HOW TO CLOSE A SALE ON THE SHOP FLOOR BY OFFERING ALTERNATIVES

Shopkeepers stand behind the counter and wait for customers to come to them with their purchases to ring them up.

Retailers work on the shop floor engaging with shoppers, helping them to find products, participating in the decision making.

Spend more time on the shop floor than at the counter: it's where purchase decisions are made.

Working on the shop floor putting out stock will lead to shoppers asking you questions. Demonstrating items that lend themselves to demonstration will also drive shopper engagement.

The challenge is how do you close the sale. Some people suggest you ask the shopper if they want to buy the product. Others suggest you leave the shopper alone to make their decision.

One approach to closing a sale that works consistently is to offer your shopper an alternative.

If you are talking with a shopper and they are engaged about a product, you have them close to being in a position to buy.

Give them the power. Give the shopper a choice between two or three options (no more than two or three) and see how they respond.

Present the options with appropriate words: There is this and this and my favourite is this.  Or: People like this and this but here’s an alternative. Or if the shopper is looking at something: someone else looking at that bought this.

If you have the product in colours: would you like the blue one or the green one?

If the item is in singles or packs: would you like one or a pack?

The sales theory is that shoppers facing a choice are more likely to purchase one of the choices whereas shoppers facing one item could easily choose to not purchase.

The success of giving a choice is all in the timing. This kind of question should only be used right at the point of closing a sale, otherwise your prospect could feel intimidated and frightened off the sale.