In the communication between sales staff and customers, various questions from customers are often encountered, such as product quality, product usage, price, promotional policies, after-sales service, etc. Even if the sales staff respond quickly, have a positive attitude, and provide comprehensive explanations (at least they think so), the results may not always be good. Some customers are not satisfied with the explanations given by the sales staff, which clearly does not dispel their doubts, and may even lead to other issues. From the perspective of the sales staff, when customers ask questions, they have already responded quickly and actively explained, and the content of the explanations is in accordance with regulations. They have said everything they should say, but if the customer still cannot accept it, then there is nothing they can do. It is normal for customers to have questions during the process of selecting products. In some well-managed stores, there are even specially formulated manuals with answers to frequently asked questions, providing standardized responses to various customer inquiries. According to this, as long as the sales staff explain these standard answers to the customers, they should be able to eliminate the customers' concerns and doubts. The problem lies in two aspects:

  1. Treating customer questions in a one-dimensional way
  2. Not confirming the questions behind the questions with the customer Let me explain in detail:
  3. Treating customer questions in a one-dimensional way So-called one-dimensional treatment of customer questions means only focusing on answering the one question raised by the customer, or subjectively assuming that the customer has only this one question. In fact, when a customer raises a question, there may be several more questions waiting behind it. This is because when customers have doubts, they often generate multiple questions, and there may be a certain connection or even contradictory relationship between these questions. For example, if a salesperson explains that a certain product uses very rare raw materials or has a very complex manufacturing process, and at the same time emphasizes that the manufacturer has a very large output... or that a vehicle has very high output power and strong horsepower, while also saying that the car is very fuel-efficient... The customer may simultaneously have multiple questions and will ask them one by one in a certain logical order. If the salesperson treats them one-dimensionally and only considers answering this one question perfectly, they may often exaggerate in absolute terms. On the surface, although they have answered the current question, they have also lost room for maneuver. If the customer suddenly throws out a new contradictory question, the salesperson is often at a loss. Solution: When a customer raises a question, the salesperson should not rush to explain, but first ask the customer: "Besides this, do you have any other questions?" Try to draw out all the questions in the customer's mind, and quickly understand whether there are logical relationships, contradictory relationships, and which question the customer really cares about most. When organizing the language of the answer and explanation, it is necessary to take these several questions into account simultaneously. Avoid attending to one thing and losing another.
  4. Not confirming the questions behind the questions with the customer This situation is the most common. When salespeople hear the questions raised by customers, they often only look at the literal meaning of the question and then explain, without considering why the customer raised this question, that is, the question behind the question. For example, in a children's photography studio, a customer brought a one-month-old baby for photos. The customer noticed many stains on the props used for shooting and asked the photographer: "There are many stains and spots on these props." The photographer replied: "It's okay, I'll edit them out in post-production, and these spots will be removed." The customer's question was essentially about worrying that the props were too dirty and harmful to the child's health, but the photographer interpreted it literally as the impact of these spots on the shooting effect. Another example: In an air conditioning specialty store, a customer asked the salesperson: "For such a large outdoor unit, how many expansion bolts are needed?" The salesperson enthusiastically replied: "Don't worry, the installation fee is included, and you won't need to pay extra for any materials." In fact, the customer saw that the outdoor unit was so large and heavy, and was worried that the bolts might not hold it securely. That is to say, the questions raised by customers may mean one thing on the surface, but what they really think in their hearts is another. If the salesperson directly answers and explains according to the literal meaning, it is very likely that the answer will be irrelevant. The salesperson may think the explanation is comprehensive, but it is completely not in line with what the customer wants. Of course, as a salesperson, it is impossible to have enough skills and energy to analyze what is behind every question raised by every customer. So, we can simplify this problem and pass the ball back to the customer. That is, when a customer raises a question, do not rush to answer, but first ask the customer: "Why do you consider this aspect?" "Do you have any other considerations in this regard?" This way, we can further clarify the question behind the question, and then answer and explain, ensuring that the answer given by the salesperson is the answer the customer wants. Of course, there are two other considerations for recommending these two basic answer strategies:
  5. The customer may be asking randomly Sometimes customers throw out a question without thinking, just randomly. In fact, the customer themselves may not have figured out whether this question is within the normal scope, and they don't know what kind of answer or explanation would be accurate. If the salesperson directly answers, it is also difficult to satisfy the customer. So, after hearing the customer's question, first ask whether there are other questions, or why they are worried about this question, to test whether the customer is seriously asking or just casually asking.
  6. Leaving buffer time Strictly speaking, after a customer raises a question, the salesperson should not answer immediately. This is because the salesperson needs a certain preparation process for answering, to conduct some basic analysis, search and recall information in their mind, organize wording, etc. In layman's terms, they need time to draft a response. By throwing some rhetorical questions back to the customer, it also gives the salesperson some buffer time. Registration method: Click on the title above to enter the "365 Business School" WeChat public account, then reply "Reading" to participate in this activity! Sales staff have low work efficiency, Low transaction rate after customers enter the store, low repeat order rate, Don't know where the problem lies? Want to learn store operation techniques and personnel management, Don't know where to start? Let's read together with the author Change the way of learning with community reading! ▼ What kind of book is "Starting a Store from Scratch"? Do you understand your customers? How should you handle the first business of the morning? How to cleverly respond to customers who directly ask about price? How to design a store training system? ...... Due to the varying levels of operation and management capabilities among store owners in different regions, their operation and management thinking also differ. Especially in the two basic modules of actual store operation techniques and store personnel management, there are common problems such as weak basic work and outdated technical methods, leading to a series of business issues such as low work efficiency of sales staff, low transaction rates after customers enter the store, and low repeat order rates. In the problem analysis, the author deeply analyzes the problems existing in actual business work from the customer's perspective and proposes a series of effective solutions. Teacher leading the reading this time Pan Wenfu Researcher on SME topics, private business owner, and founder of a consulting agency based on a distributor company. Research direction is internal management of private enterprises, with continuous breakdown and solution updates for hundreds of topics. WeChat public account: [Senpan Consulting] What will I gain ► Experience true "community interactive learning", and read "Starting a Store from Scratch" with group friends in 14 days; ► Mentor three customized major courses, including Q&A on related issues► We will read together with the mentor, share gains, and record dry goods reading notes; Activity Information Reading time: March 1, 2016 to March 14, 2016 (14 days) Reading location: 365 Business School Reading Alliance WeChat groupLimited quota: 200 people Fee: This activity is free! Purchase "Starting a Store from Scratch" to participate, 50 yuan (including postage)

