door is a potential client.  Less sometimes can be more.  The best sales professionals want to develop a relationship with clients who understand, appreciate and value their expertise.  It’s not necessarily about how many kitchens you can sell. It’s about selling kitchens that create the most value for your clients and your showroom.

Step five:  Great sales professionals understand the different touch points in a customer’s journey.  They capitalize on opportunities to leverage the most important touch points that have the most impact on their customer’s values.  

Step six:  The best salespeople understand that their primary role is to create value for their customers.  They develop and implement strategies that make their customers’ renovations more successful.

Step seven:  The best sales people rarely feel the need to discount.  They are confident in their ability to create value for their showrooms and believe that their customers understand that the service they provide creates value for them as well.   

What characteristics do your best sales professionals have?