Retail Interest Growing Fast

ATLANTA — With just six weeks before the start of competitive bidding‘s Round 1,
attendees at last week’s Medtrade in Atlanta made retail sales presentations a
hot ticket. Time is short for the first nine regions caught up in
Round 1, but those who could be involved down the road listened
closely as consultant Scott Marcus reviewed key ingredients of
cash-based sales.

As president and lead trainer of Fla.-based Catalyst Medical
Marketing, Marcus outlined five steps for better sales: 1)
establish rapport; 2) gather information through questions; 3) show
all the products; 4) identify objection-type questions; and 5) ask
for the sale.

Closing every sale that walks in the door is not realistic, but
one out of every 10, or even two out of every 10 can amount to
sizable improvement. Establishing rapport and gathering information
are the first two steps to meeting these crucial numbers, but don’t
make the mistake of firing off a list of questions. “Ask permission
first,” said Marcus. “Odds are they are going to say yes, but you
don’t want to surprise them with a barrage of inquiries.”

Sample questions for gathering information include: 1) Who will
be using the product? 2) Who else is involved in making the
decision? 3) What is the environment in which the product will be
used? 4) What do you want the product to do? 5) What is your
height/weight (asked as delicately as possible)? and 6) How do you
see yourself benefitting from this product?

“They are going to tell you once, maybe twice if you’re lucky,
why this product is important for them,” said Marcus. “Pay
attention to the answer, because that is important. You know the
old expression that you want to sell the sizzle, not the steak. We
want to emphasize the benefits, and not necessarily the features of
the product.”

The more product mix you have on the floor, said Marcus, the
more you are going to be perceived as an expert. However, good
consultative sales require that home care providers show customers
the differences between these products. “We have to literally
accompany them and show them the products,” said Marcus. “Showing
them a catalog does not count.”

Up-selling, when done skillfully, can also be a vital tool to
improve sales. Using the good-better-best model is one way to make
it work. “Never sell good vs. best because there is too much of a
gap, and too much of a price difference,” said Marcus. “If you are
only going to have two products on your floor, go with the ones
that are closest together — either good vs. better, or better
vs. best.”

Beyond the basics, Marcus emphasized crucial nuances such as
smile, personal space, tone of voice, number of rings before
picking up the phone (two rings is ideal), and correct eye contact.
“If you are addressing a group of people,” added Marcus, “you want
to consistently make eye contact with each person in that party
— back and forth — so each person does not feel left
out.”