 Sales Associate"I had a customer come in from a grocery store next door and was just looking around. I ended up selling her more than $4,000 worth of furniture. She said it was the most expensive chicken she ever bought."
 | You were recently recognized for your exceptional sales performance. Why do you enjoy selling and what makes it particularly rewarding on a daily basis? |
I've been doing this for over 20 years and I love working with the people and the challenge that presents. It's just a thrill. I just love working with people. I love the challenge. I love to sell to people, to find out what they need. It's not a job to me - it's fun, it's a challenge, it's exciting.
| What abilities or personal attributes make you a great salesperson? |
My number one attribute would have to be my enthusiasm. That is it. I love what I do.
| What do you do to build relationships with customers and why is this important to you? |
It's very important. You have to build a rapport with the customer in order to make a sale. That's the number one thing. You greet them, you find out what they need, you have to talk, guide them and make suggestions. After 20 years experience I can usually read a customer and find out what they need. That's very important. They will not buy from you if you just say "hi" to them and walk away. You have to build a rapport with them and talk with them to find out their likes and dislikes.
| Providing consistent customer service is an ongoing challenge. How does your personal contribution and passion for the customer make your store the best it can be every day? |
This is a lesson from my manager - she has instilled this in me and it's very important. Once a customer has delivery, you must call them immediately to find out how the delivery went and if they enjoy their furniture or if they have any questions or concerns.
| What are your trade secrets? Are there any "techniques" you use to help initiate and/or close a sale? |
You have to ask for the sale. The most important secret of making a sale is to ask for it. Once I've got a customer interested in something, I assume that they're going to buy it. The biggest fault of most salespeople is that they do not ask for the close. If you assume that the customers are going to buy, it makes it easier to ask for it. Another way that I close a lot of sales is asking customers to open up a charge account. They save 10 percent immediately, which is a big closer.
| What is your most memorable sale? |
I had a customer come in from a grocery store next door and was just looking around. I ended up selling her more than $4,000 worth of furniture. She said it was the most expensive chicken she ever bought.
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