BY Pam Leach (bio)
pam@shoppersview.com

"If you fail to connect with a potential customer within the first few seconds, you may have lost not only today’s sale, but sales for the next 10 or 20 years"
Pam Leach, Operations Manager, Shoppers View

This is the first in a series of training articles designed to help you and your associates create a better first impression with your potential customers—both by telephone and in person. So, since this is the beginning, let’s start with the beginning of your sales opportunity—the greeting.

Rent to Own customers are amazingly loyal. How well a stores staff treats customers is a major factor in that loyalty...and it all starts with the first impression.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression. If you fail to connect with a potential customer within the first few seconds, you may have lost, not only today’s sale, but sales for the next 10 or 20 years. There are not too many places, even very small towns, where there is no competition. Customer service = customer loyalty.

Telephone Greetings

Answer in three rings or less
The standard for most businesses is three rings or less. Any longer and the caller might hang up—and you have lost a sale (or a lifelong customer).

Use the correct greeting
Use your company’s preferred greeting, if there is one. Otherwise, the standard greeting is "Thank you for calling the ABC Company. This is Joe. How can I help you?" Say it in a friendly, positive manner. Smile when you answer the phone—it does make a difference.

Make sure your greeting is intelligible
Every word of your greeting should be easily understood. Avoid talking too fast and slurring the greeting. Make a slight pause after each phrase. "Thank you for calling the ABC Company. [slight pause] This is Joe. [slight pause] How can I help you?" Be careful to not slur "this is" and your name, especially if your name starts with a vowel. "This is Ed" can turn into "ThisisSed" all to easily.

Ask for the caller’s name
Ask the caller's name after the first one or two sentences. Use the caller’s name throughout your presentation to help establish a friendly rapport. At some point in your presentation, you should ask for the caller’s full name and address, but if you do so in the greeting, you risk sounding pushy rather than friendly. For companies with several stores in the same city or town, we have heard sales associates insist on the address "to make sure you are in our delivery area" or "to make sure we’re the closest store." This borders on obnoxious. First win the caller to your company, then worry about which store is closest. Also, consider that your store may be the most convenient for the caller—perhaps you are closer to where the caller works so it would be easier to make payments at your location.

Hold procedure
Do not put your caller immediately on hold before he or she has a chance to say anything. Explain that you have another call on hold or that you are taking care of a customer. Ask if you can put the caller on hold and wait for an answer. If you are too busy to give the caller your full attention—maybe you are alone in the store and have in-store customers to take care of—explain this to the caller and ask for their name and number. Let the caller know when you will call back, and call back when you say you will. NEVER leave a customer on hold for more than 30 seconds. If you try to take care of a potential customer when you are distracted, you will not be making a good impression to the caller or to the customers in the store.

In-store Greetings

Greet the customer within 30 seconds
Greet or otherwise acknowledge the customer immediately whenever possible and always within 30 seconds. Even if you are with another customer, you can acknowledge the presence of someone who enters the store—at least make eye contact and some gesture (nod of the head, wave of the hand) to indicate that you see him or her. If you think 30 seconds is short, time how long it takes to stroll from the front to the back of your store. Less than 30 seconds, hmmm? When greeting the customer, avoid the phrase "How may I help you." This is a good phrase for a telephone greeting, but other methods are better to use in-store. The best way is to simply start asking the customer a few questions to determine his or her needs.

Introduce yourself and ask for the customer’s name right after you greet the customer. It’s okay if you determine needs first, but make sure to ask before you start your sales presentation. Use the customer’s name in a natural, easy manner while you explain product and program features and benefits.

Conclusion
The best way to make a great first impression is to be friendly, enthusiastic about your store and company, knowledgeable about your products, and eager to help your customers get the great merchandise they want.