Sales is Sales! Here's how words and engagement matter.

Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams. The latest in tragic endings for an iconic company. And now even the behemoth RH sales are down by 15% this quarter.

Did anyone think sales would remain the same and sustain the boost we got during a year-long lockdown? Not me and a few others I have spoken with.

But that was not my recent experience with a major retailer and here's the question! What has everyone done to sustain sales and, at least, not suffer huge dips in sales?

I can tell you, without naming names (I sure don't want to get sued), this was my experience over the weekend that told me these two very well-known retailers did not change a thing! We were treated as though it was 2021 and sales would happen no matter how you engaged (or didn't) with customers! The experience was awful, to be blunt.

A good friend and I went home furnishing buying this weekend. She and her husband just bought a new condo. She was in a mood to buy and had the funds! Here's our journey, what I observed, and the opposite of what I teach sellers to do.

1. We first went to a "self-serve" discount store. You do not expect salespeople or any service; thus, the name is self-serve & discount. You get your shopping cart, and off you go. She bought a few cute things there, as did I.
2. We then went to a very well-known, major retailer. It was busy! However, we were there for probably 20 minutes, taking things from shelves and having a blast putting pillows and other cool things together. Suddenly, it hit me (I was having so much fun being a designer again); not one solitary person even greeted us, let alone asked if they could help.
3. I spotted an item on a high shelf that my friend liked. She approached a salesperson running around with his tablet, and upon asking him...he stopped her mid-sentence and rudely said, "I'm sorry, I'm busy," and then proceeded to talk into his microphone, asking for someone to come and help.
4. Oh, someone came, OK, who promptly introduced himself as the "head of design for these stores" (OK, I'm impressed), and he only had 5 minutes before his client was coming in. (Why did you even answer the call - I guess we're not worth your time, eh?) He spent only 5 minutes not selling but showing his knowledge of how to use pillows (ish!); he then asked us to tell the cashier he helped. WHAT?
5. We went to another similar store (almost the same product). Again, not ONE person, not a soul, came up to ask us anything! As we walked out, someone asked, "Can I help you with something?" You read it correctly; we were walking out!
6. My friend spent the same amount in the discount store (with no help) as she did in the well-known retail store (with no help). Almost $200.00 at both stores, but only because she wanted them, not any other reason! That retail store (as the self-serve store) did nothing to generate that sale. The difference is one is self-serve, and the other has a huge salary budget line!

But here's the lesson beyond, just don't be rude.

What would have changed if someone had come up and taken the time when we entered the store after a minute or two? The experience would have been much different, and engaging, and maybe even garnered more loyalty. Not to mention had a larger sale to offset that salary a bit.

So how do sellers do that? Here are some examples of how this could have been quite different:

1. What would have changed the experience if they had asked, "What brings you in today, at some point?"

That's what I teach inside sellers to ask instead of "May I help you?" Why? One is engaging and polite, the other is rote, and the answer will most likely be "NO."

But I have to say, I've been in so many showrooms and stores where the "talking head" picks up their head from their computer to ask that rote question, "May we help you with something?"

1. What would have changed the experience if the salesperson offered you bottled water? That would make a huge difference. The experience would have been so much more engaging.
2. What would have changed the experience and increased sales if one salesperson engaged with my friend and asked her about her project? Were there other things she needed instead of being rude or using that time by telling us he was the top designer and here's the latest trend in Pillow 101? I'll tell you what would have changed. They would have increased the sales because she also wanted to buy things like a rug, baskets, and lighting, but that store made a measly $200.00 on that sale by default!

So if you want to know why companies are suffering, I can tell you now from first-hand experience at these stores. It was not:

1. Product - heaven knows there's tons of that!
2. There aren't people continuing to furnish homes - there still are!
3. Interest rates
4. Venture capital drying up

I'm not saying those aren't affecting the home furnishings industry; they do have an effect. But maybe these companies need to teach employees how you seek out business, engage with a client, and ask pertinent questions that will make a huge difference in sales (and pay back those salaries a bit) and can help with these slumping sales and companies closing. And if you continue to choose not to do these small things:

You have absolutely and will never know how much money you're leaving on the table by not having solid sales strategies and techniques including HOW TO ENGAGE WITH A CLIENT!

As many of you know, I now have a book that begins the journey of how to run a sustainably profitable showroom that includes some sales techniques, too! It's a bargain at $2.99 on Amazon or the paperback for $12.99 to hand out to employees. Click here to buy.

I also work with showrooms and product companies (even retail!) to help sustain business even through tougher times. This month I am celebrating 22 years of doing this (not to mention the 20 years I was doing this with companies like Donghia and Jack Lenor Larsen). There is always business out there, but we must find and nurture it NOW before it's too late and we hear more tragic endings.

Click here for a 30-minute consultation to see if we can work together. The worst that can happen is you get some good information or garner more sales in an efficient way.