Page 100 - Lighting Magazine January 2020

on the mark
Mark Okun is a Sales Success Consultant for Bravo Business Media and President of MOC Performance Group with over 40 yearsí experience in sales, marketing, and business management within the furniture, lighting, and decorative plumbing industries. He is a monthly contributor to enLIGHTenment Magazine and conducts sales training programs, webinars, workshops and market seminars for retailers, sales representative agencies, and manufacturers. Contact Mark Okun via email at mark@bravobusiness media.com or call 800-425-5139 ext. 626.
most clients are 70 percent on their way to the “Zero Moment of Truth” (i.e. the buying decision) when they walk in. If they were at 100 percent, they would have already bought online and you would never see them. This is why it is critical to build value in the showroom visit.
Tell a story that resonates with both your buyer’s personality and emotional hot buttons. I heard of a client who came into a showroom and left without buying only to return a week later, looking for a part for the item they purchased online. The client apol- ogized for buying the item online, “but the price was amazing,” and only had this one little problem of a missing part that was critical to complete the installation.
Sadly after much effort by the salesperson, this client learned the missing item from his “amazing” deal was not available to buy as a stand-alone part, and he had to buy the item again if he wanted to complete the installation. To make matters worse, the online vendor that sold this great deal to the customer would not accept a return that was missing parts, leaving the client with no recourse. If the original purchase was made through the
showroom (an authorized reseller), the service the client needed would have been no problem. This is a true story that you can rework to make it your own if you don’t have several already. I pres- ent it as a warning to the client, expressing how the showroom handles this type of problem. The proper execution of this activity puts a couple of checkmarks in the Trust column.
Create stories that express the value of the showroom and team. These stories must be woven into your physical and digital communities. Since convenience plays an ever more critical part in the process, salespeople must have another value story that highlights the ease of doing business. Convenience stories can be about the ability to buy 24/7 or that because they are working with a skilled professional, they can avoid living with mistakes.
The 21st Century buyer controls the process like never before. By fostering a culture of client engagement, creating an omnichannel selling style, and incorporating value stories, showrooms can win more.
As Always, Happy Selling! 
“Sales Teams Must Provide Our Clients More Value Than Clients Can Provide Themselves!”
96 enLIGHTenment Magazine | January 2020
www.enlightenmentmag.com