Page 98 - Lighting Magazine January 2020

on the mark
product choices and “pricing transparency” online, we need to communicate something other than product and price. Demonstrate trust first and ex- pert status next.
Look for ways to start a conversation. When a potential customer likes or comments on a post, ask them by name what it is that they like about the post or image. When people take time to engage by liking, or even better by commenting, we must think of them as a warm lead, no different than when they walk in the door.
There is a double benefit to this style of engage- ment; the person interacting gets an answer, and all the interested followers or lurkers get the same benefit.
Building and communicating trust takes time. Time to research, build content, post, engage, and measure. The goal of all social media is to interact with people who are there, not just place an ad and go. It is the social part that seems to be missing from most online marketing, and sales teams must be involved with the communication. These plat- forms are where potential clients go to interact with others, and part of that socializing involves learning more about areas of interest.
omni-channEl SElling
The days are gone when the high-pressure closing technique or using a scarcity strategy yields results. Providing customers with buying options is now mainstream, and our sales teams are the fuel for that funnel. Many showrooms have not invested in the benefits of having a “wishlist” on their web- sites or an e-commerce solution. When talking with showrooms about this, the successful ones say they have seen an increase in wishlist/shopping cart activity when both the bricks and clicks strategies were used in harmony.
The staff of the 2020 showroom has three requirements with every in-person encounter: Educate the client, Close the sale or next ap- pointment, and introduce “How to buy from us at home.” Too many well-intentioned salespeople will educate, but not close. They send the clients away hoping that they will come back and buy, but many are no longer returning to a showroom after mak- ing a buying decision because they buy when it is convenient. We can increase our sales victories by having our sales teams use a process that will keep customers in our showroom “world” both physically and digitally.
Try these actions to increase your omnichannel success. Develop the sales teams’ skills and under- standing on how to use both a wishlist and shopping cart on your website. Train to introduce your digital showroom extension early in the physical visit and demonstrate how the selection and buying process works. The digital wishlist and cart are both an in-store tool and online resource — use it! Do not send customers away empty-handed. Give them promotional takeaway materials that are specially produced for you and that provide client benefits.
ExprESSing Showroom valuE
We build our sales teams to be thoroughly knowl- edgeable about product categories and to have the skills and belief needed to communicate that knowledge in any medium. What is the value of working with a showroom versus an online re- source? Two words: Trust and Convenience.
Trust is the big dog in the fight for customer dollars, and showrooms have the advantage over e-sellers when the client is in front of us. In fact,
“Clients don’t need more product choices; they want more help.”
94 enLIGHTenment Magazine | January 2020
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