WHY IS IT that when you add zeroes to the price, many salespeople suddenly have a problem closing the sale?
They tell me, “I know the client can’t afford that.” Guess what? If you believe that, you’ve killed the sale before it’s even started. People who make a million dollars a year walk into your store all the time. The only difference between $5,000 and $50,000 is a zero. Are you afraid of that zero?
Let your clients decide how much they want to spend. You do not need to let them know how little they can spend by what you show them. Always start high (but do so with respect). When you start too low, you communicate to the client that you’re pre-judging their spending ability. Starting high, on the other hand, is a silent compliment.
Over 80 percent of the time, when salespeople are selling a diamond, they begin with the wrong one. Ask more questions to help you determine where to start.
If you’re afraid of the price, the client will be able to tell. So never apologize for the price. Instead, when it’s time to talk about the price, say, “Do you realize this is only…?”
Make your presentation about the client, the reason they came in, and the product — never about the money. Never use words like “expensive” or “it’s a lot of money.” Instead, you can indicate that it’s “high quality.”
Never ask a client how much they want to spend. First, it’s rude, and second, it puts you in a box. The average client can usually spend double what they tell you they want to spend. But you can politely find out how much they want to spend by asking what size diamond they want, what shape, platinum or yellow gold, etc. By asking selling-specific questions, you get the information you need to understand their budget. It’s a lot easier to go down in price than go up.
Maybe you say, “Shane, I don’t have this problem.” Well, there’s an easy way to find out: Look at your average ticket. That will tell you the price range that you’re comfortable selling.
The more money it is, the easier it is to close. The more money it is, the less time it takes to sell.
In fact, they will often close the sale themselves and not even ask how much it is (so don’t tell them!). The average million-dollar sale takes less than one hour. By contrast, the $500-$1,500 sale can take two to three hours and they wonder how they’re going to pay for it.
That’s why we’re going to talk about doubling your average ticket at The INSTORE Show next month!
