Page 143 - Lighting Magazine January 2019

Now, what does digital marketing have to do with face-to-face sales? This hurry up, overbooked world we live in demands that we rede ne both our tradi- tional and digital marketing strategies. The goal is to build rapport and create trust with clients while dem- onstrating that the showroom has experts available when they want them.
Creating trust is di cult when using a traditional marketing approach that only pushes product, the sale, and a discount — nothing makes you stand out from the crowd. There is no trust built or experience promised. It all boils down to trust.
A simple formula for building your digital reputa- tion is to blend emotion with logic in story form. This concept could ll an entire article, some of which has been touched upon earlier in this column (“Expand- ing Your Market Reach”) in the October 2017 issue.
Face-to-face selling must bring increased value to the client. It needs to be intentional and direct, and with a process of choreographed interactions that re- inforce the trust that is being built digitally. This type of selling is a meld of marketing and sales skills, with only three acceptable outcomes:
N To sell the item the client wants at that time
N To schedule an appointment to sell it later,
again face to face
N To get the client away from the internet and
into your showroom
The activities required to reach any of these goals
are the same. It will take practiced presentations that are persuasive, creating questions for the informed client, and learning to ask for the order. Not only does face-to-face selling reinforce the trust built digitally, it creates an opportunity to demonstrate products and go-together items. Implemented properly, these techniques will increase the likelihood of converting the browsing customer into a buyer. When a trusting relationship is created, customers will allow you to become an advisor in their buying experience.
come to tHeir AidA
AIDA is an acronym for: A ention, Interest, Desire, and Action. The term was reportedly created in the late 19th Century by American advertising and sales pioneer E. St. Elmo Lewis, but the basics are still ap- plicable in 2019 with a couple of modi cations.
Attention
The way we develop a ention through our online marketing e orts is the feeling the customer will anticipate when they visit the showroom. When the
goal of the initial digital contact is based on building trust, reinforcing trustworthiness is critical in the rst few moments of the client exchange.
Trust does not happen with the old standby con- versation-starters, “Can I help you?” or “What brings you in?” These are worn-out words that have li le ef- fect, or at worst put the rst brick in the wall. It takes thought and practice to start a conversation with a client in the trial-and-test mode; I’ve nicknamed this type of customer “The Seeker.” A li le gratitude goes a long way with many people. For example, try this phrase: “Thanks for coming in! Are you here to work with one of our project experts or are you checking out something you may have seen already?”
It is crucial that we nd out what customers are searching for and how we can satisfy them. By begin- ning with a client-focused question, we can start to locate where they are in their buying journey.
interest
Generating client interest was once dominated by product selection and sale pricing. While these re- main motivators, they no longer drive sales like they once did. In face-to-face selling, we must promote not just buying a product, but buying that product from us.
The interest we want to raise is that we are experts and the showroom is the best choice for buying those products. It all stems from your “USP” — Unique Sell- ing Proposition. Utilizing a well-forma ed USP will reinforce digital marketing e orts and explain who you are as an expert in your area.
This method begins with a simple question. “Did you know our showroom has been a reliable resource for our local community for 30 years?” The answer will be yes or no; in either case, have a prepared re- sponse. Another question that builds expert status is, “Have you ever worked with a professional lighting specialist?” Again, the response is yes or no, and your response to either one is “Great!” Then tell them what to expect when working with a professional like yourself.
desire
This is the two-fold emotional response we want to generate with every client. The most critical desire we want to communicate is that they will feel most comfortable doing business with us. Because desire is emotional, using logic alone will not get the result you want. The way to create – and capitalize on – de- sire is with authentic storytelling that combines logic
“By beginning with a client- focused question, we can start to locate where they are in their buying journey.”
on the Mark
January 2019 | enLIGHTenment MagazIne 141