Page 46 - Lighting Magazine April 2020

on the mark
THE CONCIERGE
SALESPERSON
Despite the advances in technology,
customers still want to interact with a living, breathing person when making a major purchase. BY MARK OKUN
With all the systemic changes that have im- pacted the showroom sales process, one aspect of this age-old profession hasn’t changed: humans still like to interact with other humans. The digital veils people hide behind online are dropped when they engage with a caring
and interested individual.
What do I mean by “concierge?” A broad definition of the word would be a person who is employed by
a business to make arrangements or run
errands. Think about the concierge
desk at a hotel; it’s where you go
for advice on the best restaurants
as well as which areas to avoid.
The concierge staff has the
local knowledge to make your
visit with them memorable.
Now let’s apply the same
principles to a showroom.
From the very start
of the sales process
through closing,
customers war-
rant exceptional,
high-quality service.
Sales associates who
adopt a concierge attitude
abandon high-pressure tactics in favor of a high-contact, high- service approach.
They become a personal facilitator for the client’s wants and needs, just like the hotel concierge.
THe advanTaGes
Customers are savvy — they know they can buy just about any- thing they want, any time they want, from anywhere they want. This means the antiquated concept of “earn ’em or burn ’em” has been replaced with “assist and persist.” I don’t think any manip-
ulative tactics of the past can pass muster with the digitally astute client. These days, no one wants to feel pressured to do anything, least of all be controlled by a salesperson or
feel forced to make a purchase.
The secret sauce for selling in this client-
centric, information-rich environment is to become a top-notch communicator ― and this applies to both seasoned professionals and new team mem- bers. When you develop and implement a concierge sales process, your client and your
company will reap the benefits.
THe 3-poinT Job descripTion
To be a better seller in every one of the various ways we engage clients
requires a plan to make the task much easier to under-
stand and execute.
The first characteristic is to become an effective communica-
tor. The better the communication skills, the greater the quality of each client’s experience; secondly, it will help the staff sell better. The ability to build the customer’s trust in you, your
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