Activity rewards:

  1. The author of this book will bring three customized courses in the WeChat group, including Q&A on related issues2. During the activity, students who publish excellent reading reflections will have their book purchase fee refunded by 365 Business School 3. All participants: will receive the completion certificate of the 365 Business School Reading Alliance
  2. After reading the book, you can write a dry goods note. If the content is good, the assistant will help organize it and publish it with your name on the official platform of 365 Business School, allowing tens of thousands of users to see your work!

Registration method: From now on, reply "Reading" in the 365 Business School WeChat public account, and follow the instructions to participate in this activity! (Deadline: March 1) ▼ What the teacher wants to say to you "In the business format of distributors, the proportion of store-type and counter-type sales is increasing. In these occasions where direct communication with consumers and transactions occur, soft forces such as the attitude and sales skills of sales staff are more important than hard forces such as products, brands, advertising, and decoration. Behind the work attitude of sales staff, it is determined by the corresponding technical training and the boss's personnel management level. The starting point of this book is relatively low. In terms of sales techniques and personnel management, many contents start from scratch. The language is plain, and the execution methods are simple and easy to implement, which is convenient for new store owners and new sales staff to learn, and can also serve as basic work strengthening guidance for store operations." Frequently Asked Questions Q1: How to purchase the book? A: Reply "Reading" in the "365 Business School" subscription account to register, follow the process to obtain the registration page, leave the shipping address on the registration page, and then make the payment. Q2: How to enter the learning community after successful registration? Q3: If I have already purchased the book myself, can I participate in the activity? Q4: When will the assistant pass my friend request? When will the group be formed? A: The assistant will pass everyone's friend requests between 3-5 pm every day, and the group formation time is 5 pm on March 1. Please wait patiently! (Special reminder: Due to the large number of participants, those who have not added the assistant before March 1 will be disqualified ) ▷ Sharing from previous activity participants of 365 Business School ◁ Come and join to grow into a store manager who can handle things independently!**** Scan, reply "Reading", and register -END- The best FMCG distributor learning platform in China Focusing on providing professional, practical, and down-to-earth tutorials for enterprises and distributors Committed to helping Chinese FMCG distributors grow rapidly The most professional and practical knowledge base in the FMCG industry Reply with the red number below to get the corresponding content Reply with number 1 to view the complete knowledge base | 001 Excellent article selection | 002 Distributor market operation|003 Terminal visit management|004 Sales supervisor skills complete| 005 Sales improvement techniques | 006 Channel expansion | 007 Managing distributors| 008 Distributor development |009 Distributor internal operation management |010 Team management | 011 Efficient distribution techniques |** 012 Sales manager's eighteen skills | 013 KA operation methods and strategies complete | 014 First lesson for new salespeople | 015** Internet, brand | [Long press QR code to follow] **To join QQ/WeChat group, please click: **Read original text