5 Types of Salespersons Who Can Hurt Sales
Let me state at the outset that there is no dearth of good salespersons. The kind who are polite, who are there when you need help, and who perhaps know a thing or two about a customer’s psyche.
But there are others. Whether they have had the wrong kind of training or have some built in annoying characteristics, they are not helping sales. Quite the contrary, in fact.
And considering the frequency with which we encounter the annoying types, it has to do something with the wrong kind of training or no training at all. It seems.
Here are the 5 types of salesperson who can drive away customers:
The Stalkers
Consider. You are in an apparel store, you want to have a look at the latest arrivals before you can make up your mind to buy anything. So you stand near one of the racks and reflect, and suddenly you feel a presence lurking behind you. You turn around and encounter a person who blurts, “Like anything?” You politely tell him that you want to browse first and would let him know.
You start moving to another rack, and la voila! He starts following you. You stop, he stops, you move, he moves. Believe me, it’s a scene from real life, enacted at a big brand store. That’s ‘be there for the customer’ commandment taken to ludicrous heights, and it would have been funny if it wasn’t downright annoying
Here’s a tip: Yes, be there by all means. But do it subtly, lurk at a distance, leave some private space for reflection.
The Overly Enthusiastic Ones
Then there are those who can make you tired just by their chirpy chatty greetings and efforts at small talk. They tell you that you have come after a long time even if you have never been there before. They try to tell you what will suit you and what won’t. Some even try to go the extra mile by getting friendly with any children accompanying a customer.
Here’s a tip: Don’t go overboard. A polite good morning and from time to time enquiring if the customer wants anything should be enough.
The Least Bothered
They give you a quick look and go back to doing whatever is holding their fancy at the moment. It could be a conversation on a cell phone, a heart-to-heart with a colleague, and, yes, Facebook. You wonder if you could ask someone to show you, say, a pair of shoes to try on, and finally muster the courage to disturb the people who are still busy in their important doings at the counter. Now one of them will ask the other to bring the desired pair of shoes, she will reluctantly go and, after eons, come back, place the pair in front of you and go back to the counter. And if the pair isn’t the right size or if you want to try another design, you simply don’t have the energy to go through the entire process again. You leave.
A quick tip: Don’t let the customer feel like an intruder. Be welcoming; don’t hurt the business interest of the company that has hired you.
The Bored Ones
They seem as if they would rather sleep than do the mundane task of selling. Remember, places take on the ambiance according to the moods of the people who live or work there. Such stores give lackluster vibes, and who wants to spend time at a place that saps energy.
Here are a few tips: If selling bores, you would be better off doing something else. And if it’s one of those days (after all, we are humans and can have such moods), try to fake a cheery mood. Believe me, it works. Act as if you are happy with life and soon you will find yourself pulling up the act with ease. You owe it to your employers.
The Rude Ones
They can actually ruin your day with their demeanor or a comment. They seem to be saying: “We don’t care if you buy anything or not.” A salesperson who says, “I told you it wouldn’t look good” or “you are the only one who doesn’t like this” needs a thorough grounding in salesmanship.
Here’s a tip: If you are having a bad day, don’t take it out on the customers. If you are the misanthropic type, chose another profession.
Have you ever encountered one of the above types? Can you think of any other type of salesperson who might be hurting sales?
