Page 80 - Lighting Magazine March 2019

“It no longer is about just selling for pro t, but selling for a bene t.”
on the Mark
Mark Okun is Business Contributor to enLIGHTenment Magazine and President of Mark Okun Consulting & Performance Group. He has more than 30 years of hands- on retail experience training and coaching sales associates in the lighting and furniture industries. Mark@bravo businessmedia.com
This does not mean that educated clients are walking in to buy what you have, but they are walking in to verify what they know and discover if you know more. This is the time to use a so , well- thought-out, persuasive process.
Demonstrating your expert status is more important than the brands you sell. The days of using a complex sale process are over; simplicity and honesty will help you make the entire sales interaction acceptable to the client. You do this by making your complete sales experience very comfortable.
To be the counselor that Millennials want re- quires that stumbling blocks and speed bumps in the process are clearly communicated upfront with no surprises. Reinforcing your counselor posi- tion involves more than memorizing the latest PK from a vendor’s catalog. In fact, that is the least impressive way to garner the business of this well- researched group. Instead, focus on the associated details of the products you are presenting, such as on-trend designs, style preferences, accents, colors, and global in uences.
When it comes to home décor, Millennials have a desire for fashion that is a ordable. The decorat- ing ideas they love are impacted by the shows they watch, the images they pin to their idea boards, and the social media pages they follow. They want their spaces to be “Insta-Worthy” (i.e. a rac- tive enough to post images on Instagram) and an accurate re ection of who they are and the expe- riences they have had or wish to have.
give BefOre YOu take
Millennials like to give back to the world and leave a small carbon footprint. If the products you’re presenting are made from renewable or recycled
resources, that is an a ractive bene t. How your business is interwoven into the community is a de- sirable feature, and even the way you handle your trash can mean something. How the sale of an item can positively a ect the upstream resource or the pro ts generated from the sale makes a di erence to a local group is also an appealing bene t.
Sharing the positive in uence your showroom has had on the local community will solidify that purchasing from you is a bene t to all. These ac- tivities are the foundation of the marketing sales story you tell. The result is the client will feel good about buying from you and the sales force will be proud to be part of the team and community.
I o en wonder why Millennials, or any group for that ma er, who are concerned with environmental impact will buy items like lighting, plumbing xtures, and furniture online. Think of the process.
The purchase is made and the item delivered (1st trip). There may be one insigni cant problem, let’s say a missing part, or they just don’t like their choice. The online seller will o en send a call tag to pick up the item (2nd trip) and if it is being replaced, send another complete item (3rd trip). O en that returned item is sent to be eld-destroyed (addi- tional environmental impact) or it is bundled with other things and sent to a jobber to dispose of in a di erent market (4th & 5th trip, possibly more).
O en for a single replacement part that is most likely in your showroom, the client is inconve- nienced, and the “defective item” now has a carbon footprint that is more like a well-trodden carbon path to their doorway. By the way, this is a great selling story you can use, and everyone with online purchasing experience knows it is true.
the SkillS
Here is a short list of skills that today’s showroom salesperson needs to be successful:
Be honest and transparent.
Have unparalleled product knowledge meld- ed with superb selling skills.
Be tech savvy & socially out there.
Be prepared to create constructive tension. Develop your emotional intelligence (EQ)
Honing these talents will make showroom sales teams appealing to everyone who comes into the showroom.
As always, happy selling!  www.enlightenmentmag.com
76 enLIGHTenment Magazine | March 2019