Help is at hand

I have just read an article by David Newton in a very reputable kitchen industry magazine entitled "Help is at hand".

The article is about the initial customer approach by the salesperson on how to do it and. I feel it is mostly correct as I was always taught never to open with a closed question I.E "Can I help you"
But I think you cannot be so generic in the approach to prospective customers, a lot of people find what works for them and they stick to it, it also depends on who you are working for, if it is a larger company where there is a lot of salespeople / designers then they have to get in first with the approach. It also depends on the size of the showroom area, I have a 1000sq foot studio, when people come in I look or stand up say good morning or afternoon and tell them to feel free to look around and open doors and drawers & if they would like to ask anything please do. It works for me, I have made eye contact, I have broken the conversational ice and invited them to look around, by telling them my name at this point is to "car sales" approach for me but giving your name in a multi person sales environment would work.

When I worked for one of the sheds I had to go on the obligatory induction course based in the north of England. There were about twenty or so people,there, the course trainer went around the room asking us to say who we were and what experience we had in the industry, when it came to my turn I told him my name and how long I had been in kitchens and I added at the end that even after twenty years I did not know everything and there is always something to learn, this is were David Newtons article gives somebody information they might not have thought about, by the way on day two of the course the trainer lost his voice and asked me to take it for him I was chuffed to bits, I eventually created an in store training manual for new sales advisors for the company prior to them going on the course, so at least they had a little knowledge before hand.

Another little story about an obligatory course with another shed was at RMA in Stourport, the poor girl was in a showroom simulation about the approach she asked the pretend customer "can I help you" he replied "no" and walked off, she burst into tears and had to go home the next day.

You have to recognise the type of customer and reckon on what they might be coming in for, you can instinctively tell if they need help. We have often been praised and thanked by prospects and customers that they felt no pressure when coming in to look around and during the whole design / sales process

So Davids initial "Can I help you" is true to certain extent.