The Art of the Hustle (Complete)

Chapter Twenty-One

"Hello everyone," I said trying to conceal my nervousness. "I was asked to give you guys a few examples of some effective selling techniques in hopes they will improve our store's sales. Over the next few minutes, I will go over some of the techniques I have found to be successful for me.  

"Okay, so as you probably already know, there are no magic words that will get people to spend money. But, there are certainly techniques that can turn a 'no' into a 'yes'. The most important thing when you're selling is your frame of mind. For example, I never make a judgment about how much money a customer may have. I have had some average looking clients spend a lot of money. So, treat everyone with the same level of respect. Your frame of mind should always be positive. Try not to act desperate or get angry if your customer doesn't buy anything today because maybe they will come back and buy something tomorrow or the next day. But if you're rude to them, they will definitely not be buying from you and may not even come back to this store." 

I paused for a brief moment and looked around to see if everyone was still with me. 

"Okay, the next thing you can do is always look busy," I continued. "This is really important. Customers are attracted to hustle. So when they walk in and see you working hard, they will be inclined to think you will work hard for them as well. This may even happen on a subconscious level, but as the saying goes, 'when it rains, it pours'! I can't tell you guys how many times I've been juggling three or four customers at once and another customer will come up to me and ask for a size or something. In those cases, I usually just pass it off to one of you guys. But when I'm super busy, it's not a coincidence customers are attracted toward me. There's a pattern here and you guys can use it to your advantage. So, if a customer walks in and asks you for a size in the back, run to the back to get it for them. This pushes positive psychological buttons in their brain that makes them feel important. Happy customers spend money. If we don't have the right size for them, bring out a couple of other options of things that are in their size, or call another store and have the item they want shipped here. You worked hard for that sale, there's no sense in letting someone at another location reap the benefits of your hard work, right?  

"While I'm on the subject, try to discourage putting things on hold for customers. I know our store policy is three days, but this is no good. I give people one hour," I paused for effect and let it really sink in. 

"Research shows ninety percent of all 'holds' never return, so why put our inventory in a space where we can't sell it? Regardless of what they want to put on hold, tell them it's a really hot item and is a very popular size, and it will be gone by the end of the day. I tell people that we don't hold things, but that I can hide it somewhere for an hour. This does two things: first, it further solidifies the bond I have with my client, as I'm doing them a favour, and secondly, it creates a sense of urgency. If they really want it, this element of time will force the decision while their buying mood is still hot. If too much time has passed, they will have completely cooled off, reevaluate their purchase decision, and will not likely come back." 

I took a deep breath and gathered my next thoughts. 

"I also want to stress the importance of knowing your product. When I first started here, I would come in a few hours before my shift and just read about all the products, where they come from, how they are made, what materials are used, and when the new products are coming out. The majority of your customers will never ask about this stuff, but it's still important you know it. Knowing it will allow you to speak with much more confidence. When you speak with confidence, you establish trust. Once you've established trust, then your words become that of an expert, and the customer will believe almost anything you tell them. So if they are trying on a hundred dollar shoe, tell them all about the two hundred dollar shoe and all the wonders it will do for them. Chances are they will buy the two hundred dollar shoe instead because you've praised it so highly. Once they are on board with the two hundred dollar shoe, show them some outfits that go with it, and so on. You can build big sales by knowing your product.  

"Finally, I want you all to start thinking outside of the box. There are many unconventional things you can do to get more sales. For example, I went to the Business Depot downstairs by the food court and had some business cards made up with my name and our store's phone number on it," I took one out of my pocket and showed it to them. "I hand out hundreds of these things each week and if the customers come back, they will come back to me. This is just one example of something you guys can do, and it is such an inexpensive way to boost your sales.  

"So that's all I wanted to share with you guys, thanks so much for listening. Are there any questions?" 

Before I knew it, my speech was over. It wasn't so bad, after a while I found my rhythm. I considered my speech a success, but I still wanted to prove to the senior managers they didn't make a wrong choice in promoting me. It was time for me to step up my hustle to the next level.